James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2001

WS3011:03

Politics of Community Work

Townsville, Cairns

Prerequisites: WS1001 WS1003 or permission of HoS
Inadmissable Subject Combination: WS4502

13 lectures, 26 tutorials or the equivalent in mixed mode on-campus delivery. First semester and flexible delivery. Also offered at Mackay campus.

Staff: Ms R Bone (Townsville campus); Ms R Lynn (Cairns campus).

This subject focuses on the politics of community work and community work as a political activity.

The subject explores the social and political context of practice; the nature of contemporary social policy formulation and the forces that influence and shape its development; and community and social policy practice skills.

Learning Objectives:

  1. have a broad understanding of the range of political structures, issues and ideological imperatives impacting upon community based practice;
  2. have a good understanding of the political ideologies underlying social policy and various models of welfare provision;
  3. be familiar with a number of competing models of social policy;
  4. have an understanding from various sociological insights into the way social problems become selected as targets for social policy and or community work intervention;
  5. be familiar with a range of key concepts, values, principles and choices employed in the study and analysis of social needs and social policy;
  6. be able to undertake a straightforward social policy analysis;
  7. be able to articulate a range of policy practice skills to intervene in the policy process.

Assessment by written assignments (100%).