Course Outline Format - School of Social Work - University of British ...

The University of British Columbia
School of Social Work
Course Outline – SOWK550(001)
School Vision: Building upon a foundation of social justice and an ethic of care, we are
a community of learners actively engaged in the development of critical, transformative
knowledge for social work practice.
Year/Term 2012-2013
Course Title Social Work and Social Justice (3 credits)
Course Schedule Term 1, Wednesdays, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Course Location SOWK224, Jack Bell building for the School of Social Work
Instructor Office Location Office Phone e-mail address
Dr. Stephanie Bryson 604-822-6622 Stephanie.bryson@ubc.ca
Office Hours
By appointment
Teaching Assistant Meaghan Feduck meaghanfeduck@yahoo.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a graduate course designed to help students to locate themselves within the
constructs of human rights and social justice with a view to developing a comprehensive
practice framework consistent with Social Work theory, values, and ethics.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn to locate themselves in a professional and political context.
Students will develop a social justice framework for social work practice.
Students will learn about social justice in historical, theoretical, and practice contexts by
exploring theories of human rights and social development from a variety of
perspectives.
Students will learn about social justice by exploring theories of human rights and social
development within various fields of practice—including health, mental health, social
care, and children and youth services.
Students will learn to examine sociopolitical patterns of power and privilege and the
consequences of accessibility—or lack of accessibility—to structures of socioeconomic
opportunities.
Students will reflect upon ways in which cultural assumptions, beliefs, and value systems
enhance or hinder practice with people of diverse backgrounds. Students will develop
and nurture approaches and perspectives to practicing social work with and across
differences.
Students will build a framework for validating diversity.
Students will develop an understanding about how to influence public policy in ways that
will limit or reverse social inequality.
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
COURSE STRUCTURE:
This course will include a combination of lecture, seminar, and small group meetings. Class
members are expected to attend every class, to complete required readings prior to class, and
to arrive in class prepared to participate. Student participation in class discussions will be
evaluated in part on the alacrity with which comments and reflections are offered. Additionally,
there is an expectation that differing opinions, analyses, and life experiences will be discussed
in a respectful manner. Such an exchange contributes to the learning of all and requires the
development of emotion regulation, a skill very important to the practice of social work at the
master’s level.
Generally, the first half of the class will consist of a presentation by the instructor. Generally, the
second half of class will involve student participation in a large group activity or in small groups
formed on the basis of a student’s field of practice (e.g., health, including mental health; social
care; children and family). At the discretion of the professor, some classes may deviate from this
format.
Evaluative tools are described below.
Course Context and Prerequisites:
This course is a mandatory first course for students in the Advanced year of the M.S.W.
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED READING:
Hankivsky, O. (2004). Social Policy and the Ethic of Care. UBC Press: Vancouver.
Ife, J. (2008). Human Rights and Social Work: Towards Rights-Based Practice. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
In addition, there are a number of journal articles. All of these articles can be found on the
library website in ejournals; otherwise, hyperlinks are provided.
ASSESSMENT, GRADING, EVALUATION:
1. Weekly Reflective Journals (20%): Students will complete, each week, a one-page
reflective journal that demonstrates integration of course material. The purpose of these
journals is to allow students dialogical space in which to: respond affectively, think critically,
and metabolize the main ideas of the course. Creativity is invited, and genuine engagement
with ideas is expected and appreciated. At least seven journal entries should meaningfully
incorporate readings. The first journal entry should respond to Social Work Orientation,
which will be attended by all students in the course.
2. Bi-Weekly Group Discussions (10%): In Week 3, students will form small groups based on
chosen fields of practice. On assigned days, group members will choose an article to
discuss with their respective small group examining a social justice issue within the group’s
chosen field of practice. The course TA will visit groups on a rolling basis and provide
discussion facilitation and support, as needed. The instructor and TA can provide article
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
suggestions. Small groups should be used, in part, to refine early ideas and to prepare for
group presentations and individual papers, discussed below.
3. Group Presentations (20%): Within their groups, students will research and critically
examine the literature and/or current popular debates regarding one timely social justice
topic that raises questions about full inclusion and equality—economic, political, or cultural—
for the social work field. Each group will have half of one class period (1-1/2 hours) to
present their work to the class. Presentations should: 1) describe the issue (e.g., racial
justice; aboriginal rights; rights of people with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric
disabilities; rights of GLBT groups; rights of women, children, the elderly; access to health
care, affordable housing, standards of living, development, etc.); and 2) suggest or enact
one or more approaches to remediate the injustice within an agency setting, policymaking or
legislative body, or other administrative channel. In other words, the presentations should
focus on actionable steps that can be taken to restore justice in the “real” world of social
work practice. Presentations, while on serious topics, can nonetheless be fun, creative, and
use a variety of formats, including but not limited to Power Point/Prezi; panel discussions;
role play; guest speakers; active learning techniques. The point is to engage the class in the
issue and its discussion. Further guidance on group presentations will be provided in class.
Using a matrix, audience class members will comment on the strengths of classmates’
group presentations and provide helpful comments for incorporation into the final paper.
4. Final Papers (50%): Students will submit a paper outlining an aspect of the topic chosen for
the group presentation that particularly interests them. Papers should incorporate
meaningful feedback received from colleagues during the group presentation and/or
refinement of ideas brought about by the presentation itself. Paper limit is 2000 words. Final
papers are due November 28, 2012.
COURSE POLICIES [attendance, participation, academic dishonesty]:
Excerpt from the UBC calendar:
Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars,
etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations.
Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to
classes.
The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre.
The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments,
or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first
week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity
athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should
discuss their commitments with the instructor before the drop date.
It is recommended that students retain a copy of all submitted assignments (in case of loss) and should also retain all
their marked assignments in case they wish to apply for a Review of Assigned Standing. Students have the right to
view their marked examinations with their instructor, providing they apply to do so within a month of receiving their
final grades. This review is for pedagogic purposes. The examination remains the property of the university.
Academic Dishonesty:
Please review the UBC Calendar “Academic regulations” for the university policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other
forms of academic dishonesty. Also visit www.arts.ubc.ca and go to the students’ section for useful information on
avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation.
Students wishing to use any electronic devices including computers and recorders must have
the permission of the instructor and must have the wireless capacity of the device turned off.
All cell phones must be turned off.
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: September 5, 2012
Assignment: Attend mandatory 2-day graduate student orientation to the School’s organizing
theme—Social Justice—September 4 and 5, 2012.
Complete a one-page reflective journal on your experience at orientation and hand in to
instructor the following week.
Week 2: September 12, 2012
Social Justice and Social Work
Required Reading:
Solas, J. (2008). Social work and social justice: What are we fighting for Australian Journal of
Social Work, 61 (2): 124-136.
Ife, J. (2008). Comment on John Solas’ What are We Fighting For Australian Journal of Social
Work, 61 (2): 137-140.
Hugman, R. (2008). Social work values: Equity or equality A response to Solas. Australian
Journal of Social Work, 61 (2): 141-145.
Solas, John. 2008. Is equity just enough for social work A response to those who think it is!
Australian Journal of Social Work, 61(2): 146-149.
Solas, J. (2008). What kind of social justice does social work seek International Social Work,
(51): 813 - 822.
Lundy, C. & van Wormer, K., (2007). Social and economic justice, human rights, and peace:
The challenge for social work in Canada and the USA. International Social Work, 50(6): 727-
739.
Chhachhi, A. & Fraser, N. (2011). Reflections: Nancy Fraser interviewed by Amrita Chhachhi.
Development and Change 42(1): 297–314. Available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-7660.2011.01691.x/pdf
Recommended Reading:
Young, I.M. (1990). Five faces of oppression, Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton,
NJ: Princeton University Press: 39-65. Available at:
http://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/young.pdf
Week 3: September 19, 2012
Ethic of Care vs. Ethic of Justice
Hankivsky: Chapters 1 and 2
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
Week 4: September 26, 2012
Human Rights
Ife: Chapters 1 and 2
Week 5: October 3, 2012
Public and Private Human Rights
Ife: Chapter 3
Hankivsky: Chapter 3
Week 6: October 10, 2012
Culture and Human Rights
Ife: Chapter 4
Croome, R. (2008). The principle of pre-existence, or how the Bible stole my rights, again.
Alternative Law Journal, 32(2): 64-66.
Peake, L. & Ray, B. (2001). Racializing the Canadian landscape: Whiteness, uneven
geographies, and social justice. Canadian Geographer, 45 (1): 180-186.
Skegg, A-M (2005). Human rights and social work: A western imposition or empowerment to the
people International Social Work, 48(5): 667-672.
Week 7: October 17, 2012
Human Rights and Human Needs
Ife: Chapter 5
Pogge, T. (2005) Severe Poverty as a Violation of Negative Duties, Ethics and International
Affairs 19 (1): 55-84.
Hulchanski, J.D. (2000). People without housing: Homelessness is a human rights violation.
Speaking About Rights (Canadian Human Rights Foundation Quarterly Newsletter): 16-17.
Tang, S. & Browne, A. (2008): ‘Race’ matters: racialization and egalitarian discourses involving
Aboriginal people in the Canadian health care context. Ethnicity & Health, 13(2): 109-127.
Week 8: October 24, 2012
Human Rights and Obligations
Ife: Chapter 6
Hankivsky: Chapters 4 & 5
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
Panagos, D. (2007). The plurality of meanings shouldered by the term “Aboriginality”: An
analysis of the Delgamuukw Case. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 40 (3): 591-613.
Week 9: October 31, 2012
Ethics and Human Rights
Ife: Chapters 7, 8, 9
Hankivsky: Chapters 5 & 6
Week 10: November 7, 2012
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Week 11: November 14, 2012
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Week 12: November 21, 2012
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Week 13: November 28, 2012—FINAL PAPERS DUE
Wrap Up: Achieving Social Justice through Social Work Practice
Ife: Chapters 10, 11, 12
O’Brien, M. (2010). Social justice: Alive and well (partly) in social work practice International
Social Work, 54 (2): 174-190.
Chu, W. C. K. Tsui, M-S and Yan, M.C. (2009). Social work as a moral and political practice.
International Social Work, 52(3): 287–298
George, P., Coleman, B., Barnoff, L. (2007). Beyond “providing services:” Voices of service
users on structural social work practice in community-based social service agencies. Canadian
Social Work Review, 24 (1): 5-22.
Ferguson, I. & Lavalette, M. (2007). Dreaming a great dream: Prospects for a new, radical
social work. Canadian Social Work Review, 24(1): 55-68.
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SOWK550 (001) – 2012-2013
ASSIGNMENTS
Submitting Assignments-
Students can use the drop box located by office 116 to submit their assignments or any correspondence to faculty,
sessionals or staff. Items will be date-stamped and distributed to the appropriate mailbox throughout the day.
Return of marked student assignments-
Instructors coordinate the return of marked assignments. The options are as follows: a) the instructor returns the
paper to students in class; b) if the paper has been submitted electronically, the instructor will mark it on-line (with
track changes) and return to the student on-line; c) the instructor returns the paper to the student by snail mail (the
student provides a self-stamped, addressed envelope to the instructor). Marked papers not returned by any of the
options above will be held by the instructor. Marked papers will no longer be put in a box outside the instructor’s
office or at the main office counter.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Letter
Grade
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
Percent
Range
90-100
85-89
80-84
76-79
72-75
68-71
64-67
60-63
55-59
Mid-
Point
95
87
82
77.5
83.5
69.5
65.5
62.5
57
Represents work of exceptional quality. Content, organization and style are all
at a high level. Student demonstrates excellent research and reference to
literature where appropriate. Also, student uses sound critical thinking, has
innovative ideas on the subject and shows personal engagement with the topic.
Represents work of good quality with no major weaknesses. Writing is clear and
explicit and topic coverage and comprehension is more than adequate. Shows
some degree of critical thinking and personal involvement in the work. Good use
of existing knowledge on the subject.
Adequate and average work. Shows fair comprehension of the subject, but has
some weaknesses in content, style and/or organization of the paper. Minimal
critical awareness or personal involvement in the work. Adequate use of
literature.
D 50-54 52 Minimally adequate work, barely at a passing level. Serious flaws in content,
organization and/or style. Poor comprehension of the subject, and minimal
involvement in the paper. Poor use of research and existing literature.
F 0-49 Failing work. Inadequate for successful completion of the course or submitted
beyond final date of acceptance for paper.
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