This course introduces the field of social welfare, primarily in the United States. Students examine the impact of values and beliefs on the development of the modern U.S. social welfare system. Both the history of the social welfare system and the social work profession are explored in their political, economic and social contexts with particular attention to the intersectionality of race, class, and gender. The dynamics of privilege and oppression and their influence on social policies and services are examined from the perspective of marginalized groups. Open to non- social work majors.