SOS2130 Work, health and housing Course description

In this course, the students will acquire knowledge of how work, health and health problems, and living situation impact people’s quality of life. Work is a central arena for preventing social problems and promoting inclusion and participation in society. Paid work helps people support themselves, which gives them extended rights and access to important benefits from the welfare state. Characteristics of the labour market and challenges at the individual level such as substance abuse, mental and somatic illness, functional impairments and language barriers can impact the opportunities available in the labour market. Lack of housing and education is a risk factor. This is part of the social worker’s knowledge of working life, where holistic follow-up may be necessary to both find and keep a job. The course focuses on how social workers can work with people in vulnerable life situations, including helping people with work inclusion.

Students must have completed and passed the first year of the Bachelor’s Programme in Social Work.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge  

The student:  

• has broad knowledge of the importance of work in relation to people’s health and welfare  
• has knowledge of the factors that regulate Norwegian working life  
• has knowledge of the consequences of health-related and social challenges, including living conditions, substance abuse and mental health at the individual level  
• has knowledge of inclusion work involving marginalised groups in the labour and housing markets  
• is familiar with exclusion and inclusion mechanisms in the labour and housing markets  

Skills  

The student:  

• can apply professional knowledge and methods in their work on inclusion in the labour and housing markets  
• can make overall assessments of individual living situations  
• can assess various inclusion and qualification measures in the labour and housing markets  
• can cooperate with job seekers on mapping their work-related challenges and possibilities  

General competence  

The student:  

• has knowledge of work as an objective and means in inclusion work and the combating of poverty  
• has knowledge of the preconditions for access to the housing and labour markets  
• can critically reflect on their own role in inclusion work  
• is familiar with the main characteristics and concepts of labour law  

Teaching methods vary between lectures and student-active learning methods. The students will work on cases and practise methodically in groups.

No coursework requirements/compulsory activities.

An individual written home exam, 48 hours. The answer paper should be10 pages long (+/- 10%) . Font and font size: Calibri 12-point. Line spacing 1.5. The approved citation style APA 7 for assignments must be complied with. Candidates who fail or who were absent from the ordinary exam for a valid reason can take a resit/rescheduled exam.

All aids are permitted as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner. At least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers.

Blanka Støren-Vaczy og Håvard Aaslund