Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Rights, Recognition and Social Justice

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

HWSS2208

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024,
Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Dr Patrick O'Keeffe

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 9468

Course Coordinator Email: patrick.okeeffe@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8, Floor 10

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study

You should have successfully completed passed the following first year courses before you commence this course:

    • HWSS2049 Critical Social Work 
    • HWSS2111 Casework, Counselling  and Advocacy
    • HWSS 2209 Ethical, legal and organisational contexts of social work practice
    • HWSS 2213 Group and Community Work Strategies
    • HWSS2206 Field Education 1
    • HWSS2211 Discourses of Care, Control and Protection
    • HUSO2079 Research Strategies 

Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.  


Course Description

This course takes as a starting point the contested concepts of culture, race, ethnicity, difference and diversity and considers the ways in which they are deployed in social work practice. It explores the key issues and debates surrounding questions of cultural difference and recognition in relation to contemporary Australian society and the ways in which social work has resisted or accommodated difference in practice.

Drawing on key concepts such as colonisation and coloniality, sovereignty and self-determination, equity and equality, the course critically examines the context for the achievement of recognition, the exercise of rights and the professional ambition to contribute to social justice. It examines the principles of culturally responsive practice, cross-cultural practice, human rights promotion within statutory contexts and decolonising methodologies of practice.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes  

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:   

  • Apply specialist social work knowledge and skills to understanding and responding to contemporary social disadvantage, oppression and marginalisation, recognising the fundamentally political nature of social suffering 
  • Critically analyse theories informing social work practice and the contemporary policy context to develop an evidence base for ethical professional practice 
  • Theorise and develop interventions that address the social structural and political levels through which poverty and inequality are generated and critically assess policies and programs developed to address disadvantage 
  • Engage in practice which acknowledges the fundamentally multicultural nature of contemporary societies and acknowledges the unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, seeking to promote the rights of these groups 


Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:  

  1. Critically evaluate competing constructions of cultural difference and diversity in social work theory and practice
  2. Differentiate between competing notions of social justice and evaluate their application in practice
  3. Understand the limitations on the exercise of rights and be able to identify strategies to promote rights and recognition of individuals, groups and communities.
  4. Consider the implications and applications of rights based anti-oppressive practice for a range of vulnerable populations 


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be engaged in learning that involves a range of activities both face to face and online such as lectures, tutorials, group and class discussion, group activities and individual research. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including book chapters, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.

Assessment Tasks:
Assessment 1: Facilitating group discussion, 1200 words, 30%, CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4 
Assessment 2: Argumentative Essay, 1500 words, 40%, CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4
Assessment 3: Reflection on listening, 1200 words, 30%, CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more