Empowerment in social work

Structure Type:	Course
Code:	KF08CWE0300
Type:	Elective
Level:	Bachelor
Credits:	3.0 points
Responsible Teacher:	Järvi, Helena
Language of Instruction:	English

Course Implementations, Planned Year of Study and Semester

Curriculum	Semester	Credits	Start of Semester	End of Semester
SOSALA-2013	3 autumn	3.0	2015-08-01	2015-12-31
SOSALA-2014	3 autumn	3.0	2016-08-01	2016-12-31

Learning Outcomes

Students recognise and describe concepts and methods of empowerment and critical and radical social work. Students are able to identify and analyse factors that contribute to marginalization or prevent some groups of people from reaching equality and justice. Students learn to question discriminating and marginalising practices, processes and structures in society and in social work practices. They develop their skills in reflecting on their values, in questioning their actions and in building dialogue and partnership.

Student's Workload

Total work load 78 hours
- of which 32 hours of classroom studies and 46 hours of independent work

Prerequisites / Recommended Optional Courses

Major part of basic and professional studies should be completed before starting this course. The course is integrated with the practical training “Empowering methods in social work”.

- Concept of empowerment, its different meanings, value basis, goals
- Critical and radical social work as the basis of empowerment in social work
- Concept of power, power structures in social work
- Different methods in the process of empowering work
- Building partnership and dialogue, involving service users
- Dealing with conflicts and mandatory clients
- Reflecting on personal values and skills

Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Classroom activity (introductory lectures and group tasks) 32 hours, Individual written reflection, a group task on methods

Assessment Criteria

Grade 1-2 (satisfactory): Students are able to name and describe the major goal and means of empowerment and critical and radical social work. They are able to describe individual, community, system and society-level factors and processes that produce social exclusion, inequality and injustice. Students recognize these factors and processes in the context of their clients' life situation. Students are able to produce a case study on the application of critical and radical social work. They are able to describe the main steps of applying some method on their case study. Students are able to explain the situation and state reasons for their choice of method using concepts of critical and radical social work. Students are able to point out some connections between the case and the power structures of the organization and the society . Students are able to describe the values on which they base their work with clients. Students recognize some connections between their values and society and its structures and they are able to describe and evaluate how their values affect their client work. Students can give a practical example of the oppressive nature of some social work practices.
Grade 3-4 (Good): In addition to the requirements above, students are able to connect goals and principles of critical and radical social work with practical work in social services. Students are able to critically evaluate discriminating and marginalizing practices and structures in society. Students are able to produce a practicable and realistic case study. Their description and evaluation of power structures and social context is extensive. Students analyze their plan critically, pointing out problems related to the practical application of the plan. Students are able to evaluate their actions critically and from multiple perspectives. They can give examples of alternative action. In this task, students use theoretical concepts easily.
Grade 5: (Excellent): In addition to the requirements above, students analyze critical and radical social work in relation to social work in its entirety and to the professional practice of social work. Students produce a refined, practicable case study with theoretical justification and multiple perspectives. Students critically evaluate and reflect on how social work systems contribute to social exclusion and to the creation and maintenance of inequality.

Assessment Methods

The grade will be based on active attendance to lectures (1/3) and completion of assignments: individual reflection (1/3), group task (1/3).

Further Information

Degree students of social work can take this study course in stead of the study course: "Kriittiset ja radikaalit sosiaalityön menetelmät".

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