SPSW1002

Social Issues in the Human Services

Faculty of Education and Arts School of Humanities and Social Science

10 Units 1000 Level Course

Available in 2013

Callaghan Campus	Semester 2

Previously offered in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

This foundation course explores social issues and social problems and critically analyses government and community welfare responses. This involves analysing programs, policies and interventions which deal with contemporary social issues and includes case studies from some of the following areas: children and families, youth, disability, alcohol and drug dependency, sexuality and gender, ageing, social exclusion and marginalisation.

Objectives

1. Be able to critically analyse the construction of social issues and social problems.
2. Explore government and community welfare responses to identified problems.
3. Understand the policy making process, how history informs current policy, the structure(s) within which policy is located, and how to participate in the policy making and social change process.
4. Develop an awareness of social, professional and personal values, how they differ across cultures, class and social contexts, and their influences on individual and community responses to issues.
5. Skills in writing academic essays, reports, tutorial presentations, research, theoretical and methodological skills.

Content

1. Major Frameworks and competing explanations.
2. Methods of Intervention.
3. Social actors in social problems.
4. The Government and corporate power.
5. World population and global inequality.
6. Urban problems: Social disorganisation and exclusion.
7. Threats to the environment.
8. Problems of inequality including poverty and wealth; race and ethnicity; gender, sexualities and sexual practices; age; the economy of work;education; families and intimate relationships; health care and medicine; crime and delinquency; substance abuse;
9. Evaluating social programs.
10. Strategies and tools for social change.

Replacing Course(s)

SPSW1020

Transition

If students have successfully completed SPSW1020 they can not enrol in SPSW1002.

Industrial Experience

Assumed Knowledge

SPSW1001 Australian Welfare Policy or equivalent.
This course is not available to students enrolled in Bachelor of Social Work

Modes of Delivery

Distance Learning : IT Based
Internal Mode

Teaching Methods

Email Discussion Group
Lecture
Experience Based Learning
Self Directed Learning
Tutorial

Assessment Items

Essays / Written Assignments	On campus and distance education students: Essay (2500 words) 60%.
Essays / Written Assignments	Distance Ed students only: Minor Assignment (1500 words) 40%
Other: (please specify)	On campus students: Group Tasks. These will be non graded assessment items (satisfactory/unsatisfactory result.) Students must successfully complete these assessment items to pass the course. Students will be given advice and assistance to meet the criteria for these tasks as published in the course outline.
Other: (please specify)	Distance Education students: Contribution to Discussion Grtoup on the course Blackboard site. These will be non graded assessment items (satisfactory/unsatisfactory result). Students must successfully complete these assessment items to pass the course.
Presentations - Individual	On campus students: Individual Seminar Presentation (1500 words) 40%.

Contact Hours

Lecture: for 1 hour(s) per Week for Full Term
Tutorial: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term
Email Discussion Group: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term
Self Directed Learning: for 1 hour(s) per Week for Full Term

Compulsory Components

Requisite by Enrolment	This course is not available to students enrolled in Bachelor of Social Work

Timetables