Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Family Law, Public Policy, and Social Welfare (Online)

SW 4500-30I

Course: SW 4500-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: FLHD
CRN: 31219

Course Description

This course examines contemporary family life and the impact of government laws, policies, and programs on family life over time and across contexts and cultures. It examines both the intended and unintended consequences of policies for families across a variety of policy matters, from anti-poverty policies to health and workplace policies. It also explores the varied effects those policies and programs can have on different types of families and different aspects of family functioning and well-being.

Required Texts

Textbook: Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do (4th ed.). Routledge.

ISBN: 978-1-032-31832-5.

Ebook ISBN: 9781003311577.

  • Other reading materials will be available on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

This course is designed to enable students to do the following: 

1.       Discuss and apply a family perspective to policy-making and policy analysis (NCFR 8). 

2.       Articulate how families and government interact through family laws and policies in explicit and implicit ways throughout historical and contemporary US society (NCFR 8). 

3.       Identify and apply concepts and approaches within a family policy impact analysis and policy evaluation using policy research/writing and analytical tools (NCFR 8). 

4.       Evaluate family laws and policies in terms of their sensitivity to and supportiveness of diverse families and diverging family values using a family policy impact analysis (NCFR 8). 

5.       Design, develop, and create professional and public scholarship on a specific family policy (NCFR 8). 

6.       Explain how family policy is influenced by demographic changes and values about child and family well-being.

7.       Explain the relationship between research, policymaking, and policy implementation.

8.       Compare current policy issues in terms of their supportiveness of diverse contemporary families.

9.       Describe different roles family professionals can play in informing and shaping family policies.

10. Apply their intellectual and writing skills to communicating knowledgeably and effectively with policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Course Requirements

Weekly Assignments
Weekly assignments include 10 reading reflections, 10 quizzes, and 2 discussion posts. Instructions for each assignment are outlined in Canvas under a specific assignment. These assignments should be written carefully, with attention paid to APA style and grammar (225 total points).
Writing Assignments
1. Check Your Own Personal Biases Assignment (20 pts)
Using APA guidelines (i.e., 1-inch margins, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman), write a 2.5–3-page paper on your own possible biases. Choose two people: one whom you admire, and one you do not. These individuals can be family members, friends, or colleagues you know well.
Person you admire (1 page) (5 pts):
  • Why do you admire that person? What qualities does that person possess? What draws you to that person?
  • Aside from your admiration, has that person done anything wrong? Has their wrongdoing affected your relationship? Why or why not?
  • Did you need to justify their wrongdoing, and if so, how have you justified that person’s wrongdoings? Explain.
Person you dislike (1 page) (5 pts):
  • Why do you dislike this person? What qualities does this person possess that make you not want to be around them?
  • What has this person done right in their life?
  • Have you considered their good deeds to better your perception of them?
Reflection (1 page) (10 pts):
  • What have you learned from this exercise?
  • Do you think you had favorable biases toward the person you admire?
  • Do you think you had unfavorable biases toward the person you dislike?
  • Do you think it is possible to divorce your perception of a person from a person’s act? In other words, can you be unbiased?
2. Current Issue Debate (35 pts)
Choose a current family policy issue being debated or decided by government, advocacy groups, businesses, or nonprofits. Describe how this issue is being discussed through the lens of a liberal source and a conservative source. Write a 3 to 4-page analysis (third-person perspective) addressing:
  • Describe what the issue is (2 pts) and explain why it is an issue (3 pts) — 5 total points.
  • Locate a liberal source (name the source) and explain the issue from the liberal perspective (5 pts).
  • Locate a conservative source (name the source) and explain the issue from the conservative perspective (5 pts).
  • Comment on what both sources share in common, even if not explicit (7 pts).
  • Suggest a compromised solution, specifying what each side would realistically give up toward a mutually agreeable solution (10 pts).
  • Writing organization, spelling, grammar, composition, APA style (3 pts).
3. Letter to the Editor or Government Official (15 pts)
Write a 200-word letter to the editor or a government official expressing your personal view on a current family policy issue (you may use the issue analyzed for the Current Issue Debate or another issue).
  • Write in journalistic style.
  • Specify to whom you are sending the letter.
  • If relevant, specify where the official’s take on the issue was aired/printed.
  • If a letter is published or responded to, 5 points of extra credit will be assigned.
4. Diverse Views on a Controversial Family Policy (30 pts)
Prepare a typed 5- to 8-page paper (APA guidelines) demonstrating your understanding of the concerned/satisfied/impatient views and applying these concepts to a controversial family or social policy issue of your choice. Use only class readings to contrast perspectives and use the questions below as headings.
Grading rubric:
  • Issue and controversy (2 pts): Clearly explain what is controversial about your chosen issue.
  • Views of the issue (6 pts total):
    • Concerned view (2 pts)
    • Satisfied view (2 pts)
    • Impatient view (2 pts)
  • Underlying values (6 pts total):
    • Values underlying the concerned position (2 pts)
    • Values underlying the satisfied position (2 pts)
    • Values underlying the impatient position (2 pts)
  • Policy agendas (6 pts total):
    • Policy agenda of the concerned position (2 pts)
    • Policy agenda of the satisfied position (2 pts)
    • Policy agenda of the impatient position (2 pts)
  • Contributions using the theory of paradox (7 pts total):
    • What is the theory of paradox? (1–2 sentences) (1 pt)
    • What can the concerned position contribute to informing good policy? (2 pts)
    • What can the satisfied position contribute to informing good policy? (2 pts)
    • What can the impatient position contribute to informing good policy? (2 pts)
  • Writing quality (4 pts): Organization, spelling, grammar, composition, APA style.
5. Report on Policy Meeting Attended (20 pts)
Attend a meeting (in-person) where issues impacting children and families are addressed (e.g., Utah legislative hearing; local/municipal government; Utah Supreme Court; advocacy group; political forum; nonprofit board). Write a 1.5-to-2.5-page report including:
  • Name of group, location, and date of meeting (2 pts)
  • Approximate number and types of people in attendance (2 pts)
  • Total time you attended and whether this was the whole meeting (1 pt)
  • Meeting agenda and whether it was summarized at the outset (1 pt)
  • Interactional processes observed: control, public comment, emotional tone, decision-making (5 pts)
  • Decisions made (if any) (2 pts)
  • Implications of the meeting process or outcomes for families (3 pts)
  • What you learned about the policymaking process and comparison to course content (3 pts)
  • Attach a brochure/agenda or similar documentation with date/place (1 pt)
6. Evaluation of a Family Impact Analysis (30 pts)
A Family Impact Analysis (FIA) assesses how a policy or program may benefit or produce unintended negative consequences for families. The purpose of this assignment is NOT to conduct an FIA, but to critically evaluate an already completed FIA (assigned by the instructor). Write a 5- to 7-page paper evaluating how fully the assigned FIA addresses the Family Impact Checklist criteria (Bogenschneider, 2024, pp. 256–258).
Outline your evaluation as follows:
  • Introduction to the issue and description of the policy/program addressed by the FIA (3 pts; ≤1 page)
  • Family impact according to the five principles (15 pts total; 3 pts per principle): For each principle, identify:
    • Aspects the FIA states support the principle (or note if not addressed)
    • Aspects the FIA states undermine/do not support the principle (or note if not addressed)
    • Your rating of how fully the analysis addressed the principle’s criteria (0%–100%) with reasons and what was missing
  • Key points raised in the FIA across the five principles (4 pts), including at least two potentially beneficial and two potentially harmful effects to families that might have been overlooked without the FIA
  • Overall quality of the FIA (5 pts): At least two strengths (including how it provides direction for improving policy/programs) and at least two weaknesses (e.g., overlooked principles/criteria)
  • Writing quality (3 pts): Organization, spelling, grammar, composition, APA style
Grading
Grades will be assigned based on the following percentage of points earned:
Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage | Grade | Percentage
A | 94 – 100% | B+ | 87 – 89.9% | C+ | 77 – 79.9% | D+ | 67 – 69.9% | F | Below 60%
A- | 90 – 93.9% | B | 84 – 86.9% | C | 74 – 76.9% | D | 64 – 66.9% |  | 
B- | 80 – 83.9% | C- | 70 – 73.9% | D- | 60 – 63.9% |  |  |  | 
Please note: Grades will not be rounded up (e.g., 89.9% is a B, not an A).

Course Outline

Module | Dates | Topics | Required Readings | Assignments
Module 1 | 8/27 – 9/2 | Addressing personal biases | Inbar, Y., & Lammers, J. (2012). Political diversity in social and personality psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(5), 496-503. | Reflection 1 (due by 11:59 pm on 9/2)
Check Your Own Personal Biases (due by 11:59 pm on 9/2)
Module 2 | 9/3 – 9/9 | If You Want to Make a Difference, You Should Care About Family Policy
Why We Should Focus on Families in Policymaking, and Why We Don’t | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 1.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 2.
McConnell, A., & ’t Hart, P. (2019). Inaction and public policy: understanding why policymakers ‘do nothing’. Policy Sciences, 52, 645-661. | Reflection 2 (due 11:59 pm on 9/9)
Reflection 3 (due 11:59 pm on 9/9)-10
Module 3 | 9/10 – 9/16 | Families: The Way We Were and the Way We Are
Why Do We Need Family Policy? A Global Rationale | Coontz, S. (1997). What we really miss about the 1950’s. In The way we really are: Coming to terms with America’s changing families (pp. 33-50). New York, NY: Basic Books
Fraenkel, P., & Capstick, C. (2012). Contemporary two-parent families: Navigating work and family challenges. In F. Walsh (Ed.), Normal family processes: Growing Diversity and Complexity (pp. 78-101). The Guilford Press.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 3. | Reflection 4 (due by 11:59 pm on 9/16)
Chapter 3 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 9/16)
Module 4 | 9/17 – 9/23 | To Become a Field of its Own, Family Policy Needs Fresh Definitions
What Are Family Policies Anyway? Who Makes Them and Who Shapes Them? | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 4.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 5. | Reflection 5 (due 11:59 pm on 9/23)
Reflection 6 (due 11:59 pm on 9/23)
Module 5 | 9/24 – 9/30 | What Policymakers and the Policy Process are Really Like | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 6.
Bornstein, M. H. (2015). Culture, parenting, and zero-to-threes. Zero to three, 35(4), 2. | Chapter 6 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 9/30)
Reflection 7 (due by 11:59 pm on 9/30)
Module 6 | 10/1 – 10/7 | How U.S. Society Shapes U.S. Families and What We Can Do
How Much are Families Changing? Have Family Policies Kept Pace? | McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hurts, what helps (pp. 1-18). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hewlett, S. A., & West, C. (1998). The war against parents: What we can do for America’s beleaguered moms and dads (pp. 88-97). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 7. | Discussion 1 prompt is due on 10/3 at 11:59 pm, and response is due on 10/7 at 11:59 pm
Chapter 7 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 10/7)
Module 7 | 10/8 – 10/14 | How Individualism is Woven into our Families, Our Work and Play, and Our Politics | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 8. | Reflection 8 (due by 11:59 pm on 10/14)
Current Issue Debate (due by 11:59 pm on 10/14)
Module 8 | 10/15 – 10/21 | How Can Policymakers Apply the Family Impact Lens to Parenting
How the Economy Influences Families and How Families Influence the Economy | Cabrera et al. (2018). Fathers are parents, too! Widening the lens on parenting for children's development. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 152-157.
Bornstein, M. H. (2015). Culture, parenting, and zero-to-threes. PMC, 35(4), 2-9.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 9. | Reflection 9 (due by 11:59 pm on 10/21)
Reflection 10 (due by 11:59 pm on 10/21)
Module 9 | 10/22 – 10/28 | Why Polarization Influences Family Policy and How to Bridge the Divide: Guidance from the Theory of Paradox | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 10. | Chapter 10 Quiz due by 11:59 pm on 10/28)
Module 10 | 10/29 – 11/4 | A Toolkit for Infusing the Family Impact Lens into Policy, Programs, and Practice | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 11. | Chapter 11 Quiz due by 11:59 pm on 11/4)
Letter to the Editor or Government Official (due by 11:59 pm 11/4)
Module 11 | 11/5 – 11/11 | What Insights from the Past Can Guide Family Policy in the Future?
How to Engage Policymakers in Family Policy: Best Practices from Theory, Research, and the Family Impact Semnars | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 12.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 13. | Chapter 12 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 11/11)
Chapter 13 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 11/11)
Diverse Views on a Controversial Family Policy (due by 11:59 pm on 11/11)
Module 12 | 11/12 – 11/18 | How to Approach Policymakers: The Critical Choice of Advocacy or Education
Go Forth With Hope to Make Families Matter in Policymaking | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 14.
Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 15. | Chapter 14 Quiz (due by 11:59 pm on 11/18)
Chapter 15 Quiz due by 11:59 pm on 11/18)
Report on Policy Meeting Attended (due by 11:59 pm on 11/18)
Module 13 | 11/19 – 11/25 | Different Career Contexts: The Academy, the Community, and the Nonprofit Sector | Putnam, R. D. (1995). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6(1), 65-78.
Weisbrod, B. A. (1997). The future of the nonprofit sector: Its entwining with private enterprise and government. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 16, 541-555. | Discussion 2 prompt is due on 11/21 at 11:59 pm, and response is due on 11/25 at 11:59 pm
Module 14 | 11/26 – 12/2 | Making Family Policy Matter: Moving from Analysis to Action | Bogenschneider, K. (2024). Chapter 16. | Chapter 16 Quiz (due 11:59 pm on 12/2)
Finals Week | 12/8 – 12/11 | Evaluation of Family Impact Analysis (FIA) |  | Evaluation of Family Impact Analysis (FIA) (due 11:59 pm on 12/9)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Course modality and pacing: This course is offered entirely online in an asynchronous format. The course will operate in a modified asynchronous format; there are no required meeting times, but activities and assignments have specified date ranges during which they must be completed.
Learning platform and student responsibility: Course content, discussions, announcements, and assignments will be presented on Canvas. Students are responsible for consistently checking Canvas for updates and any changes related to the course.
Weekly schedule: The course progresses on a weekly schedule beginning on Wednesdays at 12:00 a.m. and ending on Tuesdays at 11:59 p.m.
Time management and participation expectations: Learning online requires careful time management and discipline. Schedule regular “class time” for yourself during the week. Plan on spending at least two to three hours of study time for every hour of class time (about six to nine hours per week). Complete all written assignments thoughtfully, accurately, and on time. Anticipate course requirements and manage your time to complete out-of-class activities (e.g., attending policy meetings) by their deadlines.
Student responsibility: Students are responsible for following the syllabus, knowing the readings, and completing work on time. Students may contact the instructor to appeal a grade within 7 calendar days of receiving the grade.
Email policy: The instructor and TA will answer emails Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Students will receive a response within 48 hours of their query, excluding weekends. For the security of your private educational information, all email correspondence should be sent through your SUU email account. If students have difficulty uploading documents to Canvas or if Canvas is experiencing service interruptions, students must email their assignment by the due date to the instructor.
Late and missing assignments: Please submit your work on time. Late assignments will not be accepted unless proper documentation is provided (e.g., doctor’s verification). Students will not be allowed to make up exams or other activities without notifying the instructor ahead of time about a conflict.

Attendance Policy

This is an online, asynchronous course. Staying on schedule with assigned readings and staying updated on recorded lectures will be essential for success.

Course Fees

Course fees: $3 per credit hour.

Prerequisites and Registration Restrictions

Prerequisite(s): SW 2100 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Registration Restriction(s): Social Work majors only

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.