Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Human Behavior in the Social Environment (Face-to-Face)

SW 2100-01

Course: SW 2100-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Family Life & Human Develop
CRN: 30817

Course Description

This course examines human development in the social environment and how understanding development in this context relates to social work practice with individuals and families. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

  • Rogers, Anissa Taun. (2025). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Perspectives on Development and the Life Course (7th ed.) Taylor & Francis.
    ISBN: 9781032799643
  • NASW Code of Ethics
  • Textbook Companion Website
  • All other required reading will be available on the Canvas site

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand the role of human behavior theory in social work practice.
  2. Analyze cases using classic sociological and psychological theories underlying common paradigms for helping interactions.
  3. Recognize and appreciate how race, ethnicity, culture, skin color, nationality, immigrant status, legal status, language, political ideology, tribal sovereign status, class, caste, public benefits status, religion, spirituality, age, generational status, disability, neurodiversity, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, and participation in Internet culture affect behavior, development, and the life course.
  4. Recognize their own positionality and that of their clients in terms of multiple privileged and minoritized identities, including that of being a professional social worker.
  5. Practice mindfulness of their own biases, judgments, and assumptions while assessing a case and recognize when the goals a client system may have for themselves differ from goals that a helping professional or system may have for them.
  6. Write for practice and communicate professionally both orally and in writing, and maintain professional deportment online and/or in person according to the course modality.

Course Requirements

Canvas Announcements
Please pay attention to Canvas Announcements as I use Canvas Announcements to communicate about important information and updates.

Learning Agreement
As a student in this course, you are responsible for the content presented in this course and for your own learning. If you need help, PLEASE ASK. If you have questions about the material that you are interested in or curious about that is not addressed in the course, PLEASE ASK. If you do not understand a concept being taught/discussed, PLEASE ASK. I am a resource to you; however, if you do not communicate that you need help, I cannot help you.

Emotional Safety
Due to the emotionally and psychologically vulnerable content that will be discussed throughout this course, it is essential that all participants contribute to an environment of emotional safety. In the event of a student participating in emotionally unsafe comments/behavior, the instructor will provide feedback which will serve as a warning. At that time, the student will be invited to converse with the instructor about what made their comments/behavior emotionally unsafe. If the behavior is repeated, students will be referred to campus services. If you find you are emotionally overwhelmed by content in this or any other course, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) is a resource available to you. The phone number for CAPS is: (435) 865-8621.

Grading
Grammar and following instructions matters! Your grade will be affected by these things. Please pay attention to page requirements - both minimums and limitations. You will lose points if the page minimum is not reached (headings don’t count). While your grade will be impacted according to assignment rubrics for incorrect grammar and poor writing mechanics, because of the amount of time it takes to do so, I will not be editing your papers as I grade them.
  • Papers are graded on creative thought and personal insights, integration of course concepts and principles, and clarity of writing and thought. Please feel free to show me your paper or talk to me about it at any time.

APA 7 Writing
All papers should use APA 7th edition format. This format should include 1" margins, double spacing, headers, appropriate citations, and references. Please cite all reference work where specifically used. Even if you rewrite a sentence into your own words, it must be cited. Papers are graded on creative thought and personal insights, integration of course concepts and principles, and clarity of writing and thought. The SUU Writing Center and OWL at Purdue are excellent resources for using APA.

AI Policy
Since writing, self-reflection, and critical thinking skills are part of the learning outcomes of this course, I expect that all work submitted for this course will be your own. Additionally, you are not allowed to use any generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g. ChatGPT or Dall-E 2) at ANY STAGE of the work process, including preliminary ones. AI-generated submissions are not permitted and will be considered as plagiarism. If it is discovered that you are using AI to generate work that you turn in as your own, SUU Policy 6.33 for Academic Integrity will be followed.

Course Outline

Attendance and Participation (5 points per day, ~200 points total)
Each week we will have in-class discussions and activities based on the assigned reading, as well as utilizing the interactive case studies that are provided on the companion website for the textbook linked below. Students will be asked to lead discussions throughout the semester, the number of times will be dependent on course enrollment.
Textbook companion website: https://www.routledgesw.com

Critical Theory Analysis Midterm (150 points)
For this assignment, you are asked to choose one theory of development covered in class thus far and write a 3-5 page paper (not including works cited page) that critically analyzes it. Additionally, utilizing a case study from the textbook companion website, you will identify when and how it might be appropriately utilized in social work practice. This assignment will help students critically reflect upon the various theories of human behavior presented in this course.

Social Issue Investigation (200 points)
The purpose of this assignment is to help you develop a deeper understanding of a current major social issue and its relationship to how individuals and communities develop and engage in change. You will be expected to apply terms and concepts from the textbook and lectures to your selected social issue. You will choose a Frontline documentary from a provided list of options on the Canvas assignment page. After viewing the documentary, you will create a digital or physical poster addressing the following areas:
  1. Name and thoroughly define the social issue addressed in the documentary you viewed.
  2. If the documentary addressed a specific community, how is the social issue impacting that community?
  3. Discuss how mezzo communities/groups might be experiencing the macro social issue differently? (ie Varying socioeconomic status, age demographic groups, racial demographic groups, gender demographic groups, etc.)
  4. How is this issue impacting lifespan development? Choose two age groups to focus on and provide examples.
  5. What are some of the systemic responses occurring to address this issue? (ie local/state/federal government policy changes, community organizing, community agency responses, etc.)
  6. How might social workers address this issue? Are there examples of social workers currently addressing this issue? Discuss how social workers might address the issue with at least one example for each level of practice (micro, mezzo, macro).
    1. Utilize at least one theoretical framework to include in your discussion of how social workers might address this issue.

Documentary Discussion Board (10 points)
You will be expected to review the options for documentary films to watch for the Social Issue Investigation assignment, and post on the discussion board which film you plan to watch and at least one question you have regarding the topic.

Genogram/Ecomap (50 points)
Learning how to make and use genograms and ecomaps will be beneficial when assessing clients and trying to develop a treatment plan for them. For this assignment, each student will be required to make either a genogram or ecomap of themselves. If you decide to do a genogram it will need to cover at least three generations of your family. There will be at least one class dedicated to learning these models and working on the assignment.

Final Life Reflection Paper (300 points total)
You are using yourself as the case study to conceptualize and show understanding of developmental theory and concepts of person-in-environment when it comes to identity formation. You should include at least three scholarly sources to discuss the specific theories or lenses you are utilizing.


Part I: Look at your role in the family, how your family influenced your current functioning and how you impact your family. Describe yourself from birth to now by describing how your physical and social development fit (or did not fit) with developmental milestones - choose at least five milestones to discuss. You will need multiple examples to adequately show your development in physical, psychological, and/or social domains. Include evidences from relevant family issues, especially if there are patterns (addiction, mental health, medical problems, attachment patterns, etc).  Use these as tools to better analyze your family from a System’s and Ecological perspective.
Part II: The second part of the paper is theory oriented. Analyze how each stage of Erickson, Piaget and Fowler do or do not apply to your development from birth to now.
Part III: Power, privilege, and oppression. Explore how your identity and upbringing environment influences your experience of privilege and/or oppression. Discuss how your identity development may have created or reinforced implicit bias and privilege, or how your identity impacted experiences of systemic oppression. This section should be brief, and is an introduction to exploring these elements of your experience which will be further explored in other social work coursework.

The information you provide about yourself is entirely confidential.

Extra Credit - Writing Center (5 points each, 10 points total possible)
You can receive 5 points of extra credit for providing proof of each time that you took one of your writing assignments for this class to the Writing Center. You can do this up to two times, for a total of 10 points of extra credit. Undergraduate Writing Center

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

  1. Late assignments will be accepted at a 10% penalty per day after the due date, including weekends (the late policy does not apply to the midterm or final.)  You do not need to ask permission to turn in something late, just turn it in and anticipate the late policy to apply.  
  2. Late midterms, finals and presentations will not be accepted without DRC Accommodations.
  3. All late work is due on the last day of instruction as indicated by the University Academic Calendar. 
  4. If you’re experiencing a physical and/or emotional health challenge and feel an exception not covered above should be provided to you, please follow these steps: a) Reach out to the DRC first and ask for accommodations as this is the best way to ensure an equitable treatment for all, b) please then contact me via email so I can best support you c) If you are not in crisis, but want to discuss late work or any other issues, please reach out.
  5. All assignments are due by 11:59 pm on the due date unless otherwise noted, and should be submitted via Canvas. Please always check the time that assignment is due. In some cases, there will be an assignment due at 5pm for a specific reason. I will not accept "I thought it was due at midnight" as an excuse.

Attendance Policy

As this is a face-to-face course, attendance and participation is essential to completion. Students are allowed five free absences without penalty. When an emergency, illness or other events arise, you do not need to let me know when you want to use one of your free days, just know I will automatically apply your free days. In order to avoid penalty beyond the five days, you will need to set up formal accommodations from the DRC.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

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.