Challenges of Violence Worldwide

A Curriculum Module, An Educational Resource

As noted in the Council on Social Work Education's 1994 Handbook on Accreditation Standards and Procedures, effective social work education programs recognize the interdependence of nations and the need for worldwide professional cooperation. Challenges of Violence Worldwide: A Curriculum Module focuses on violence as a global affliction and sustainable human development as a powerful avenue to intervention. The aim of this module is to contribute to the inclusion of more global content in social work education and to stimulate further curriculum development.

This module is intended for use with the accompanying Challenges of Violence Worldwide: An Educational Resource (student version) as assigned reading for any social work foundation course at either the bachelor's or master's degree level. An Educational Resource contains information and case studies on six topics: overview (an introduction to general concepts and to the linkages between violence and development), poverty, women and children, ethnicity, drug abuse, and trauma.

The Curriculum Module includes course objectives, discussion questions, and various class activities and course assignments. For the convenience of faculty, it also includes the full text of An Educational Resource. Course objectives for different parts of the curriculum have been suggested in the hope that faculty will add at least one global objective to syllabi for all of their courses.

General Objectives

1. Students will be able to describe parallel conditions of violence in the United States and in less economically advantaged nations.
2. Students will demonstrate a broadened understanding of violence and the role of the social work profession in solving the problem on a global scale.
3. Students will demonstrate an increased interest in learning from successful interventions by human services workers in developing countries and in the United States.
4. Students will be able to define key concepts, such as sustainable human development, global North, and global South.
5. Students will demonstrate an awareness of social work's commitment to social justice by describing how violence and oppression affect vulnerable populations throughout the world.

The objectives and discussion questions in the following section are presented by curriculum area. The questions may be used for classroom discussion or in written assignments. They are based on information presented in part 1 of An Educational Resource (pp. 15 to 21 in this volume and pp. 1 to 7 in the student version).

Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the impact of personal, institutional, and structural violence on the development of individuals and families throughout the life cycle and on the social and economic development of communities and societies.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the parallel conditions of violence and the impact of violence on individuals and communities in both the United States and in less economically developed countries.
3. Students will begin to identify how social workers can intervene with social systems and demand social justice for the benefit of human growth and development worldwide.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you define violence? What are some implications of the broadened definition of violence presented in part 1 of An Educational Resource (p. 16 in this volume and p. 2 in the student version) for individual and social development?
2. Can you provide at least one example of a form of violence at each of the three levels -- personal, institutional, and structural -- and discuss the impact of such violence on individual development across the life span. (See part 1 of An Educational Resource -- p. 17 in this volume and p. 3 in the student version -- for a description of the three levels of violence.)
3. What are some parallels between the United States and countries of the global South in relation to the impact of violence on individual and social development? How do you define development?

Social Work Theory and Practice

Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the connection between their clients' well-being and the political, social, and economic context within which their clients live.
2. Students will expand their definition of practice interventions to include such strategies as those aimed at reducing gun violence and militarization.
3. Students will be able to describe conflict-resolution strategies for use with individuals, families, and communities as an alternative to violence.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the implications of the broadened definition of violence in part 1 of An Educational Resource (pp. 16-17 in this volume and pp. 2-3 in the student version) for social work interventions?
2. What is the relevance of the concept of sustainable human development for social work intervention in the United States? Discuss the similar and different uses of such a strategy in the United States and in the global South.
3. What knowledge and skills does the social work profession offer to international efforts to promote global security and development? What further knowledge and skills does the profession need to develop?

Social Welfare Policy

Objectives

1. Students will be able to describe the connections among different forms of violence and the obstruction of the processes of individual, social, and economic development.
2. Students will be able to explain the ways in which social work support for human and economic development efforts in the global South are linked with social work concerns about violence in the United States.
3. Students will be able to discuss the significant links between U.S. foreign policy and U.S. social welfare policy and examine ways in which attitudes about violence and militarism influence the political debate about social issues.

Discussion Questions

1. What relevance do the principles underlying sustainable human development have for social welfare policy and practice?
2. Domestic social welfare policy is concerned with poverty and inequity in the United States. Should social workers in the United States also be concerned with inequities between the global North and the global South? Why or why not?
3. Should domestic social welfare policy be concerned with U.S. foreign and military policies? Why or why not?

Research

Objectives

1. Students will develop an awareness of how research on violence and development issues from a global perspective relates to social work practice and policy.
2. Students will gain an understanding, based on research, of the impact of violence on human, social, and economic development.
3. Students will become familiar with the multidisciplinary research literature on international development.

Discussion Questions

1. How can research skills and information gained from research be used to learn more about the possible relationships between violence and development related to the social and economic growth of communities and countries?
2. How does the research literature define violence? Is there a standard social science definition? What are the implications of the broadened definition provided in An Educational Resource for research studies?

Field Practicum

Objectives

1. Students will acquire a greater understanding of and commitment to the roles of social workers within a global perspective.
2. Students will demonstrate a willingness to learn from successful projects in less economically developed countries.
3. Students will be able to describe specific development projects that have been successful in alleviating social problems in the global South and have been replicated in underdeveloped areas in the United States.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the relevance of violence and development issues in the global South for social work practice in your field placement in regard to the prevention and amelioration of violence?
2. How can you use the concept of sustainable human development in your field placement?

Exercise 1 -- Videotape
Social Workers and the Challenge of Violence Worldwide

Purpose

To introduce students to the connections between violence and development and motivate them to learn more.

Learning Activity

Show part 1 of the nationwide video conference, Social Workers and the Challenge of Violence Worldwide, which was hosted by Charles Kuralt and produced by the National Association of Social Workers. The one-hour videotape can be purchased from the NASW Press.

Introduce the videotape of part 1 by telling students that it was produced in February 1996 and that 20,000 social work students, faculty, and practitioners across the United States viewed it as part of a nationwide week-long teach-in. Part 1 consists of (1) a panel presentation-discussion and video segments in which the concept of development is defined and illustrated, (2) a discussion of violence as the enemy of the community and community development, and (3) hope for social change. After you show the videotape, have the students discuss the following questions.

Discussion Questions

1. What were your general impressions while viewing the videoconference?
2. What struck you the most about the presentation? What aspects were the most informative?
3. What were the primary messages?
4. What are the implications of what you learned for you as a social worker?

The videotape of part 2 of the videoconference includes a panel of social workers interacting with students, faculty, and practitioners via telephone about violence and development issues; it can also be purchased from NASW Press.

Exercise 2 -- Research Assignment
Learning about the Refugees in Your Community

Purpose

To obtain information about the refugees in the local community and the implications of that information for the delivery of social services.

Learning Activity

Have the students conduct research about a refugee population in the local community as a group assignment. The research should cover the following areas:

• a social history of the refugee group, including conditions in country of origin and reasons for coming to the United States
• the role and effects of violence (physical and structural) in the lives of individuals in the group
• cultural norms, traditions, and beliefs
• current needs and available services
• services that are needed and needs that are not met
• implications for social work practice.

Product
A group paper presenting the results of the research or a group presentation (or both) is suggested.

Source: Van Soest, 1992, p. 52.

Exercise 3 -- Class Discussion
The Global South Is Where . . .

Purpose

To build awareness of the characteristics of the global South and why this area of the world matters to social workers in the United States.

Introduction
The term global South refers to the world's poor nations, in contrast to the global North, which refers to wealthy, industrialized countries like the United States. In addition, U.S. social workers have traditionally been concerned about poor communities that are hidden in urban centers or isolated rural areas of this country.

Underdeveloped areas of the United States and countries of the global South share many characteristics, such as low standards of living, malnutrition, disease, illiteracy, unemployment, and inadequate or nonexistent medical services. In spite of parallel conditions, social workers in general tend not to be aware of or have information about the global South and have given little thought to its relevance for them and their clients.

Process

Have the students read "The global South is where . . ." (p. 16 of part 1 of An Educational Resource in this volume and p. 2 in the student version) and discuss the following questions either in small groups or in the class as a whole.

Discussion Questions

1. Which characteristics of the global South surprised you?
2. What are the differences between the characteristics of the global South and those of poor communities in the United States? What are the similarities?
3. Why should social workers have a global perspective?
4. What are the pros and cons of U.S. social workers supporting human and economic development efforts aimed at changing the characteristics of the global South?
5. What are the dilemmas inherent in the social work profession supporting such efforts?
6. What are some things that individual social workers and the profession as a whole can do to change some of the characteristics of the global South and the parallel conditions in underdeveloped regions of the United States?

Exercise 4 -- Questions and Answers
To Test Student Knowledge of International Development

Purpose

To increase knowledge about international development and the U.S. policy on foreign assistance and aid to countries of the global South.

Introduction
Perhaps one of the most often-asked questions today is, "Why, when we have so many problems at home, are we sending money to other countries?" The debate by both houses of Congress and the American public over the merits of helping other countries and the expense of doing so versus the use of funds to help solve problems in this country is fraught with stereotypes, misperceptions, and misinformation. In addition, there is little understanding of the concept of global interdependence and the reality that assistance to other countries is as important to the United States as it is to countries in the global South. This exercise is intended to dispel some myths and increase students' understanding of the connections between domestic and foreign policy.

Process

Have the students complete the worksheet, "20 True-False Questions to Test Your Knowledge of International Development." Then, go over the answers on the handout with them and discuss the issues presented in the following questions.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the most significant thing you learned from this exercise?
2. What are the implications of U.S. foreign policy for U.S. social welfare policy?
3. Do you think it is important for U.S. social workers to be informed about the global South? If so, why? If not, why not?

True - False

1. There are more nations in the global South (poor nations) than nations in the global North (wealthy industrialized nations).
2. Life expectancy at birth is on the decline in the global South.
3. English is the first language of a greater number of people in the world than any other language.
4. Poverty is the basic cause of hunger today.
5. About 5 percent of the world's population go hungry every day.
6. Only a small percentage of U.S. trade is with countries in the global South.
7. Most of the world's population live in the global South.
8. More people live in Asia than in any other region of the world.
9. Poor nutrition and inadequate health care are the leading causes of sickness and death in the world.
10. The majority of cases of blindness are in the global North.
11. Drinking and bathing account for more than 50 percent of the fresh water used throughout the world.
12. The majority of people over age 60 in the world live in the industrialized countries of the global North.
13. The three largest markets for U.S. goods are countries in the global North.
14. About 90 percent of the growth in the world's population by the year 2002 will take place in the global South.
15. Official development assistance accounts for about 10 percent of the U.S. gross national product (GNP).
16. The United States allocates more of its GNP to foreign assistance than it does to welfare expenditures in the United States.
17. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are the primary U.S. agencies that facilitate U.S. development assistance to the global South.
18. The percentage of children age 15 and younger is much greater in the global South than in the global North.
19. The United States is the most generous foreign assistance donor in the world.
20. Most U.S. foreign aid dollars are spent in the United States.

1. True.
   The World Bank classifies 79 countries as "developing economies," or countries in the global South. Another 42 countries are generally identified as "developed" countries, or countries in the global North.
2. False.
   Life expectancy at birth in developing countries of the global South is expected to increase from 46 years in 1960 to 70 years by 2020.
3. False.
   English is the first language of about 420 million people, whereas Mandarin Chinese is spoken by about 788 million people.
4. True.
   Except for those living in food-emergency areas, most of the hungry people in the world are hungry because they are poor people living in areas where they have little opportunity to improve their incomes and hence to obtain sufficient food.
5. False.
   The World Bank estimated that about 20 percent of the world's people suffer from chronic undernourishment. Of those who are hungry, 75 percent live in India, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
6. False.
   In the 1980s, two-fifths of U.S. exports were purchased by countries of the global South. From 1985 to 1995, U.S. exports to developing countries more than doubled -- from $71 billion to $180 billion.
7. True.
   In 1980, 74 percent of the world's 4.5 billion people lived in the global South. By the year 2000, when the world's population is expected to reach 6.1 billion, 79 percent will live in the global South. The world's population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2040.
8. True.
   Asia is the largest region with the largest population and the greatest diversity in geography and climate. About 25 percent of the people live in cities. There is only half an arable acre for each person. Life expectancy at birth is only 58 years. The population of the continent is expected to double by the year 2030.
9. False.
   The World Health Organization estimated that 80 percent of all sickness and diseases in the world are attributable to impure water or the lack of sanitation. These illnesses include the effects of drinking contaminated water, contact with water that is a breeding ground for germs and other carriers of disease, and diseases caused by the lack of washing.
10. False.
    According to the National Council on International Health, more than 80 percent of all blind people live in the global South, and fully two-thirds of all blindness is preventable, surgically reversible, or surgically arrestable.
11. False.
    Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of the world's use of fresh water.
12. False.
    In 1980 it was estimated that 53 percent of the population age 60 or over lived in the global South; that percentage is expected to increase to 69 percent by the year 2020.
13. False.
    Mexico, which is in the global South, is the third largest market for U.S. goods, behind Canada and Japan. It is also the United States's fourth largest market for agricultural products.
14. True.
    The population of the countries that are now classified as being part of the global South is projected to grow from 3.32 billion in 1980 to 4.86 billion in 2000 -- an increase of 1.5 billion, or 92 percent of the world's projected growth. During that period, the population of countries of the global North is projected to grow from 1.14 billion to 1.28 billion -- an increase of only 139.7 million.
15. False.
    Official development assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the U.S. GNP, which makes the United States 21st among countries in giving aid.
16. False.
    Welfare constituted only 1 percent of the federal budget in 1992 and foreign aid even less.
17. False.
    The U.S. Agency for International Develop-ment is the primary U.S. agency responsible for providing development assistance to the global South. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are multilateral development organizations supported by more than 150 countries, including the United States.
18. True.
    Individuals age 15 years or younger constitute about 35 percent of the population in the global South, but only 21 percent of the population of the United States and Canada. The world's pool of potential child workers has nearly doubled since 1950. In 1987 it was estimated that 88 million children age 11 to 15 worked for a living.
19. False.
    The United States is now fourth behind Japan, France, and Germany as the largest donor of official development assistance (in dollars), but, as a percentage of the GNP contributed, it is 21st behind Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, France, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and New Zealand.
20. True.
    It is estimated that more than half the U.S. foreign aid dollars are spent in the United States on goods and services provided to countries of the global South.

Exercise 5 -- Writing Assignment
Critical Evaluation of the News Media's Coverage of a Global Issue

Purpose

to international issues of significance to social workers.

Learning Activity

Have the students find two or more articles, editorials, or speeches that present different views of the same issue or event. The sources should reflect different political and ideological perspectives, for example, an article from The Nation and an article from the National Review.

Some issues that you may want to suggest for this assignment are immigration and refugee policy; working conditions of migrant workers; international border issues; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); any international conference, such as the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995; an ethnic conflict; or nuclear proliferation treaties or issues of nuclear testing.

The students should analyze the two articles, paying particular attention to

1. distinguishing between fact and opinion
2. identifying evidence of bias (sexual, racial, ethnic, political, or religious)
3. summarizing the authors' points of view and considering, to the extent possible, what in their life situations may predispose the authors to have taken these positions
4. analyzing assumptions that indicate a particular worldview or ideological perspective
5. identifying additional information that lead one to understand the particular issue or event more thoroughly
6. deciding which position or synthesis of positions or even an entirely different position the student would take and its "goodness of fit" for social work. Remind the students that both facts and opinions are important and should be communicated, but that it is essential for them to understand the difference and to evaluate the information accordingly.

Paper

The paper should be typed double-spaced and accompanied by photocopies of the material being analyzed. It should cover the foregoing six points.

This assignment was adapted from an assignment developed by Professor Lois Martin for the course, "Social Policy and Social Justice: Global Perspectives on Social Welfare," presented at Salem State College, Salem, Massachusetts. Other issues and topics that are relevant for courses on human behavior in the social environment or social work practice or that can be adapted to courses on research can also be selected.

Source: Van Soest, 1992, p. 99.

Exercise 6 -- Pro and Con Position Paper

Purpose

To develop skills in analyzing a perspective, developing a position about it, and convincing others about the need to take action.

Learning Activity

Each student will write a position paper that consists of scholarly, well-reasoned arguments "for" a particular point of view (or "against" a point of view). This is intended to be a mind-stretching exercise, based on the idea that one of the best ways to analyze a point of view (an ideological position, a policy, a course of action, and so forth) is to argue the best "case" for it. Remind the students that issues of concern to social workers are not always clear and that areas of ambiguity often predominate, but that social workers must often take positions.

In this assignment, each student will take a specific position; write a paper in which he or she tries to convince someone, in a scholarly and reflective way, about the necessity of a particular course of action; and present the paper to the class. Remind the students that the assignment is not intended to be a debate but a scholarly presentation. The students may wish to define the audience they are trying to convince (such as a co-worker, supervisor, legislator, or member of a professional committee).

Possible Topics
Students should choose one of the following topics or negotiate a topic with the instructor.

1. The social work profession should advocate for
   a. domestic social welfare policies only;
   b. both domestic and foreign policy issues.
2. The United States should solve its own social problems before it addresses those of less economically developed countries: yes or no.
3. Social workers who are therapists or case managers do not need to have a global perspective: yes or no.
4. Federal spending priorities should be weighted in favor of domestic programs rather than military programs: yes or no.
5. Social workers in the United States can learn much from their colleagues in less economically developed countries and apply what they have learned to practice in the United States: yes or no.
6. Social work support for human and economic development efforts around the world is actually a part of an overall program for addressing domestic issues: yes or no.
7. Federal expenditures for foreign assistance should be reduced: yes or no.
8. With all the violence in the world today, it is clear that people are instinctively and naturally prone to violence: yes or no.
9. When working with refugees, social workers should focus on the refugees' new life in the United States by addressing present and future needs, rather than attending to issues from the past: yes or no.

Written Paper

The paper should include the following:

• a clear statement of purpose, including the topic that the student is arguing for or against, how the argument will be made, and a summary of the student's reasons for his or her position
• definitions of key terms or concepts that are relevant to the topic
• a comparative and international perspective and references to the experiences of one or more other countries
• a conclusion, in which the points are summarized and integrated, and the argument is related to the larger picture, so that the reader understands what it all means
• a reference section, with complete references presented in the style of the fourth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994), keyed to name/date citations in the text.

Oral Presentation

Each student should be given 15 minutes to present his or her position to the class. Because the purpose is to convince the audience of a position, the student should refer to the paper while presenting the oral argument but not read it. Tell the students that they can use whatever supportive materials they think would help, such as audiovisual aids and bibliographies, and that they should pay attention to their delivery, start from the understanding that their intended audience already has, and provide interesting and convincing information.

This assignment was adapted from an assignment developed by Professor Thomas Watts for the course, "Foundations of Social Welfare Policy and Services," at the University of Texas at Arlington. It can also be used in courses on human behavior in the social environment or social work practice and can be adapted to courses on research.

Source: Van Soest, 1992, pp. 106-107.

References

American Psychological Association. (1994). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Council on Social Work Education. (1994). Handbook on accreditation standards and procedures. Alexandria, VA: Author.

InterAction. (1996). How much of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid? Washington, DC:Author. (InterAction, 1717 Massacusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036; phone 202-667-8227)

Van Soest, D. (1992). Incorporating peace and social justice into the social work curriculum. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, Office of Peace and International Affairs.

For Further Reading

Estes, R. J. (Ed.). (1992). Internationalizing social work education: A guide to resources for a new century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work.

This book provides a wealth of resources that address a variety of international-development topics that are of interest to social work.

Healy, L. (1992). Introducing international development content in the social work curriculum. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, Office of Peace and International Affairs.

This book presents key concepts, curriculum issues, and learning modules on global poverty, hunger and development, the rights of children, and intercountry adoption as a field of application.

Hokenstad, M. C., Khinduka, S. K., & Midgley, J. (1992). Profiles in international social work. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

This book examines international social work and its growing implications in an increasingly interdependent world and presents case studies of social work in 13 politically and socially diverse nations.

Van Soest, D. (1992). Incorporating peace and social justice into the social work curriculum. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, Office of Peace and International Affairs.

This curriculum resource, based on a broadened definition of violence and written from a global perspective, presents information, course objectives, class assignments and exercises, audiovisual resources, and a bibliography in five social work foundation areas (Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Theory and Practice, Social Welfare Policy, Research, and Field Practicum).