Structural Social Work (4cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Objective

Students learn to define the concept of structural social work and describe its connections with empowering social work. They know how to describe this approach in their professional work as Bachelors of Social Services. Students are capable of examining the social situation of individuals and communities from the perspectives of structures, processes and sustainable development. Students know how to seek and produce information required in decision-making concerning a client group. They are familiar with various practices and methods of structural social work. They know how to promote civic engagement and citizens’ opportunities to participate. They also know how to work with various actors to influence decision-making.

Content

- the concept of structural social work
- the concept of empowering social work
- evaluating the effects of structural and social factors
- sustainable development
- practices and methods of structural social work for Bachelors of Social Services
- seeking and producing information for structural social work

Materials

Pohjola, Laitinen ja Seppänen (toim.) 2014. Rakenteellinen sosiaalityö.
-either of the following ;
- Koistinen, K. ja Tuorila, H. 2008. Millainen olisi hyvä elinympäristö? Asukkaiden näkemyksiä elinympäristöstä, asumisesta ja palveluista eri elämänvaiheissa. Kuluttajatutkimuskeskus Julkaisuja 9.
http://www.ymparisto.fi/download/noname/%7BD54A6626-9B53-462F-9A76-1F0DDF858FC9%7D/101538
or
- Hynynen, R. (toim.) 2015. Palvelualueen ja ikäystävällisen asuinalueen kehittäminen. Ympäristöministeriön raportteja 5.
http://www.ymparisto.fi/download/noname/%7B3EB1D152-BD19-4064-B1DD-F88B7B71E867%7D/107817
- SOS II hanke 2015 Ideakirja sosiaalityön kehittämiseen
- teacher's own material

Teaching methods

contact teaching, including lectures, excercises and essay

Employer connections

the course does not include practice

Completion alternatives

Implementation 1: exam
Implementation 3: self-evaluation and report

Student workload

106 hours

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Students
- have the capacity to define the general features of the concept structural social work and connect it to empowering social work, but their skills and knowledge are limited
- have ability to some extent describe the structural work perspective to their work as Bachelors of Social Services
- have ability to name some factors at general level that influence the social situation of individual citizens and communities from the perspectives of societal structures, processes and sustainable development
- are able to name some ways to gain and produce information about clients’ and client groups’ situation and to give examples of different practices and methods of structural social work
- recognise clients’ possibilities for social engagement and participation and know some ways to influence decision-making

Assessment criteria, good (3)

- have capacity to explain the concept structural social work using the framework of empowering social work
- have ability to analyse factors that influence the situation of individual citizens and communities from the perspectives of societal structures, processes and sustainable development, and understand their dynamic nature
- are able to extensively present various methods of gaining and producing information about clients’ and client groups’ situation, to give examples of various practices in structural social work and to apply them to their professional work as Bachelors of Social Services
-know how to report and promote citizens’ social engagement and participation and how to work with various actors

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

In addition to the criteria listed above, students
- have competence to critically and extensively evaluate the importance of structural social work from the framework of empowering social work
- have competence to relate methods and concepts of structural social work to other social work practices and compare them
- are able to draw conclusions of the meaning of structural social work using all the criteria listed for grade 3-4 and apply them to professional social work in a profound manner

Qualifications

most part of the basic studies of the degree programme

Further information

Students choose between this and the following courses:
- Communication and Media in Social Work
- Community-Oriented Social Work
- Empowering Social Work