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EXAM STUDY GUIDE – S.W. 150/02 Stewart Fall 2010
Multiple Choice Questions:
TEST QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 1
1-1. The mythology of autonomous practice refers to:
a) the shortage of private practice jobs in the social work labor market.
b) the idea that most medical professionals practice as sole practitioners.
c) the assumption by social work practitioners that their clients are relatively insulated from external policies.
d) None of the above.
Answer: C
Page Ref.: 3
Competency: Professional Identity
1-2. Dependency occurs when:
a) An individual is not adequately fulfilling a role.
b) Social institutions are not providing adequate supports to enable the individual to fulfill a role.
c) Both of the above.
d) Neither of the above.
Answer: C
Page Ref.: 4
Competency: Professional Identity
1-3. When an individual is doing everything necessary to fulfill a role and the appropriate social institutions are functioning
well enough to support the person's role performance we have:
a) Interdependence.
b) Dependency.
c) Social justice.
d) Economic justice.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 4
Competency: Professional Identity
1-4. Which is not considered a type of macropractice?
a) Planning.
b) Counseling.
c) Policy.
d) Administration.
Answer: B
Page Ref.: 5
Competency: Policy Practice
1-5. Macropractice has been called:
a) Wholesale social work practice.
b) Working to effect social change.
c) Dealing with the cause of a social problem.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:5-6
Competency: Policy Practice
1-6. Individualism as used by the authors means:
a) People deserve the majority of the credit for any success they experience.
b) People deserve most of the blame for any failures they experience.
c) That micropractice is more socially acceptable than macropractice.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 6
Competency: Critical Thinking
1-7. In Abraham Flexner's 1915 assessment, social work met this standard of being professional:
a) Demonstrated communicable techniques.
b) Derived from science and learning.
c) Altruistic.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:8
Competency: Professional Identity
1-8. Social work responded to Flexner's critique by:
a) Focusing on social casework.
b) Organizing the American Association of Professional Schools of Social Work.
c) Rejecting social legislation and settlement house work as part of the social work curriculum.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 9
Competency: Professional Identity
1-9. The market-based model of professional practice relies on:
a) A historical example of private medical practice that is no longer dominant.
b) An anti-corporate and anti-bureaucratic perspective.
c) Validation by the attraction of customers in a business model.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:11
Competency: Critical Thinking
1-10. The three systems that comprise the policy-based professional model are:
a) Family system.
b) Economic system.
c) Legal system.
d) None of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:12
Competency: Policy Practice
1-11. Proletarianization refers to:
a) An anti-bureaucratic bias.
b) A Marxist theory of history in which capitalism that strips all workers of control over their work.
c) A shift in authority from the professional to the office.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 13
Competency: Critical Thinking
1-12. Studies of organizations do not support proletarianization because:
a) Professionals are recognized under U.S. labor law as a special group.
b) Professionals are subject to supervision by other professionals.
c) Both of the above.
d) Neither of the above.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:13
Competency: Professional Identity
1-13. The strengths of the policy-based professional model include:
a) Acceptance of difficult-to-define functions as part of social work practice.
b) Acceptance of social work practice within an organizational context.
c) Acceptance of systemic influences on human behavior.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:14
Difficulty: 2
Competency: Policy Practice
TEST QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 2
2-1. In a philosophical sense, social policy may mean:
a) the opposite of rugged individualism.
b) increasing government involvement in social life and the pursuit of greater equality, equity, and social justice.
c) both a and b.
d) neither a nor b.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:21-22
Competency: Policy Practice
2-2. The continuing struggle of humanity for equality is an best described as an example of:
a) social policy.
b) social welfare policy.
c) public policy.
d) none of the above.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 22
Competency: Policy Practice
2-3. Libraries, parks and recreation, tax codes, and family law are examples of:
a) social policy, but not social welfare policy.
b) social welfare policy, but not social policy.
c) both social policy and social welfare policy.
d) none of the above.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 22
Competency: Policy Practice
2-4. The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards understand the knowledge base of policy practice to include:
a) the history and current structures of social policies and services.
b) the role of policy in service delivery.
c) the role of practice in policy development.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:23
Competency: Policy Practice
2-5. The four basic policy practice skills are:
a) critical thinking, active listening, empathy, and acceptance.
b) analytic skills, political skills, interactional skills, and value-clarifying skills.
c) problem definition, compromise, negotiation, and debate.
d) none of the above.
Answer: B
Page Ref.: 23
Competency: Policy Practice
2-6. What helps explain the significant role of the private sector in American social welfare policy?
a) Social welfare services grew out of the activities of the private sector.
b) Government was reluctant to assume responsibility for social welfare.
c) The social work profession resulted from the policies of the private sector.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 23-24
Competency: Practice Contexts
2-7. Which best describes the contemporary opinion of for profit organizations in social welfare service delivery?
a) They are frowned upon as unfit partners for government.
b) They are disparaged as unfair competition for scarce resources.
c) They are seen as a business role models.
d) None of the above.
Answer: C
Page Ref.: 24
Competency: Practice Contexts
2-8. Which most accurately describes the evolving roles of public and private sectors in the delivery of social welfare
services?
a) The majority of the funds for social services is private.
b) The majority of the funds for social services is public.
c) The majority of the funds for social services are paid by clients as fee-for-service.
d) None of the above.
Answer: B
Page Ref.:20
Competency: Practice Contexts
2-9. Which sectors provide the most macrolevel polices?
a) Public and private nonprofit.
b) Private nonprofit and private for profit.
c) Public and private for profit.
d) None of the above.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 25
Competency: Practice Contexts
2-10. Which level of policy is most likely to be described as a "basic framework" for the provision of services?
a) Macrolevel.
b) Mezzolevel.
c) Microlevel.
d) None of the above. The basic framework is a public policy concept.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:25
Competency: Policy Practice
2-11. Which level of policy is most likely to be described as "actual service" to clients?
a) Macrolevel.
b) Mezzolevel.
c) Microlevel.
d) All of the above because they all involve a client focus.
Answer: C
Page Ref.: 26
Competency: Policy Practice
2-12. When a social work practitioner exercises a high degree of discretion in the provision of social services, this is most
likely to be an example of what level of practice?
a) Macrolevel.
b) Mezzolevel.
c) Microlevel.
d) None of the above.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:26
Competency: Policy Practice
TEST QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 3
3-1. Identify the best description of academic social science research and applied policy research.
a) Doctoral level
b) Published in accessible sources
c) Rigorously researched
d) All of the above
Answer: D
Page Ref.:34
Competency: Policy Practice
3-2. Identify the best description of practitioner policy analysis.
a) Masters or doctoral level research
b) Published in-house
c) Lowest level of sophistication
d) Policy research is tangential to their primary professional role.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:34
Competency: Policy Practice
3-3. What are the four types of descriptive policy analysis?
a) Content, choice, comparative, and historical.
b) Survey, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.
c) Neither of the above.
d) Both of the above.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:36
Competency: Policy Practice
3-4. Universal allocation of social welfare benefits is characterized by:
a) categorical eligibility.
b) the creation of a right to the benefit.
c) group membership.
d) none of the above.
Answer: B
Page Ref.:37
Competency: Policy Practice
3-5. Which type of benefit is the most ethical as measured by the degree of self-determination it promotes with the client?
a) Cash benefits.
b) In-kind benefits.
c) Vouchers.
d) All types of benefits equally promote self-determination.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:38-39
Competency: Ethical Practice
3-6. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a centralized delivery system for social welfare benefits?
a) Bureaucratic.
b) Competitive.
c) Cooperative.
d) Convenient.
Answer: B
Page Ref.:41
Competency: Critical Thinking
3-97 Which statement is most true of "contracting out" services by public agencies?
a) Contracting out is a fairly recent means of funding social welfare services.
b) Contracting out rarely if ever involves participation by private, for profit organizations.
c) Contracting out almost always improves the delivery of social welfare services.
d) None of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:42
Competency: Practice Context
3-8. In theory, which statement is most true of organizational accountability for social welfare services?
a) Public agencies are accountable to the general public.
b) Private, nonprofit agencies are accountable to their board of directors.
c) Private, for profit agencies are accountable to the clients they serve.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:40-41
Competency: Practice Context
3-9. George W. Bush's faith based initiative:
a) was approved by Congress and became federal law in 1996.
b) was based on the claim that faith can accomplish what secular programs cannot accomplish.
c) upheld long-standing federal opposition to proselytizing and nondiscriminatory hiring practices.
d) was aimed at funneling federal dollars to large religious organizations.
Answer: B
Page Ref.:43
Competency: Practice Contexts
3-10. In a logical evaluation, a policy's internal rigor and consistency is assessed by looking at the:
a) internal consistency of the policy's multiple goals.
b) consistency between a policy's goal and the means of achieving the goal.
c) difference between intended and unintended consequences.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:46-47
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
3-11. The two parts to a quantitative evaluation are:
a) effectiveness (outcome) and efficiency (cost-effectiveness) evaluations.
b) quality and quantity evaluations.
c) statistical and narrative evaluations.
d) program and project evaluations.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 47
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
3-12. As a science, policy analysis is limited due to:
a) the limited analytical capacities of human beings.
b) conflicts between intergroup values and ethics.
c) resource limitations for conducting research.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:50
Competency: Critical Thinking
TEST QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 4
4-1. Which is not an example of an essential skill of analysis and critical judgment in historical analysis?
a) The development of hypotheses or guiding questions.
b) Systematic gathering and analysis of evidence to understand relationships between factors.
c) The discovery of patterns or the creation of principles to explain these relationships.
d) Control of rival hypotheses in an experimental context.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:58
Competency: Critical Thinking
4-2. Which of the following is not a conclusion drawn from Geoffrey Guest’s study of poverty relief?
a) The 19th century humanitarian impulse appeared unchanged from the 18th century.
b) Householders who boarded paupers did so reluctantly.
c) Public support for paupers did not vary despite their place of residence.
d) Economic considerations seem to have always played a more important role than humanitarian impulses in relief
systems for the poor.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:58-59
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-3. Geoffrey Guest’s research on colonial poor relief illustrates these aspects of historical policy analysis:
a) Historical policy analysis is dependent on primary source documents.
b) Conclusions drawn by historians, in the absence of primary source documents, may be faulty.
c) Both a and b.
d) Neither a nor b.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:58
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-4. Eve Smith’s study of early 20th century orphanages concluded that past children’s institutions would not be appropriate
models for contemporary children institutions because:
a) Early 20th century orphanages primarily served children of poor single mothers who remained actively involved in
decisions affecting their children.
b) Early 20th century orphanages primarily served children on a temporary basis.
c) Early 20th century orphanages served few children with high levels of emotional and physical problems.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:59-60
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-5. The best historical policy analysis relies upon:
a) Primary data sources.
b) Secondary data sources.
c) Both a and b.
d) Neither a nor b.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:61-62
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-6. The first step in a historical policy analysis is:
a) The formation of a hypothesis or guiding framework.
b) Gathering evidence.
c) Evaluating and interpreting evidence.
d) Determining what the evidence means.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:62-63
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-7. Important questions for the historical policy analyst to ask of the sources do not include:
a) What do other historians say about the document?
b) Is the source authentic?
c) What was the condition of the witness of the event?
d) What was the intent of the document in question?
Answer: A
Page Ref.:64
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-8. Which of the following is not an example of a common error in historical interpretation?
a) Cross-cultural errors and Presentism.
b) Generalizing beyond the facts.
c) Reducing a multitude of historical factors into a single explanation.
d) Use of statistical analyses.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:64-66
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-9. Charles Murray’s Losing Ground has not been criticized for:
a) Generalizing beyond the facts.
b) Reducing all the diversity of history to one thing.
c) Presentism.
d) Making errors in the analysis of data.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:65-66
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-10. Historical policy analysis cannot provide:
a) Neat formulas for avoiding past mistakes with clear descriptions of what caused certain events.
b) Suggestions from past failures and successes of what might work today.
c) An awareness of the importance of social, political, and economic factors in policy issues.
d) An understanding of where we’ve been in order to understand where we are today.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:68
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-11. One indication the quality of a historical policy analysis is:
a) The complexity of the factors considered.
b) The simplicity of the solutions provided.
c) Both a and b.
d) Neither a nor b.
Answer: A
Page Ref.:68
Competency: Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
4-12. The Benton Park Crisis Center example suggests that it is difficult to combine:
a) Innovation and standardization.
b) Volunteer and professional help.
c) A focus on client need and a cheerful staff.
d) Casualness and regulations.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:68-70
Competency: Practice Contexts
TEST QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 5
5-1. Why do sociologists claim that objective conditions are not sufficient explanations of how social problems are defined?
a) People disagree in their assessment of objective conditions.
b) Social problems are socially constructed.
c) Both A and B.
d) Neither A nor B.
Answer: B
Page Ref.:76
Competency: Critical Thinking
5-2. What is the best explanation for the difference between a primary and a derivative problem?
a) A primary problem has a genetic cause; a derivative problem is behavioral.
b) A primary problem impacts the majority of people; a derivative problem only impacts a minority.
c) A primary problem is usually addressed by a social welfare policy; a derivative problem is not.
d) A primary problem is the cause; a derivative problem is the consequence.
Answer: D
Page Ref.:76
Competency: Critical Thinking
5-3. Which correctly identifies the sequence of steps in a social/economic analysis?
a) Economics, goals, facts, theories, values, hypotheses, boundaries, and problem.
b) Values, theories, hypotheses, boundaries, problem, facts, goals, and economics.
c) Boundaries, problem, facts, theories, values, goals, hypotheses, and economics.
d) Problem, facts, goals, boundaries, theories, values, hypotheses, and economics.
Answer: C
Page Ref.:74-87
Competency: Research Based Practice
5-4. Rational choice assumes that people:
a) Are purposive and goal oriented.
b) Have hierarchically ordered preferences.
c) Make rational cost/benefit calculations.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 78
Competency: Human Behavior
5-5. Less eligibility refers to:
a) A principle of social service delivery that limits eligibility to those who most need services.
b) A principle of financial assistance policy that restricts welfare benefits in comparison to the least comfortable
working person.
c) Both A and B.
d) Neither A nor B.
Answer: B
Page Ref.: 81
Competency: Human Rights & Justice
5-6. Freedom understood as freedom from excessive and arbitrary external restraint and has resulted in:
a) A tendency to think of rights rather than of duties.
b) A suspicion of established authority.
c) A distrust of government.
d) All of the above.
Answer: D
Page Ref.: 82
Competency: Human Rights & Justice
5-7. American individualism, in the broadest terms, means:
a) Acceptance of state imposed restrictions.
b) Impatience with restraints upon economic activity.
c) Support for individual rebellion against his/her social group.
d) All of the above.
Answer: B
Page Ref.: 82
Competency: Human Rights & Justice
5-8. Legislation to resolve racism, sexism, and other prejudices is best explained by:
a) A conflict of values.
b) An economic cost/benefit analysis.
c) The Minimax principle.
d) Rational choice theory.
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 84
Competency: Critical Thinking
5-9. Which of the following values is consistent with providing help for the poor?
a) Humanitarian Mores
b) Achievement and Success
c) Individualism
d) Activity and Work
Answer: A
Page Ref.: 80
Competency: Human Rights & Justice
5-10. Which of the questions below is central to resource allocation amid scarcity?
a) Do the policy measures we support work?
b) How much benefit is obtained by a given expenditure?