MTSU Social Work Department

SW 3160: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
Spring 2007

Class Topics

 

Each class will have a topic about which students may write a paragraph of 100 to 150 words.  These topics will be announced prior to the class for which they are due.  The paragraphs must be typewritten and turned in at the beginning of class or by email to jsanborn@mtsu.edu ahead of time.  Points for class topics will be awarded as follows:  completion of paragraph = 1 point; above average completion = 2 points; exceptional completion = 3 points.  A total of 114 points is possible this way.  The topics for each class follow:

 

  1. Why do social workers study human behavior and the social environment?  Due Friday, 1/19.
  2. Do social workers need to show more concern about the human impact on the environment?  Due Monday, 1/22.
  3. If  “it would hardly be fish who discovered the existence of water,” who discovered air?  Due Wednesday, 1/24.
  4. Why is it not a good idea to marry your first cousin?  Due Friday, 1/26.
  5. What is wrong with the quote, “Research now seems to indicate that shared environment has almost no influence on differences in behavior among siblings.  Thus, when family members behave similarly, this resemblance is due to genetics.” (p. 56, text)?  Due Monday, 1/29.
  6. What type of social work would be best for Debbie Hunt (p. 65-66)?  Due Wednesday, 1/31.
  7. What is the best way to enhance language acquisition in bicultural environments?  Due Friday, 2/2.
  8. Are professional social work ethics attitudes, values, or beliefs?  Due Monday 2/5.
  9. Who are you?  (You may use the “Who Am I” test on page 104 or answer in another way).  Due Wednesday, 2/7.
  10. What is the most important exosystem in your life now?  Due Friday, 2/9.
  11. What is your personal experience with marital satisfaction across the family life cycle? Due Monday, 2/12
  12. How is homophobia relevant to your life? Due Wednesday, 2/14
  13. What options would you present to a fifteen year old pregnant client who smokes? Due Friday, 2/16
  14. What are your opinions about the use of C-sections as a method of delivery as used in the United States today? Due Monday, 2/19
  15. What are the advantages and disadvantages of circumcision? Due Wednesday, 2/21
  16. Why is it that pity is seen as such a negative expression of feeling in our culture? Due Monday, 2/26
  17. What is your idea of the ideal birthing experience? Due Monday, 2/26
  18. What can be done to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)? Due Wednesday, 2/28
  19. Write a paragraph that describes the world from an infant's perspective. Due Friday, 3/2
  20. What would you as a social worker do about Roberto, Angelica and Raul's baby? Due Monday, 3/12
  21. What are your opinions of the methods used to curb aggression presented in the text? Due Wednesday, 3/14
  22. What is the ideal combination of preschool and parental care for a three-year-old? Due friday, 3/16
  23. What disaster do you know of that may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder in a young child and what symptoms would you expect resulting from this event? This may be something that you know of directly and personally or something you know about through the media. Due Wednesday 3/21
  24. Where do you stand on the issue of maintaining and supporting families while protecting children in cases of suspected abuse? Due Friday 3/23
  25. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? Do you know of children who have? What do you think about that? Due Friday 3/23
  26. What is your opinion of the routine use of intelligence testing of school-age children? Due Monday 3/26
  27. Who should learn ASL (American Sign Language)? When and how? Due Wednesday 3/28
  28. What is your opinion regarding ADHD and medication? Due Friday 3/30
  29. What is your opinion regarding divorce in a family including school-age children? Due Monday 4/2
  30. What is your opinion of how teenages accomplish the growth task of identity? Due Friday 4/6
  31. What can be done to decrease homophobia among adolescents? Due Friday 4/6
  32. Who was more immoral, the druggist or the husband (p. 403)? Due Monday 4/9
  33. What should we do about sexual activity during adolescence? Due Wednesday 4/11
  34. In your experience, how do cultural beliefs impact health? Due Friday 4/13
  35. Define love. Due Monday 4/16
  36. What is your personal experience (yourself, family, friends) between personality type and disease? Due Wednesday 4/18
  37. What is your opinion of "midlife crisis?" Due Friday 4/20
  38. How do you expect to gain "integrity" as the final task of the life cycle? Due Monday 4/23
  39. How do you want to die? Due Wednesday 4/25