SFV4400 Social Sustainability, social work and Human Rights Course description

The course provides a deeper insight into the normative aspects of the social work profession and welfare state services. The course will in particular focus on the human rights perspective and the rights of the child. Empirical challenges pertaining to social work practice that have a complex normative character, will be discussed throughout the course. Examples are unemployment, income, gender, social exclusion, detrimental care of children and migration. 

None.

A student who has completed his or her qualification has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has extensive knowledge of

• how the principles of human rights are historically rooted in the development of social work and social welfare and human rights from a legal perspective
• the impact of human rights on working environments within social welfare services
• the issues and ethical dilemmas related to human rights, children's rights and issues of social justice
• the safeguarding of children's rights across public administration, and especially child protection services
• children rights in the asylum system: concerns of immigration control and the child´s best interest

Skills

The student can

• analyse the duties of the state in relation to those who apply for economic benefits, and the requirements of applicants when seeking assistance
• analyse children's rights on the basis of the relationship between children, state and family
• analyse how the Social Service Act and Child Protection Act secures the needs of children as a matter of right 
• assess human rights in relation to other normative and constitutional constraints in society
• discuss implications of how human rights principles are practised in different countries

General competence

The student can

• discuss and critically evaluate normative perspectives in social work research

The course is organised into a series of lectures and seminars. Students are expected to play an active role. Lectures are given by the course lecturers. Students will also be required to present papers, and discuss course themes during lectures and seminars.

Students shall submit a group work requirement of 3-5 pages, written individually or in groups of 2-3 students. The topic of the work requirement should reflect the main areas of the course curriculum and lectures.

The work requirement has two parts: 1) The written paper 2) 10 minutes oral presentation that will be discussed in class. 

Students who have legitimate reasons for being absent will be given another chance to give the oral presentation.  

Both parts of the requirement must be approved. Students who do not receive approval will be given another chance to resubmit their paper. Students who do not complete or do not receive approval for the work requirement will be disqualified from submitting the home examination.

The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of a seven-day written home exam on a topic given by the course lecturers. The length of one's answers is 11 pages (+/-10%).

Norwegian speaking students can choose to write their work requirement and written home examination in Norwegian.

All referenced material is allowed.

The exam is graded by an internal and an external examiner.

A random selection consisting of at least 25% of the exam papers will be graded by both an internal and external examiner. This will inform the grading of the remaining exam papers.

Asgeir Falch-Eriksen