Policy Analysis Unessay

This is an assignment I have developed over several years of instructing the course SSW 122 Social Welfare in Canada. What began as a large essay changed into a more structured essay and has now become an Unessay. I was inspired to change this assignment into the Unessay format after attending a workshop by Ryan Blaak hosted by NIC’s Centre for Teaching Learning and Innovation. 

I am really pleased at the results so far using the Unessay format. Students are working on restaurant menus, interviews with policies, biographies of policies, infographics, short stories, and narrated PowerPoint presentations (videos). I feel this format lets students follow their strengths and passions, and design an authentic assessment to help them develop skills they will be able to use in the workplace.  

The one area I have found that students need the most support is developing depth in their Unessay backed up by research. I have students submit this assignment in three stages. Stage A is the name of the policy they plan to use and a weblink to the policy, Stage B is an outline or draft, and Stage C is the final Unessay. Getting drafts that are far enough along in the development process to provide useful feedback has been key in being able to point out to student specific areas where they can add research to bring depth to their Unessay. 

For now I do let students use a traditional essay format if that is their preference. We’ll see what kind of work I receive this semester and then I may alter that in the future. 

You will notice as you look back in time at the assignment instructions that overtime I have tried to continually streamline and simplify the assignment.

 

Current Assignment Instructions 

Assignment 2:  Policy Analysis Unessay  

The purpose of this assignment is to choose and then analyze a social policy, and suggest some changes for improvement using an “Unessay”. You will use research from scholarly sources and interested ‘stakeholders’ (ie: advocacy groups pertaining to the issue) to inform the Unessay.    

 The Unessay should answer the following questions about your chosen policy:  

1.  What social problem is the policy attempting to address?  

2.  What is the historical context of the policy?  

3.  What is the policy? How does it work? What are its purpose and goals?  

4.  How does the policy address equity, inclusion, and/or social justice?  

5.  Assess the impact of the policy, what changes do you recommend?  

The analysis and change recommendations are informed by course material, a broad exploration of the issues faced by people working with and affected by the policy, and your own thorough review of relevant scholarly research.   

 What is an “Unessay”:  

 “An unessay is a type of assignment in which students select a topic that interests them (related to the course content), conduct research and then demonstrate their understanding of the topic in any manner that is meaningful to them.” (Nelson, 2019). https://teachinglearninganthro.org/the-anthropology-unessay/  

You are encouraged to choose a format that is meaningful to you. Some examples include a play script, news article, video, interview, artwork, digital art or document, diorama, fabric art, or any other creative format. You may also choose a Social Work-related format such as case note, case study, or assessment. If writing in a traditional essay style will help you meet your Learning Goals you are welcome to use that format.  

The final assignment includes the Unessay as well as a written rationale of 2-3 pages double spaced explaining   

6.  Why did you choose the format you did for your Unessay?  

7.  How does your Unessay respond to the 5 assignment questions above?  

8.  What did you learn from this experience?  

 APA style, minimum 4 references required plus the textbook.  

**If you for your Unessay format you chose to write a traditional essay your essay must be 9-12 double spaced pages in APA style. If you write a traditional essay you can shorten your Rationale to 1 double spaced page focusing on questions 1 and 3 from the Rationale questions.** 

Assignment and Course Criteria for Assessment 

These 5 criteria are used to assess student performance on Assignments and in the course as a whole. 

 CONTENT & LINKAGES: Did you learn and understand the course content? Did you make links between different aspects of the course content, as well as learning from the textbook, in-class, from peers, and guest speakers?  

 DEFEND: Can you make claims and statements about your knowledge from the course and explain the “why” behind the claims you make? Did you use evidence from the scholarly literature and relevant other sources (ie. policy websites) to explain your argument. Can you offer evidence to back up your arguments? 

 SELF: Can you articulate your social location, the meaning of self-reflexive practice, explain why certain issues are important to you, and offer self-reflections on your learning? Did you explain why an issue is important to you, how it relates to your social location and offer a self-reflection on your findings? 

 ANTI-OPPRESSIVE ANALYSIS: Can you discuss how structural forces and intersecting identities impact and are impacted by the issues and groups discussed in the course? Do you situate the issues discussed in a social and historical context?  

 CLARITY: Are your written work and presentations brief, direct and to the point? Is there enough information to understand your work, not too much or too little? Do you follow APA style? 

Winter 2023 Policy Analysis Paper

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a social policy and suggest some changes for improvement. The student will use research from scholarly sources and interested ‘stakeholders’ (ie: advocacy groups pertaining to the issue) to inform this paper.   

The Policy Analysis Framework based on the outline in Chapter 1 is the template upon which to base your assignment.  A detailed copy of the framework will be provided to students. Briefly the framework headings are: 

1. Introduction 

2. How is the social problem understood? 

3. Context and creation of the policy 

4. Present the policy, its purpose and goals 

5. How does the policy incorporate Social Welfare values such as equity, inclusion, or social justice? 

6. Implementation, impact, and future changes 

7. Conclusion 

The analysis and change recommendations are informed by course material, a broad exploration of the issues faced by people working with and affected by the policy, and your own thorough review of relevant scholarly research. For example: Your “broad exploration of the issues” could include reviewing reliable news sources, websites from organizations advocating about the issue, and existing government policies or programs, to get an overview of the issue.  You would then delve into scholarly research to gain deeper understanding of systemic and other factors impacting the problem, as well as past and present policies or programs.  

Students are encouraged to use the framework subtitles to structure the assignment.  

The completed assignment has a required length of 9-12 pages, (this does not include the title page or reference list). double-spaced, 12-point font, with APA referencing used throughout.  It is recommended that students start this assignment early. 

Course Learning Criteria: 

CONTENT & LINKAGES: Did you learn and understand the course content? Did you make links between different aspects of the course content, as well as learning from the textbook, in-class, from peers, and guest speakers?  

DEFEND: Can you make claims and statements about your knowledge from the course and explain the “why” behind the claims you make? Can you offer evidence to back up your arguments? 

SELF: Can you articulate your social location, the meaning of self-reflexive practice, explain why certain issues are important to you, offer self-reflections on your learning? 

ANTI-OPPRESSIVE ANALYSIS: Can you discuss how structural forces and intersecting identities impact and are impacted by the issues and groups discussed in the course? Do you situate the issues discussed in a social and historical context?  

CLARITY: Are your written work and presentations brief, direct and to the point? Is there enough information to understand your work, not too much or too little? Do you follow APA style? 

Policy Analysis Framework   SSW 122 2023 

Note: Use the 7 main headings that are in bold type as subheadings for each section of your paper. You can use the notes and questions under each heading to help inform your paper, but the most important thing it to use this paper to TELL THE STORY OF YOUR POLICY. You do not need to answer all the questions under each heading. Its OK to just choose some, or write about the main question/topic of that section. 

1. Introduction 

• Provide a brief introduction of the policy you will be analyzing, and the social problem or issue that it addresses. 
• Include a thesis statement offering a concise summary of what you believe an effective policy on this issue needs to address and your recommendations for change. 
• Why is this topic important to you personally? 

2. How is the social problem understood? 

• How is the social problem understood within the economic, political, socio-cultural, environmental, and global context? Who is affected and how? 
• Are there other factors that are contributing to this problem? For instance, is the problem worse due to intersecting issues, such as racism, sexism, trauma from colonialism, stigmatization of those affected?  
• How is the social problem understood within the economic, political, socio-cultural, environmental, and global context? 
• What evidence-based research and lived experiences can help understand how the problem developed and what can be done about it? 

3. Historic context and creation of the policy 

• What was the historical context of the creation of the policy? 
• What structural, global, or federal forces or historical events led to its creation? 

• Whose lived experiences were included in its development? 
• Have there been past attempts at addressing the problem through policies or social programs?  
• Have these initiatives been effective, had no apparent effect, or made the issue or problem worse? Why? 

4. Present the policy, and its purpose and goals 

• Describe the policy you have chosen applicable to the issue.  
• What is it expected to “do” (what problem is it expected to alleviate)? 
• How was it implemented? 
• What political ideology and social welfare approaches are implicit in it? Are they consistent or inconsistent with social work ideology and approaches? 

5. How does the policy address the Social Problem (from Part 2) and incorporate Social Welfare values (choose ONE of A, B, or C)? 

(A) The Inclusion Lens 

• How will the policy increase or decrease discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age, culture, or ethnicity? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease personal income and resources available for people to participate in social and economic activity and promote income equity? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease access to resources? 
• How will the policy affect opportunities for participation in decision making? 
• How will the policy add or remove barriers to common spaces, safe environments, and social interaction? 
• How will the policy protect or compromise the rights of people? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease opportunities for personal development and social support? 
• How will the policy increase or reduce access to resources and programs for excluded groups? (Shookner, 2002) 

(B) The Equity Lens 

• Who is positively and negatively affected by the policy, and how? 
• How are people differently situated to access the benefits of the policy? 
• Are people traumatized/retraumatized by the policy decisions? 
• How are environmental impacts and environmental justice included? 
• How are public resources and investments distributed geographically? 
• Are the communities most affected by inequities prioritized in the policy? 
• Are there empowering processes in the policy? (Balajee, 2012) 

(C) The Social Justice Lens 
A social justice lens involves access, agency, solidarity action, and advocacy. 

Accessibility. What mechanisms exist for the inclusion of all points of view? 

Agency. How does the policy overcome systemic or hierarchical barriers to ensure that all points of view are considered? 

Solidarity Action. What processes are in place to include all members in identifying the impact of systemic change and the outcome? 

Advocacy. What mechanisms will ensure systemic change? (BC Teachers’ Federation, 2019) 

6. Implementation, impact and future changes 

• Describe and defend your own evaluation of the current policy – do you believe its effective? Adequate? Why? 
• Present recommendations for change with strategies for implementation 
• Describe a brief framework of a policy that might better address social problem. 
• What factors need to be included for the policy to be a success? 
• Is the funding sufficient to meet the resource needs? 
• How will the policy address the social determinants of health? 

7. Conclusion 

• Briefly summarize the information presented in your paper including the key findings and recommendations. 
• Describe and defend your own evaluation of the current policy – do you believe its effective? Adequate? Why? 
• If applicable, present recommendations for change and/or describe a brief framework of a policy that might better address the problem. 
• Offer a self-reflection on what these findings mean for/to you. 

References 

Be sure to include every article or source that you referenced in your paper in a proper APA reference list.  This also includes any acts or government sources, scholarly works, as well as news sources.  

Fall 2022 Policy Analysis Paper

Assignment 2: Policy Analysis Paper – 25% + 5% for Outline 

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a social policy that addresses a Social Justice Question and suggest some changes for improvement. The student will use research from scholarly sources and interested ‘stakeholders’ (ie: advocacy groups pertaining to the issue) to inform this paper.  A final requirement is the proposal of strategies or actions that could counter resistance to the recommended policy change. 

The policy analysis framework based on the outline in Chapter 1 is the template upon which to base your assignment.  Briefly the framework headings are: 

1. Introduce your Social Justice Question 

2. Context and creation of the policy 

3. Present the policy, its purpose and goals 

4. How does the policy address the Social Justice Question and incorporate Social Welfare values? 

5/6. Implementation, impact, and future changes 

The analysis and change recommendations are informed by course material, a broad exploration of the issues faced by people working with and affected by the policy, and your own thorough review of relevant scholarly research. For example: Your “broad exploration of the issues” could include reviewing reliable news sources, websites from organizations advocating about the issue, and existing government policies or programs, to get an overview of the issue.  You would then delve into scholarly research to gain deeper understanding of systemic and other factors impacting the problem, as well as past and present policies or programs.  

Students are encouraged to use the framework subtitles (Introduction; Social Justice Question; Policy, Purpose and Goals; Reflection of values; Impact; Conclusion) to structure the assignment.  

The completed assignment has a required length of 9-12 pages, (this does not include the title page or reference list). double-spaced, 12-point font, APA format, with APA referencing used throughout.  It is recommended that students start this assignment early.  

Your Term Paper will be written and edited in a folder on OneDrive shared with your Social Justice Question Group and the instructor. Part of the expectations of this paper is to read and provide constructive feedback to your group members during the writing process and in turn receive feedback from them. My hope is for each group member to choose a different social policy for their assignment. 

Policy Analysis Framework   SSW 122 2022-23 

Note: Use the 7 main headings that are in bold type as subheadings for each section of your paper. You can use the notes and questions under each heading to help inform your paper, but the most important thing it to use this paper to TELL THE STORY OF YOUR POLICY. You do not need to answer all the questions under each heading. Its OK to just choose some, or write about the main question/topic of that section. 

Introduction: 

• Provide a brief introduction of the policy you will be analyzing, and the social problem or issue that it addresses within the context of your Social Justice Question. 
• Include a thesis statement offering a concise summary of what you believe an effective policy on this issue needs to address and your recommendations for change. 
• Why is this topic important to you personally? 
•   

1. Introduce your Social Justice Question 

• What is the Social Justice Question you are trying to address? Who is affected?  
• How does this issue or problem affect the lives of the people affected? 
• Are there other factors that are contributing to this problem? For instance, is the problem worse due to intersecting issues, such as racism, sexism, trauma from colonialism, stigmatization of those affected?  
• How is the Social Justice Question understood within the economic, political, socio-cultural, environmental, and global context? 
• What data and information are available to understand the extent and impact of the social problem? 
• What evidence-based research and lived experiences can help understand how the problem developed and what can be done about it? 

2. Context of and creation of the policy 

• Have there been past attempts at addressing the problem through policies or social programs?  
• Have these initiatives been effective, had no apparent effect, or made the issue or problem worse? Why? 
• What was the historical context of the creation of the policy? 
• What structural, global, or federal forces or historical events led to its creation? 
• Whose lived experiences were included in its development? 

3. Present the policy, and its purpose and goals 

• Describe the policy you have chosen applicable to the issue.  
• Describe the intent of any present policy to address the Social Justice Question. 
• How was it implemented? 
• What is it expected to “do” (what problem is it expected to alleviate)? 

4. How does the policy address your Social Justice Question and incorporate Social Welfare values (choose ONE of A, B, or C)? 

• How does the policy address your Social Justice Question? 

(A) The Inclusion Lens 

• How will the policy increase or decrease discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age, culture, or ethnicity? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease personal income and resources available for people to participate in social and economic activity and promote income equity? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease access to resources? 
• How will the policy affect opportunities for participation in decision making? 
• How will the policy add or remove barriers to common spaces, safe environments, and social interaction? 
• How will the policy protect or compromise the rights of people? 
• How will the policy increase or decrease opportunities for personal development and social support? 
• How will the policy increase or reduce access to resources and programs for excluded groups? (Shookner, 2002) 

(B) The Equity Lens 

• Who is positively and negatively affected by the policy, and how? 
• How are people differently situated to access the benefits of the policy? 
• Are people traumatized/retraumatized by the policy decisions? 
• How are environmental impacts and environmental justice included? 
• How are public resources and investments distributed geographically? 
• Are the communities most affected by inequities prioritized in the policy? 
• Are there empowering processes in the policy? (Balajee, 2012) 

(C) The Social Justice Lens 
A social justice lens involves access, agency, solidarity action, and advocacy. 

Accessibility. What mechanisms exist for the inclusion of all points of view? 

Agency. How does the policy overcome systemic or hierarchical barriers to ensure that all points of view are considered? 

Solidarity Action. What processes are in place to include all members in identifying the impact of systemic change and the outcome? 

Advocacy. What mechanisms will ensure systemic change? (BC Teachers’ Federation, 2019) 

5/6. Implementation, impact and future changes 

• Describe and defend your own evaluation of the current policy – do you believe its effective? Adequate? Why? 
• Present recommendations for change with strategies for implementation 
• Describe a brief framework of a policy that might better address the Social Justice Question 
• What factors need to be included for the policy to be a success? 
• Is the funding sufficient to meet the resource needs? 
• How will the policy address the social determinants of health? 

Conclusion 

• Briefly summarize the information presented in your paper including the key findings and recommendations. 
• Describe and defend your own evaluation of the current policy – do you believe its effective? Adequate? Why? 
• If applicable, present recommendations for change and/or describe a brief framework of a policy that might better address the problem. 
• Offer a self-reflection on what these findings mean for/to you. 

References 

Be sure to include every article or source that you referenced in your paper in a proper APA reference list.  This also includes any acts or government sources, scholarly works, as well as news sources.  

Examples of possible Social Justice Questions: 

• How can we end poverty/child poverty in BC/Canada? 
• How can we create income equity for people with disabilities/women/Black or Indigenous people/New Canadians? 
• How can we end the Toxic Drug Crisis in BC/Canada? 
• How can we create a fair, equitable and inclusive immigration system? 
• How can we end the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people in the Child Welfare/Criminal Justice system? 
• How can we equitably transition away from fossil fuels to a Green Economy? 

Winter 2020 Policy Analysis Paper

Assignment 3:  Policy Analysis or Social Action Paper   30% + 5% for the outline 

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a social policy that addresses a social problem or issue and suggest some changes for improvement. The student will use research from scholarly sources and interested ‘stakeholders’ (ie: advocacy groups pertaining to the issue) to inform this paper.  A final requirement is the proposal of strategies or actions that could counter resistance to the recommended policy change. 

The policy analysis framework that is outlined in Week 5 is the template upon which to base your assignment.  Briefly the framework: 

i) introduces the problem and describes the intent of the present policy,  

ii) examines past policies and programs developed to deal with the original problem, 

iii) analyzes the present policy and corresponding programs, and 

iv) presents recommendations for change with strategies for implementation. 

The analysis and change recommendations are informed by course material, a broad exploration of the issues faced by people working with and affected by the policy, and your own thorough review of relevant scholarly research. For example: Your “broad exploration of the issues” could include reviewing reliable news sources, websites from organizations advocating about the issue, and existing government policies or programs, to get an overview of the issue.  You would then delve into scholarly research to gain deeper understanding of systemic and other factors impacting the problem, as well as past and present policies or programs.  

Students are encouraged to use the framework subtitles (Introduction, Analysis of the problem, Past policies and programs, Present policies and programs and Future change) to structure the assignment.  

The completed assignment has a required length of 9-12 pages, (this does not include the title page or reference list). double-spaced, 12-point font, with APA referencing used throughout.  It is recommended that students start this assignment early. Students are required to submit an outline by Week 9 for instructor feedback. Consult with the instructor as you go to get the most from this exercise.  

Assessment Criteria for Assignment Paper 

1. Introduction and description of policy    /5 

1. Have you provided a thorough introduction and description of the policy? 

2. Is your work clear and concise? 

2. Analysis of problem    /7.5 

1. Have you applied a feminist or anti-oppressive critical analysis to the information you collected? 

2. Have you utilized other approaches to analysis if appropriate? (antiracist, decolonial, ableism) 

3. Have you demonstrated a keen critical awareness of public and private issues, as well as how the policy is problematic for policy users? 

4. Have you identified any potential barriers that people may face when trying to access resulting programs or services?  

3. Discussion of past policies and programs    /5 

1. Have you provided a thorough discussion of past policies and programs? 

2. Is your work clear and concise? 

3. Have you used additional program or course material to support your work? 

4. Analysis of present policies and programs and recommendations for future change   /7.5 

1. Have you applied a feminist or anti-oppressive analysis to the information you collected? 

2. Have you demonstrated a keen critical awareness of present-day policies and programs? 

1. Are your recommendations realistic? 

2. Have you identified pros and cons to your recommendations? 

3. Did you apply a critical analysis to your recommendations? 

4. Have you identified how they would be implemented? 

5. Research, documentation and style    /5 

1. Is your paper interesting and well written? 

2. Are there grammatical or spelling errors? 

3. Have you used proper sentence structure throughout? 

Images

For this post I chose images that evoke student creativity, such as mixing a cauldron full of many ingredients (feature photo by Artem Maltsev) and holding magical sparkling embers (photo by Aditya Saxena). Photos are from Unsplash.com.