This course is designed to enhance students’ critical understanding and awareness of the intricate interplay between power dynamics, social structures and social processes that shape the lives of people and communities in our world. It provides an exploration of fundamental principles, theories, and practices that underpin the field of social work, with a particular focus on fostering social justice, embracing diversity, and addressing oppression. Emphasizing ethico-political considerations and practices, the course equips students with the tools to navigate the complexities of social work, promoting inclusivity and empowering them to advocate for positive change in diverse and marginalized communities and people. Through this lens, students will use theory and research knowledge to engage with critique in challenging preconceived ideas and assumptions related to historical and contemporary forms of oppression, and in informing social work practice for change.
Learning is organised around practice themes, such as: social justice, human rights, anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work, strengths- and asset-based approaches in working with individual and communities, radical and critical social work, decolonisation of social work, LGBTQ+ social work, etc. There is a specific focus on the development of the profession in response to the evolution of social justice and human rights thinking and the complex relationships the vocation entails between social control, social change, advocacy and the promotion of wellbeing across diverse populations.