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Sustainable Community Practice unit (HGW202)

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Unit year 2025

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Location: Cradle Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Online

Introduction

In this unit, you will learn about community practice, and its potential to help you work towards social change in a world impacted by violence, poverty, and climate change. While working with individuals and families often comes to mind when considering social work and human service practice, working with communities is equally important. This unit introduces you to community practices within and outside Australia, broadening your understanding of this essential aspect of social work and human service practice.

You will learn about the complexities of community development and aid provision in international contexts, challenging conventional western centric approaches to community practice. This unit will extend current thinking around community practices, by presenting a broad understanding of what community practice can be when local voices, including those of Indigenous communities worldwide, are privileged. Through engagement with Indigenising and decolonising processes, you will also gain insight into social and cultural sustainability, extending your understanding of sustainability beyond its environmental aspects.

Summary

Unit name Sustainable Community Practice
Unit code HGW202
Credit points 12.5
College/School Health
Social Work Program
Discipline Social Work
Coordinator Doctor Kate Vincent
Available as an elective? Yes
Delivered By
Level Intermediate

Availability

Location Study period Attendance options Available to
Cradle Coast Semester 1 This unit is available through on-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
Hobart Semester 1 This unit is available through on-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
Launceston Semester 1 This unit is available through on-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
Online Semester 1 This unit is available through off-campus delivery Available to International Students Available to Domestic Students
  • Key:
  • This unit is available through on-campus delivery On-campus
  • This unit is available through off-campus delivery Off-Campus
  • Available to International Students International students
  • Available to Domestic Students Domestic students
Note

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Key Dates

Study Period Start date Census date WW date End date
Semester 1 23/2/2025 24/3/2025 13/4/2025 31/5/2025

* 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 (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2025 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2025 will be available from the 1st October 2024. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe a diversity of community practices undertaken by social workers and human service practitioners within and outside Australia
  • Analyse the contested nature of sustainable community development
  • Discuss decolonising, Indigenising, and sustainability focused community practices
  • Evaluate and respond to conventional Western-centric community practice approaches

Fee Information

Field of Education Commencing Student Contribution 1,3 Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3 Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3 Domestic Full Fee 4
090501 $2,124.00 $996.00 $1,164.00 $2,440.00
  • Available as a Commonwealth Supported Place
  • HECS-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility3
  • FEE-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility4

1 Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
2 Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
3 Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
4 Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UniConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Requisites

Prerequisites

HGW101|HGW102

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

On-campus:

Weekly (online) lectures and other activities including readings (2 hours) and weekly face-to-face tutorials (2 hours). There is an 80% attendance requirement for tutorials. 

Online:

Weekly (online) lectures and other activities including readings (2 hours) and weekly online Zoom tutorials (2 hours). There is an 80% attendance requirement for tutorials. 

AssessmentPlan for responding to a community practice challenge (30%)|Present a community practice example (30%)|Indo-Pacific health challenge scenario (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

All readings required readings

Week 1

Kenny, S., & Hand, T. (2022). The nature of community development. In Developing Communities (6th ed, pp. 2- 45). Cengage Australia.

Gooda, M. (2016). Forward. In C. Kickett-Tucker., D. Bessarab., J. Coffin., & M. Wright (Eds.), Mia Mia Aboriginal Community Development: Fostering Cultural Security (pp. vi-ix). Cambridge.

Bessarab. D., & Forrest. S. (2016). Anggaba jina nimoonggoon: Whose knowledge is that? Aboriginal perspectives of community development. In C. Kickett-Tucker., D. Bessarab., J. Coffin., & M. Wright (Eds.), Mia Mia Aboriginal Community Development: Fostering Cultural Security (pp. 1-18). Cambridge.

Week 2

No reading

Week 3

Howard. A., Rawsthorne. M., Joseph. P., Terare. M., Sampson. D., & Harris, M.K. (2023). The basics. In Social work and human service responsibilities in a time of climate change: Country, community and complexity (pp. 76-105). Routledge.

Week 4

Mooney, J., Riley, L., & Blacklock. F. (2016). Dimensions of Aboriginal community development. In C. Kickett-Tucker., D. Bessarab., J. Coffin., & M. Wright (Eds.), Mia Mia Aboriginal Community Development: Fostering Cultural Security (pp. 54-72). Cambridge.

Week 5

Howard. A., Rawsthorne. M., Joseph. P., Terare. M., Sampson. D., & Harris, M.K. (2023). Acting for Change. In Social work and human service responsibilities in a time of climate change: Country, community and complexity (pp. 106-125). Routledge.

Week 6

Westoby, P., Day, E., Hawthorne, F., Toon, M.F.P., Oldham, K. (2023). A community development story and portrayal of a phenomenological reflective practice in the social field of paediatric palliative care, Community Development Journal, 58(3), pp. 402–418. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsac023

Week 7

Westoby, P., & Shevellar, L. (2018). From ‘dilemmatic space’ towards ecological practice: Community development in disaster recovery in Queensland, Australia. In L. Shevellar., & P. Westoby (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Community Development Research (pp. 253-266). Routledge.

Thornton, A., Lyons, K. & Sharpe, S. (2018). Carving out space for community gardens in Australia Exploring the potential of community gardens as social movements for urban change in Sydney and Canberra. 

Recommended

There are no recommended readings in this unit

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