| UNIT TITLE |
Social Work Theory and Practice 4: Activism and Social Change |
| UNIT CODE |
SWK4121 |
| CREDIT POINTS |
15 |
| FULL YEAR UNIT |
No |
| PRE-REQUISITES |
SWK4111 - Social Work Theory and Practice 3: Collective Interventions
SWK4115 - Field Placement 2
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| MODE OF DELIVERY |
On-campus
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DESCRIPTION
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This unit explores social work activism by an analysis of social change as expressed through social movements for justice and peace. The unit considers the many ways in which social workers may intervene and respond at both a local individual and community level and at a global level. It presents a holistic model of social change premised on structural and post structural theorising which allows social workers to intervene across the broad spectrum of fields of practice in ways which enhance peoples’ well-being and contribute to their struggles for justice, human rights and sustainable development. It has a strong focus on social work practice as being progressive and activist oriented enacting a social change agenda, and working in partnership with disadvantaged communities both locally and internationally.
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| LEARNING OUTCOMES |
On completion of this unit students should be able to:
- outline significant social movements and their impact on social work;
- analyse the social work profession’s commitment to activism, and, more broadly, to social change;
- evaluate various models of social change;
- determine feasible self care practices; and
- develop a personal practice model.
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| UNIT CONTENT |
- Social change and the social work profession
- Models for social change
- Principles, strategies and tactics for activists
- Critical analysis of current social issues
- Approaches to self care
- Development of a personal practice model
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| TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES |
Teaching will include interactive lectures and tutorials, student discussions groups and presentations and video/DVD resources.
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| GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES |
Ability to communicate
Critical appraisal skills
Cross-cultural and international outlook |
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| ASSESSMENT |
| Grading Schema 1 |
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| Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners. |
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Item
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On-Campus Assessment
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Value
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Essay
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Paper
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30%
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Presentation
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Individual
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70%
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| Students must pass the Presentation to pass the unit. |
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| TEXTS |
| Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally: Breaking the cycle of oppression. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. |
| Burgmann, V. (2003). Power, profit and protest: Australian social movements and globalisation. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. |
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| SIGNIFICANT REFERENCES |
| Bannerjee, M. (2005). Social work: Rawlsian social justice and social development. Social Development Issues, 27(1), 6-24. |
| Healy, K. (2000). Social work practices: Contemporary perspectives on change. London: Sage. |
| Ife, J. (2001). Human rights and social work: Towards rights-based practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
| Ife, J. & Tesoriero, F. (2006). Community development: Community based alternatives in an age of globalisation. (3rd ed.). French's Forest: Pearson Education. |
| McDonald, C. (2006). Challenging social work: The institutional context of practice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. |
| Mackelprang, R. & Salsgiver, R. (1999). Disability: A diversity model approach in human service practice. Pacific Grove (CA): Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. |
| Mittelman, J. (2000). The globalisation syndrome: Transformation and resistance. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. |
| Pease, B. & Fook, J. (Eds.). (1999). Transforming social work practice: Postmodern critical perspectives. St Leonards (NSW): Allen and Unwin. |
| Rees, S. (2003). Passion for peace: Exercising power creatively. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press. |
| Ryan, B. (1992). Feminism and the women's movement: Dynamics of change in social movement, ideology and activism. New York: Routledge. |
| Smith, J. D. (2004). Australian rural and remote health: A social justice perspective. Croydon (Vic): Tertiary Press. |
| Thompson, N. (1998). Promoting equality: Challenging discrimination and oppression in the human services. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan Press. |
| Willett, G. (2000). Living out loud: A history of gay and lesbian activism in Australia. St. Leonards (NSW): Allen and Unwin. |
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| Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005) | |
| For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Student Equity, Diversity and Disability Service website: |
| http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/student/support/student-equity |
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Academic Misconduct
Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
- plagiarism;
- unauthorised collaboration;
- cheating in examinations;
- theft of other students’ work.
Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.
The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.
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