Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Coast
Introduction
This unit introduces you to the foundations of social work practice in human service organisations. You will develop critical analytical skills to explore historical and contemporary inequalities of power and privilege based on, for example, race, gender, sexuality, geographic location and health status. Through this examination, you will be able to clarify the role of social work to create more inclusive, just and humane societies. You will gain an understanding about the purpose and domains of social work practice, professional standards, knowledge for practice, and ethics. Practice fields and methods of intervention are covered to illustrate how social workers work in micro, meso and macro environments to create a more just society and to protect and enable human rights.
A focus of the unit is the relational and reflective nature of social work practice in the human-services sector. There is an emphasis on developing effective and respectful listening skills and contributing to a positive learning environment. You will be challenged to debate and evaluate your personal beliefs and assumptions about the nature of social problems and the potential of your views to impact practice with social work clients. You will participate in group discussions, individual and group reflections, role-plays and other cooperative and group-based learning activities to develop a sense of your capacity for teamwork and reflective practice.
Summary 2020
| Unit name | Introduction to Social Work and Human Service Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HGW101 |
| Credit points | 12.5 |
| Faculty/School | College of Arts, Law and Education School of Social Sciences |
| Discipline | Social Work |
| Coordinator | Jacob Prehn |
| Available as student elective? | Yes |
| Breadth Unit? | No |
Availability
Note
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Units are offered in attending mode unless otherwise indicated (that is attendance is required at the campus identified). A unit identified as offered by distance, that is there is no requirement for attendance, is identified with a nominal enrolment campus. A unit offered to both attending students and by distance from the same campus is identified as having both modes of study.
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TNE Program units special approval requirements.
* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (see withdrawal dates explained for more information).
Learning Outcomes
- Illustrate the role and value of micro, meso and macro social work responses to contemporary social justice and human rights issues using contemporary case scenarios.
- Use critical social work theories and critical analytical skills to reveal how historical and current inequalities of power and privilege are constructed.
- Identify personal beliefs and values and consider their impact for social work practice by using critical reflection skills and engaging with constructive feedback from others.
- Examine how social work is shaped and constrained by key national and international contexts and discourses by collaborating with others.
Fees
Teaching
| Teaching Pattern | Each week, you will complete an hour of online learning activities (including lectures, videos, podcasts and other activities). You will also have approximately one hour of prescribed reading to complete each week. In addition, you will attend weekly 2-hour face-to-face tutorials. There is an 80% attendance requirement to meet accreditation standards. |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Assessment Task 1: Respectful online discussion of a social issue and participation in discussions (2 x 200-word posts = 400 words). 20%. |
| Timetable | View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable |
Textbooks
| Required | None |
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