Requirements for the Minor

Faculty and professional interests

Program Committee
Duane Oldfield, Political Science, chair
Tim Kasser (on leave Fall 2012) Psychology
Carol St. Amant, Anthropology/Sociology

Many students are interested in pursuing careers in which they can help people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Such careers include social work, education, and counseling, and might involve working for community, legal, or government agencies.

To enhance students’ familiarity with the many aspects of such careers and to prepare them appropriately, Knox offers an interdisciplinary minor in social services. Working with socially disadvantaged individuals by its nature involves interactions between people and with governmental agencies, all of which occur within a broader social context. Thus, the program addresses each of these levels, and it ensures hands-on experience by asking students to complete a class-based internship with a social service agency in the Galesburg area.

Departmental Learning Goals

Students completing a minor in Social Service will be able to:

1. Analyze and describe how demographic factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, and/or class affect the lives of socially disadvantaged people
2. Describe the ways that social institutions and bureaucracies influence the lives of socially disadvantaged people
3. Work effectively with the socially disadvantaged

Requirements for the Minor