| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Contemporary Social Work Theories and Practice |
| Unit ID: | MSWPG7201 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 090501 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Students of this unit will be introduced to the social implications of violence, abuse and oppression as social processes at the individual, interpersonal, organisational, institutional and state-level. Students will examine concepts and understandings of violence, abuse and oppression in various contexts, including family violence, disability and mental health. Students will demonstrate an understanding of group-based experiences of violence, including social work’s role in inter-generational trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Communities. Using a complex case-study, students will apply theoretical perspectives of violence and abuse to critically examine and explore the causes of violence and implications of practice approaches across various settings at the individual, group and community level. Students will critically analyse dominant practice frameworks, such as trauma-informed and/or influenced approaches in varied social work contexts, such as child protection, family violence and mental health. Students will explore social responses and individual and community resistance to violence and abuse and oppression. Using a power and oppression lens, students will further examine how structural factors, such as class, social-economic status, gender, race and ethnicity impact individual and community experiences of, and responses to, violence, abuse and oppression. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | |  | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Distinguish between various concepts and understandings of violence, oppression and abuse across different social work contexts. |
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| K2. | Identify types of violence at the state, institutional, organisational and interpersonal level and implications for individuals, groups and communities. |
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| K3. | Examine group-based experiences of violence, including social work’s role in intergenerational trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. |
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| K4. | Critically evaluate theoretical perspectives of violence, abuse and oppression and practice frameworks, including trauma-informed and influenced approaches. |
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| K5. | Critically analyse legislative and policy responses to violence and abuse and their application in the context of the Australian Association of Social Work Code of Ethics. |
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| K6. | Contribute to ongoing development of a practice framework that takes into account social work values of social justice and human rights. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Identify and apply different conceptualisations of violence, abuse and oppression across a range of social work contexts, including family violence and mental health. |
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| S2. | Integrate knowledge about violence, abuse and oppression experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, including social work’s role in intergenerational trauma, with practice approaches. |
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| S3. | Consider and apply appropriate theoretical/practice frameworks to assess cases involving violence, abuse and oppression in a variety of contexts, including family violence and mental health. |
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| S4. | Critically analyse practice approaches and develop practice interventions that incorporate social work values of social justice and human rights. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Ability to distinguish between different definitions, conceptualisations and types of violence, abuse and oppression and apply these to a range of social work contexts. |
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| A2. | Ability to select and explain and critically analyse appropriate theoretical /practice frameworks and apply them to simulated settings. |
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| A3. | Ability to apply social work values and ethics, culturally-responsive and evidence-based practice to case-studies involving violence, abuse and oppression. |
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| A4. | Ability to assess a case involving violence, abuse and oppression and plan appropriate social work interventions. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: - Introducing Violence, Abuse and Trauma
- Introducing definitions and understandings of violence, abuse and oppression
- Conceptualisations of various forms of violence, which includes: Family violence, Disability and Mental health; Types of violence state sponsored, institutional, organisational and interpersonal; Group based experiences of violence, including community, cross-cultural and First Nations people and communities.
- Theoretical Perspectives on Violence, Abuse and Trauma such as: Structural Theory; Feminist Theory; Gender in violence literature in the context of cisgender heterosexual women and men; Poverty and inequality; Race and ethnicity in the context of family violence; LGBTIQ+ Family Violence.
- Theories of Interpersonal Violence and Social Action Psycho-social perspectives.
- Trauma Theory and theoretical origins.
- Indigenous perspectives and Social Works role in intergenerational trauma.
- Trauma-informed practice and its influence on social work practice.
- Evaluating evidence for practice intervention.
- A focus on the Social Work Practitioner through use of a complex case study, which includes presenting issues around family violence and mental health in a group-based context. Case-study activities will involve critically analysing the legislative, policy and practice frameworks contextualising responses to violence, abuse and oppression; and exploration of the implications for social work practice by analysing organisational and professional procedures and ethical dilemmas in the context of the AASW Code of Ethics.
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1,K2,K3,K4,K6,S1,S2,S3,S4,A1,A2 |
Critically reflect upon key knowledge from unit materials and activities at regular intervals.
| Learning Portfolio | 50% | | 2. | K1,K2,K3,K4,K5,K6,S1,S2,S3,S4,A1,A2,A3,A4 |
Critique the approach taken in a case study involving violence, abuse and oppression, and develop an eclectic social work intervention.
| Report | 50% |
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