Course Information

Semester Year:               FALL 2025

Section Number:           18291

Day:                                Wednesdays

Time:                              4:00 – 6:30 PM In-person

Course Description

This course assists the undergraduate social work student in building a foundation for understanding human behavior and development in diverse contexts across the life course. The course emphasizes the interdependence of dynamic interactions between a person and that individual’s environment and thus introduces students to implications for human development through a person-in-environment lens. S221 Human Growth and Development in the Social Environment explores influences of the biological, social, cultural, psychological and spiritual dimensions on individual human development and behavior. Students examine how the diverse contexts in which individuals live impact the range of human development and behavior in themselves and others. Understanding human behavior and development from a multidimensional perspective builds a strong foundation for development of skills later in the curriculum. Specifically, foundational concepts presented in this course help students apply critical thinking to an understanding of the diversity of human functioning and implications for the processes of social work assessment, evaluation, and intervention.

Learning Outcomes

Through active participation in the learning experiences and completion of the readings, assignments and learning projects offered throughout this course, students are expected to demonstrate the ability to:

• S221-01: Recall knowledge of the essential wholeness of the human being with recognition of the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of human functioning
• S221-01: Demonstrate knowledge of perspectives including systems perspective, ecological perspective, person-in-environment perspective, strengths perspective and major theories of individual and family functioning
• S221-03: Illustrate knowledge about concepts, theories, current research, and literature on human development across the course of life and within the context of social work practice
• S221-04: Apply knowledge to facilitate engagement with individuals and families regarding interactions, family structures, and socio-cultural conditions on individuals’ development and functioning
• S221-05: Assess theory knowledge regarding human diversity and its significance in human development
• S221-06: Critically evaluate theory knowledge for impact on topics of discrimination and inequality and the differential life experiences for at risk populations impacted by social contexts.
• S221-07: Analyze the ethical implications of the values and assumptions of various theories of human behavior

Assignments

• What does this mean reflection on pregnancy due 9/17/25
• What does this mean reflection on infancy due 9/24/25
• Explore and Present Findings of 2 Theories (Individual) due 10/1/25
• What does this mean reflection on early childhood due 10/8/25
• Group Presentations due 10/15/25
• Signature assignment proposal due 10/22/25
• Explore and Present Findings of 2 Theories (Families) due 10/29/25
• What does this mean reflection on young adulthood due 11/5/25
• Draft of signature assignment due 11/12/25
• What does this mean reflection on late/very late adulthood due 11/19/25
• Lifespan Development Reflection due 11/25/25
• Life stage observation/signature assignment due 12/3/25
• Articulate case assessment assignment due 12/10/25

Grading Standards

A        93%     Excellent, Exceptional Quality

A-       90%     Superior Quality

B+      87%     Very Good, Slightly Higher Quality

B        83%     Good, High Quality (expected of most MSW students)

B-       80%     Satisfactory Quality

C+      77%     Marginal, Modestly Acceptable Quality

C        73%     Marginal, Minimally Acceptable Quality

C-       70%     Unsatisfactory Quality