Both Ireland and the United States share social welfare paradigms as both have been built on English Colonial foundations. This course compares, both historically and contemporaneously, the English Colonial legacy embedded into the social welfare policy and practices of Ireland and the United States. To undergird the comparative historical approach, the course demands the development of a basic understanding of Irish and American social welfare history. It culminates in the direct comparison of their current social welfare systems. The comparisons are drawn through critical examination and historical surveys of marginalized populations viewed through various lenses of poverty/oppression indicators, including child welfare, immigration, homelessness, and access to healthcare, including mental health services.

This course has been designed to incorporate the curricular components of Social Welfare Policy I, a required class for the BSW and MSW degrees at Sacred Heart. Further, this course is cross-listed with Sociology and Government as an elective.