Week 3 Assignment: Theory Identification and Analysis
Assignment Overview
In this course, you will have to complete four assignments, and three of them will be about how theory is used in social work practice. A solid understanding of the theoretical basis for understanding human social behavior is vital for deciding on the best approach to clients on a case-by-case basis. In all three of these assignments, you will be using a character from a movie as a foundational case study. The film you select should depict factors of childhood development. Suggested films that meet the criteria of this assignment are listed below, but you are welcome to choose another film that focuses on childhood development.
- Washington, D. (Director). (2002). Antwone Fisher. Fox Searchlight Pictures.
- Boyle, D., & Tandan, L. (Directors). (2008). Slumdog millionaire. Warner Bros.
- Daldry, S. (Director). (2011). Extremely loud and incredibly close. Warner Bros.
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following CSWE EPAS competencies and behaviors:
- CSWE EPAS Competency 4: Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- C4.GP.B: Identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work.
- Related assignment criterion:
- Integrate research-based knowledge and practice wisdom to identify key components of a chosen developmental theory.
- Related assignment criterion:
- C4.GP.B: Identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work.
- CSWE EPAS Competency 6: Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- C6.GP.A: Apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies.
- Related assignment criterion:
- Summarize how an understanding of child development can be integrated into personal social work practice when engaging with clients.
- Related assignment criterion:
- C6.GP.A: Apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies.
- CSWE EPAS Competency 7: Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- C7.GP.A: Apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies.
- Related assignment criterion:
- Assess the specific developmental tasks or crises that are being experienced by a chosen character in the case study through the lens of a chosen developmental theory.
- Related assignment criterion:
- C7.GP.A: Apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies.
- CSWE EPAS Competency 8: Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- C8.GP.B: Incorporate culturally responsive methods to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of clients and constituencies.
- Related assignment criterion:
- Explain how a chosen case study depicts the resolution of a developmental crisis or task for a chosen character.
- Related assignment criterion:
- C8.GP.B: Incorporate culturally responsive methods to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of clients and constituencies.
- CSWE EPAS Competency 9: Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- C9.GP.A: Select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes.
- Related assignment criterion:
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a chosen developmental theory.
- Related assignment criterion:
- C9.GP.A: Select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes.
Assignment Description
In this first assignment, you are tasked with identifying a developmental theory to apply to the character or family in a movie as your foundational case study. Use the Social Work Masters Library Research GuideLinks to an external site. for guidance on finding relevant articles in the Capella library.
Be sure to read the instructions below carefully, and always review the rubric to be clear on the grading criteria.
Assignment Instructions
Review your chosen case study (that is, the movie) and identify the developmental theory that you wish to apply. Make sure you provide a brief introduction to the character you chose to analyze as a case study for the assignments in this course. Include the character’s demographics and write a statement of the presenting problem, as these will frame you developmental theory identification and evaluation in this assignment.
The bullet points below correspond to grading criteria in the rubric. You may also want to read the rubric to better understand the performance levels that relate to each grading criterion. In your paper:
- Integrate research-based knowledge and practice wisdom to identify key components of the chosen developmental theory.
- Make sure you address



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