You’ll do a few things on the reflection paper. First, I want to you to discuss and analyze your closest personal brushes with the welfare system. This could be as a recipient of various kinds of services (and you need to think broadly, ask if in doubt, about what might constitute welfare), SSI, food stamps, reduced fare lunches, a trip to the food bank, Pell Grants, WIC, TANF, social security payments, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment, etc. Services don’t necessarily have to be public—they could come from non-profits, from a church or other religious entity, etc. Put some effort and thought into this part, and describe the details of accessing services, your interactions with agencies, time frames, etc.

It’s possible some of you have had few if any brushes with the welfare system. But you still should have some observations, sources of information that have informed your views. Maybe you’ve had friends who’ve received assistance, maybe your parents or relatives, maybe it’s just what you’ve read about or seen on TV, what you’ve gleaned from books, talk radio, brushes with unhoused people in a big city, etc. But you have some familiarity, and I’m interested in you spending time reflecting on those. In this part of the paper, I’m looking for thoughtfulness, description, and your impressions. In other words, you should have some insight into your experiences, informed by course content. You should spend at least a page on this part—looking for in-depth reflection. This section is worth 30 points.

Second, think about your own philosophy of welfare—the role of government, of the private sector, need-based versus insurance programs, your attitudes about people on welfare, poverty, the level of benefits available, perceptions of welfare fraud, accountability, race/ethnicity/class/gender/sexuality/nationality, etc.

To do this you obviously need to lay out how you’re defining welfare—this is a multidimensional concept, and I expect to see some thoughtfulness in your definition and description. Again, this should take at least a page of fluff-free writing, with sources. Demonstrating this is informed by course material (for instance, should you conclude that welfare is a handout for the lazy and unmotivated, you will have shown you learned little from class and it will affect your grade on this). 25 points

Third, to reflect on how your own experiences, whether frequent or very limited, have affected your attitudes on welfare. In other words, I want to know where your attitudes come from. If you haven’t given it much thought, you need to state that, and perhaps explore any disconnects between your experiences and your own philosophy. The broader idea of this assignment is to give you some space to explore how you formulate opinions on important issues—through reading, personal direct experience, interactions with other people, work experiences, religious or cultural background, the mass media, etc. So I want to know: 1) What are the bases of your opinions/attitudes about welfare? Are they anchored in any personal values you hold? 2) Have your attitudes changed over time? As you are confronted with new information, do you re-consider your opinions and values? 3) What is the importance in having a thoughtful philosophy on welfare? 4) How might welfare overlap with your own career aspirations? What would the three most important areas, according to you, that welfare professionals should have developed some thoughtful opinions? 20 pts

Fourth, What does the welfare state/system look like in your community? Whether a large city or a rural community, what services are provided, for whom, and by whom? Are they mostly public/state-funded? Non-profit? Private (e.g., places of worship)? Provide specifics (names, locations, etc.). If you live in a very small town with few services, use the closest county seat where they reside. 25 points

I’m expecting a 5-6 page paper. Sources? Yes. Unless all of this knowledge comes out of your own head. Follow standard citation rules. Four at a minimum. No fluff. You will have spent almost ten weeks engaging a broad field, and presumably one that at least overlaps with your career path. This is a term paper worth 100 points. And it is a reflection, not an opinion paper. Reflect on your attitudes and beliefs, where those attitudes and beliefs come from, and perhaps how some portion have been affected by your exposure to some of the material from this course. For your sake, don’t submit a paper uninformed by your time and intellectual effort spent in this class. And 5-6 pages, again, means no room for fluff.

100 points possible (30+25+20+25), due December 5