Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilTeaching organisation
A variety of learning and teaching strategies for this unit will include lectures, self-directed learning and Canvas online activities.->A variety of learning and teaching strategies for this unit will include lectures, self-directed learning and Canvas online activities.
Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit will focus on the core social work objectives of working to achieve human rights and social justice. These concepts will be explored with particular attention to social workers working within a human rights and social justice framework with a range of communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other groups experiencing disadvantage. The unit will explore definitions of social justice as well as the principles of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights which the social work profession subscribes to, with particular reference to how the Declaration relates to the IFSW and AASW Codes of Ethics. Particular emphasis will be given to presenting human rights as an area of knowledge, values and responsibility leading to advocacy and action. The unit aims to provide students with the core knowledge, understanding and skills for practice as human rights and social justice professionals.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Identify the socially constructed nature of social justice | GC2 |
| LO2 | Explain the concept and history of human rights and its definitions as presented in a range of formal statutes, such as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights | GC1, GC11 |
| LO3 | Explain the role of privilege, discrimination and oppression with respect to social justice issues | GC2, GC7 |
| LO4 | Identify the values, knowledge, and skills that social workers need to be human rights and social justice professionals | GC1, GC9 |
| LO5 | Discuss social work skills for social justice-oriented advocacy and social action | GC2, GC8 |
AASW Practice Standards
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
1.Values and Ethics |
2.Professionalism |
3.Culturally responsive and inclusive practice |
4.Knowledge for practice |
5.Applying knowledge to practice |
6.Communication and Interpersonal skills |
7.Information recording and sharing |
ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
1.2 Manage ethical dilemmas and issues arising in practice 3.1 Work inclusively and respectfully with cultural difference and diversity 4.1 Understand higher level systemic influences on people with respect to area of practice 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice
| 1 |
3.2 Respect and strive to understand and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures
| 2 |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics 2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 3.1 Work inclusively and respectfully with cultural difference and diversity 3.2 Respect and strive to understand and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures 4.2 Understand and articulate social work and other relevant theories and concepts
| 3 |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics 1.2 Manage ethical dilemmas and issues arising in practice 2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 2.2 Behave in a professional manner and be accountable for all actions and decisions 4.2 Understand and articulate social work and other relevant theories and concepts 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice 5.1 Assess and analyse needs to inform practice 5.3 Use a range of social work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice 6.1 Communicate with a diverse range of people | 4 |
2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 2.2 Behave in a professional manner and be accountable for all actions and decisions 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice 5.2 Work collaboratively 5.3 Use a range of social work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice 6.1 Communicate with a diverse range of people 6.3 Work with others in a team environment 6.4 Use information technology to communicate and provide services 7.1 Record and manage information appropriately | 5 |
Content
Topics will include:
Human Rights and Social Justice
- Epistemology and philosophy of human rights
- Theoretical perspectives
- human rights
- social, economic and environmental justice
- prejudice, discrimination and oppression
- power and privilege
- Type of human rights
- economic
- social
- cultural
- Environmental
- Current human rights and social justice issues
- Social justice allyship
Emergence of Human Rights Conventions and Treaties
- Overview of UN Convention in the wake of the atrocities of WW2
- Context prior to the history of human rights treaties
- Social, cultural and economic catalysts
- Subsequent development of the various human rights treaties, conventions and declarations
Rights of Different Groups, such as:
- Rights of women
- Rights of LGBTIQ peoples
- Rights of refugees and asylum seekers
- Rights of people with disabilities
- Rights of children
- Rights of First Nations peoples
- Rights of patients and clients (mental health and physical health)
Skills and Strategies used by Social Workers
- Campaigns for human rights and social justice, including internet-based campaigns
- Advocacy
- Social activism
- Social action
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. It includes a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Early and additional feedback on learning, and tailored support, are provided to facilitate students’ transition to university.
Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in class discussions. Students learn to navigate Canvas and online delivery of assignments such as the Quiz.
Social work is a profession grounded in the application of knowledge of human behavior and society. Students need to work collectively, develop self –efficacy and demonstrate effective communication and inter-personal skills. These skills will enable them to meet the professional requirements outlined in the Australian Association of Social Workers Education Standards.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The first assessment aims to assess students’ ability to identify a contemporary social justice issue and develop a persuasive argument to bring key stakeholders’ attention to this issue (LO5). It also allows the students the opportunity to demonstrate their growing knowledge of the human rights framework and apply it to their topic (LO2). The second assessment is a critical self-reflection and professional development task which requires students to think about their own prejudices and biases in relation to certain communities or groups (LO1, LO3), and asks them to develop a professional development plan to address these self-identified biases (LO4). This assessment task is based on the idea of self as a tool of social work practice and social workers as catalysts of social justice-oriented change. The final assessment task is a group assignment intended to develop students’ knowledge and skills in the area of social justice advocacy (LO1, LO4, LO5).
All three assessment tasks are designed to be authentic learning assignments and build on reflexive approaches that are elemental to social work practice.
Intensive and multi-mode assessment of this unit will be transparently equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the relevant Course Implementation Committee
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Written assignment Enables students to write a persuasive short paper to bring attention to a contemporary social justice issue and connect it to the international human rights framework. | 20% | LO2, LO4, LO5 |
Critical Self-Reflection and Growth Assignment Students will write a paper identifying and examining their biases and stereotypes about a marginalised community and develop a professional development plan to meaningfully address these biases or stereotypes. | 40% | LO1, LO3, LO4 |
Group assignment – Part A Students work in small groups to identify a social justice issue of contemporary relevance and design a social advocacy campaign on it. Student groups will present their work in class and these presentations will be assessed in class. | 30% | LO1, LO4, LO5 |
Group Assignment – Part B (Individual Reflection) Enables students to reflect on the group exercise and their contribution to their group. | 10% | LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Baines, D., Bennett, B., Goodwin, S., & Rawsthorne, M. (2019). Working across difference: Social work, social policy and social justice. Red Globe Press.
Bennett, B., & Green, S. (2019). Our voices: Aboriginal social work (2nd ed.). Red Globe Press.
Dominelli, L., (2010). Social work in a globalising world. Polity Press.
Finn, J. L. (2016). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Gil, D. S. (2013). Confronting injustice and oppression: concepts and strategies for social workers. Columbia University Press.
Ife, J. (2012). Human Rights and Social Work: Towards rights-based practice (3rd ed). Cambridge University Press.
Lundy, C. (2011). Social work, social justice & human rights: a structural approach to practice (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press.
Mapp, S. C. (2014). Human rights and social justice in a global perspective (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Pease, B., Goldingay, S., Hosken, N., & Nipperess, S. (2016). Doing critical social work: Transformative practices for social justice. Allen & Unwin.
Reichert, E. (2011). Social work and human rights: a foundation for policy and practice (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press.
van Wormer, K., Kaplan, L., & Juby, C. (2012). Confronting oppression, restoring justice: From policy analysis to social action. CSWE Press.