Community-Oriented Social Work (4cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Objective

Students recognize the meaning of social engagement, empowerment and social capital from the perspectives of citizens' welfare, function of society and ecosocial sustainability. Students are able to describe the principles of community social work and the theory of critical pedagogy, social pedagogic activation and encouragement. They become familiar with methods and international models used in community social work. Students learn to know social service agencies that have chosen to base their work on promoting the sense of community. Students are able to assess communities’ resources and needs for community activation. Using community work methods, students know how to launch, implement and evaluate professional action that promotes the sense of community and empowerment..

Content

- the concepts of social capital
- social pedagogic activation, social engagement
- empowering perspective and critical pedagogy
- community activation, deliberative methods in decision making
- starting, implementing and evaluation community activity
- community-oriented ideology in practice

Materials

Sosiaalipedagogiikka (2019). Kohti inhimillisempää yhteiskuntaa. Nivala, Elina & Sanna Ryynänen (toim.). Gaudeamus.
Väyrynen, Kostamo-Pääkkö, Ojaniemi& Arnkil (2017): Sosiaalityön yhteisöllisyyttä etsimässä. Unipress. 3. painos
Kananoja, Aulikki (2017). Kansalaistoiminta osana sosiaalipolitiikkaa. Teoksessa: Sosiaalityön käsikirja. Kananoja, Lähteinen & Marjamäki (toim.). Tietosanoma. Helsinki. (Luku 5).
In addition, other material reported by the teacher.

Teaching methods

Lectures, independent studying at Moodle, essay and study visit.

Employer connections

Does not include training.
Study visit, if it is possible.

Exam schedules

Will be announced at the beginning of the study period.

Completion alternatives

The course can be completed by studying or in the Living Lab.

Student workload

108 h, included lectures, study visit, working online, task and an assignment at the end of course.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Students
- recognize the meaning of citizen's engagement, empowerment and social capital in promoting citizens' welfare, the function of society and ecosocial sustainability
- are able to describe the principles of community social work and the theory of critical pedagogy, social pedagogic activation and encouragement
- know how to assess communities’ resources and needs for community activation
- have competence to apply community work methods to create and evaluate a community activation process
- recognise methods and international models used in community social work and field agencies which apply these methods

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Students
- are able to evaluate the meaning of citizens’ engagement, empowerment and social capital in promoting citizens' welfare, the function of society and ecosocial sustainability
- are able to describe the principles of community social work and the theory of critical pedagogy, social pedagogic activation and encouragement
- have ability to interpret communities’ resources and needs for community activation
- have competence to apply community work methods to create, evaluate and argue for a community activation process
- know how to compare methods and international models used in community social work and, based on sound reasoning, categorise field agencies which apply these methods

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Students
- have competence to argue for the meaning of citizens’ engagement, empowerment and social capital in promoting of citizens' well-being, the function of society and ecosocial sustainability
- are able to compare principles of community social work and the theory of critical pedagogy, social pedagogic activation and encouragement
- have ability to interpret community's resources and needs for community activation based on sound reasoning
- have competence to extensively apply various community work methods to create and evaluate a community activation process
- critically evaluate various methods and international models used in community social work and, based on sound reasoning, analyse field agencies which apply these methods

Qualifications

most part of the basic studies of the degree programme

Further information

The course is optional with the following courses:
- Communication and media in social work
- Structural social work
- Empowering social work