PY1104:03
Psychology for Social Welfare Practice
Townsville
HECS Band 1
26 hours lectures, 24 hours tutorials. Semester 2.
Available to level 1 BSW and BCW students.
Staff: Dr B Kennedy.
This subject introduces psychology in the context of related disciplines and professions. Four major areas of psychology are addressed and students guided in their independent examination of a fifth area of their choice. Emphasises analysis and synthesis of information, conceptual thinking, reflective learning and acquisition of sufficient knowledge to provide a basis for understanding. Provides some scope for application of knowledge and understanding to daily and professional life. While primarily targeting community welfare students, the subject is of interest to other students seeking an introduction to the field.
Learning Objectives:
- explain the nature of psychology as both a scientific discipline which studies behaviour in a diversity of fields from varied theoretical perspectives and as a similarly diverse profession which applies this knowledge;
- guide study in (a) the areas of learning, lifespan development and social psychology as exemplars of historically important areas in psychology and (b) in a more recent, applied area (health psychology) by examining the issues of stress and coping;
- facilitate student’s independent study of a topic of their choice via a modified problem-based approach.
Assessment by two written assignments (set topic and independent study). Assignments are weighted by students according to specified parameters.