Critical and Radical Social Work

Structure Type: Course
Code: KF08BVS0210
Level: Bachelor
Credits: 3.0 points
Teacher Team: Järvi, Helena
Language of Instruction: Finnish

Course Implementations, Planned Year of Study and Semester

Curriculum  Semester  Credits  Start of Semester  End of Semester
SOSALA-2013   4 autumn   3.0   2016-08-01   2016-12-31  
SOSALA-2014   4 autumn   3.0   2017-08-01   2017-12-31  

Learning Outcomes

Students will learn to describe basic concepts, background ideas, values and common methods of critical and radical social work. Students will be able to analyse and question structures and practices in society and social work that contribute to or maintain marginalization, inequality, social exclusion and powerlessness. They will analyse their own action and values in client work. Students will demonstrate that they are competent in empowering and professional practice to make their clients' voice heard.

Student's Workload

Total work load 78 hours
- of which 32 hours of classroom studies in Finnish or English and 46 hours of independent work or, alternatively:
-78 hours of online studies

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”.

Contents

- Basic concepts in critical and radical social work
- Power structures in social work
- Partnership and dialogue
- Increasing client participation in social work
- Methods in empowering social work

Recommended or Required Reading

- Dalrymple, J. & Burke, B.2006. Anti-oppressive Practice, (ss 30-50, 128-142).
Availability: http://tiny.cc/73t9cx

- Kuronen, M. 2004: Valtaistumista vai voimavaraistumista. Teoksessa Kuronen, M.. Granfelt. R., Nyqvist, L. & Petrelius, P. 2004. Sukupuoli ja sosiaalityö.
Availability: http://tiny.cc/s6t9cx

- Juhila, K., Forsberg & Roivainen, I. (toim. ) 2002. Marginaalit ja sosiaalityö ( ss 11-43, 63-80).
Availability: http://tiny.cc/jau9cx

- Toikko, T. 2009. Asiakkaiden osallistuminen ja palveluiden kehittäminen.
Availability: http://tiny.cc/odu9cx

Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Classroom activity, independent work and pair work. An online version of the course will also be offered, including orientation at the school and 74 hours of independent work and discussion online.

Assessment Criteria

Grade 1-2:
Knowledge: Students are able to describe the major goal and means of critical and radical social work. They are able to describe some practice, structure or process in society and social work that produces or maintains marginalization, inequality, social exclusion and powerlessless. Students will recognize these factors in the context of their clients' life situation.Students are able to produce a case study of critical and radical social work, choose a method and descibe some main points in its application. Students are able to describe an example of power structures and use concepts of critical and radical social work in their case study. They are able to describe the values on which they base their work with clients. Students recognise 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 recognise the oppressive nature of some social work practices, also in their own contribution.

Grade 3-4
In addition to the requirements above, students are able to critically evaluate discriminating and oppressive practices and structures in society and social work. Students are able to produce a practicable case study of the application of critical and radical social work, in which they evaluate the effect of power structures in their social context. Students analyse their plan critically, pointing out problems related to the practical application of the plan. They evaluate their system of values, presenting multiple perspectives on its relationship to society. 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:
In addition to the requirements above, students analyse critical and radical social work in relation to social work in its entirety and to the professional practice of Bachelors of Social Services.
Students produce a refined, practicable case study with theoretical justification and multiple perspectives.
They critically evaluate and reflect on how social work systems contribute to social exlusion and to the creation and maintenance of inequality

Assessment Methods

-Active participation in classroom activities (1/3), reflective essay (1/3) and pair work (1/3) or
Online course: reflective essay (1/3), assignment (1/3), exam (1/3)

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