This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)
Module SOCI41530: Introductory Social Work Studies
Department: Applied Social Sciences
SOCI41530: Introductory Social Work Studies
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 4 | 30 | Not available in 2015/2016 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Contemporay Social Work.
Corequisites
- Perspectives on Social Research; Policy Related and Evaluation Research; Dissertation; plus either Qualititative Research Methods in the Social Sciences or Qualitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- The module aims to:
- Equip students with an understanding of how social work and social welfare is delivered in the UK
- Develop reflective practitioners who are able to critically appraise social work theories and methods within the political and statutory contexts of social welfare in the UK
- Provide students with an insight into the range of organisational contexts and settings in which social work is practised in the UK.
Content
- The module comprises of the following topic areas:
- Theories and methods of social work practice
- Theories of human growth and development
- Models of organisational and partnership working
- The contribution of social work to an increasingly interdisciplinary field of professional practice in the UK.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- By the end of the module students will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the theories and methods which underpin the process of social work assessment and intervention
- Describe the key stages of human growth and development and understand how these impact on the need for social welfare of individuals and communities
- Critically appraise models of partnership and interdisciplinary working
- Draw together all the above elements of the module into a coherent theoretical framework for understanding the delivery of social welfare services.
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Modes of teaching, learning and assessment are designed to ensure an appropriate balance of: Imparting knowledge through didactic teaching
- Imparting knowledge through didactic teaching
- Facilitating the integration of understanding and skill application through small group work, problem based and exchange based learning methods
- Further development of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and effective argumentation through critically reflective assignments.
- Knowledge skills and understanding will be assessed through two academic essays. The first of these will focus on the application of social work theories and methods to a social problem of the student's choice.
- The second essay will require students to focus on a user group of their choice who are in receipt of social services and discuss at least two frameworks for understanding human growth and development issues that apply.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 54 | Average 5 or 6 per week | Average 1 | 54 | Yes |
| Tutorials (group) | 5 | Approx 1 per month | 5 | Yes | |
| Other guided study | 6 | Timetabled in blocks | 6 | 36 | |
| Preparation & Reading | 205 | ||||
| Total | 300 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 word Social Work Theories and Methods Essay | 50% | 3000 word Social Work Theory and Methods Essay | 3000 words | 100% | |
| 3000 word Human Growth and Development Essay | 50% | 3000 word Human Growth and Development Essay | 3000 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
None.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.