Choose a Canadian social policy and identify which ideology the policy CURRENTLY embraces

Students will choose a Canadian social policy and will identify which ideology the policy CURRENTLY embraces (based on the ideological elements that we discussed in class). Then, tell me how policymakers would address the same social problem if an alternative ideology was embraced, including a policy that they would develop (again, using the ideological elements as your framework). For example, if you have chosen Employment Insurance, tell me what ideology EI currently embraces (i.e., neo-conservatism, liberalism, social democracy, Marxism, or Indigenous). Then tell me how policymakers would address the problem of unemployment, including the type of policy or program that they would create, if they adopted a different ideology (again, you are using the eight ideological elements as your framework). 

The content of the overall assignment must include: 

1. A brief overview of the social problem that your selected social policy is attempting to address (i.e., poverty, unemployment, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, etc.) (2 pages)
2. A comprehensive description of the Canadian social welfare policy area under study. (2-3 pages). Your description should include a discussion of the following:
   • What is the intent of the policy (i.e., intended objectives or outcomes)?
   • Who is the target or recipients of the social welfare policy?
   • What are the fiscal or administrative tools of the policy (e.g., cash benefits, vouchers, a service, legislation, etc.)
   • What is the history of the policy (if applicable)? (How and why did it come into being?)
   • Who was involved in its creation or development?
   • Anything else that you think is important
3. A discussion of at least 6 elements¹ for both ideologies. Be sure to cover the following in your response. (3-4 pages for each ideology). For example, discuss the following:
   
   
   1. What is the view of human nature?
   2. What is the view of society?
   3. What are the social beliefs and economic beliefs?
   4. What is the role of the state in addressing the social problem (i.e., Nation-state)?
   5. Who would be the targets of the social policy options for each paradigm and why? (this could tie into view of human nature, society, and social belief elements)
   6. Who would be involved in the policymaking process? Who wouldn’t be? Why? Who would be the interested parties and their vested interests? (i.e., political beliefs)
   7. What is the view of social problems? How is the problem represented or defined? For example, is it viewed as the result of individual dysfunction or from a capitalist society?
   8. What is the view of social welfare (i.e., how does the policy attempt to solve the problem?)
4. A discussion of the implications of the varying policy options for social workers and the social work profession in Canada? For example, do you foresee any unintended or unanticipated consequences of the varying policy options? As social workers, why should we care if a particular ideology was adopted for this policy? As social workers, can (or should) we advocate for a better policy? (1-2 pages)
5. A properly formatted reference page (APA 7th edition) that includes at least 8 sources (again, Wikipedia or Canadian Encyclopedia does not count!); four of the sources must be from academic data bases (i.e. peer reviewed journals.