Module SOCI51315: Community Policy and Practice

Department: Applied Social Sciences

SOCI51315: Community Policy and Practice

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• to critically examine the concept of community and evaluate its usefulness to the community development practicioner;
• to examine and critically evaluate a range of theoretical approaches to community development;
• to critically examine the radical and pluralist models of community development and their implications for practice;
• to assess the value of applicability of occupational standards in community work to the practice of community development;
• to critically examine core areas of knowledge, understanding and skill identified within the occupational standards for community work, namely: development and change; collective action and empowerment; learning and educative processes; social justice and equality; autonomy of groups; development of critical analysis;
• to provide opportunities for students to relate their experiences of work in the community to a broad range of theoretical perspectives, and models of practice.

Content

• critical analysis of the concept of 'community';
• the origins and history of community work and community development;
• theoretical approaches to community development;
• contemporary forms of community development practice;
• community and public policy - the rise of 'community practice' and the implications for community development;
• the role of community development in neighbourhood regeneration and tackling social exclusion;
• examination of key areas of practice including community audits, community partnerships, evaluation of community development.

Learning Outcomes

• to gain a critical understanding of the origins and history of community work and development;

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures, seminars, group discussions and student presentations.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A seminar presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University