SFV4400 Social sustainability, social work and Human Rights Course description

The course provides a deeper insight into how international human rights can become an intrinsic part of the social work profession, social work policy, and social work practice. The course problematizes nation-states' obligations to human rights, and what it entails from the point of view of a minimalist state to a comprehensive welfare state. The nordic welfare states will provide a necessary backdrop as each of these nation-states have committed themselves to abide by and enforce human rights. The course will, in particular, focus on children in risk, migration, and social exclusion/poverty. Empirical challenges facing social work practices will be discussed throughout the course.

Language of instruction is English.

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
• how human rights shape how decision-making is conducted through social work discretion
• the issues and ethical dilemmas and trust in social work practices based in human rights
• the safeguarding of children's rights across public administration, and especially child protection services
• children rights to protection from harmful care

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 rights-based practices in social work can be designed, with examples from child protection services and poverty
• assess human rights in relation to other normative and constitutional constraints in democratic rule of law
• discuss implications of how human rights principles are practiced in different countries

General competence

The student can

• discuss and critically evaluate social work practices and human rights perspectives in social work research and policy development

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

Compulsory activities must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam.

A student shall submit a work requirement of 2-3 pages, calibri 12 pt., paragraph 1.5, written individually. The work requirement will be a case/vignette that will be analysed with the basic concepts of the course, and which will be taught during the first week of lectures. The text must reflect the main topic fields within the curriculum.

The coursework requirement must be approved. Students who do not receive approval will be given another chance to resubmit their paper once. Students who do not complete or do not receive approval for the coursework requirement will be disqualified from sitting the exam.

The students shall acquire in-depth knowledge of important instrumental analysis methods, sampling and sample preparation in analytical chemistry. The students shall also receive training in principles for method development and method validation, quality control and quality assurance in a chemical laboratory.

Approved laboratory course in KJTS2100 Chemical Engineering, KJM2300 Analytical Chemistry I and KJM2400 Biochemistry and Microbiology, or corresponding qualifications.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student is capable of explaining:

• theoretical and practical principles for the use of chromatographic techniques, with the emphasis on gas chromatography and liquid chromatography
• the theory and functioning of mass spectrometry, basic interpretation of mass spectra
• general sampling principles and practical techniques for sampling gas, liquid and solids
• important sample preparation techniques for chromatographic analysis, including extraction, preparative chromatography and concentration techniques
• principles for method development, optimization and method validation for chromatography
• principles for quality control and quality assurance in a chemical laboratory
• the importance of planning and preparing laboratory work.
• data processing and analysis of large data sets in analytical chemistry

Skills

The student is capable of:

• performing quantitative analyses in accordance with standardized operating procedures
• calibrating and adjusting common measurement instruments
• choosing the appropriate laboratory equipment and using it correctly
• making their own assessment in the choice of sample preparation and analysis techniques
• preparing calibration standards and generating calibration curves that meet the necessary quality requirements
• reading scientific articles and searching in journal databases to find relevant literature in connection with method development and implementation
• using statistical methods and relevant software for data extraction, data analysis and interpretation and quality assurance in analytical chemistry
• determining the identity of unknown analytes based on chromatographic and mass spectrometry analyses

General competence

The student:

• has insight into the application and limitations of common chromatographic and mass spectrometry analysis techniques
• has insight into requirements for good laboratory practice
• has knowledge of the principles for developing new analysis methods, including sampling, sample preparation, qualitative and quantitative analysis
• has knowledge of how accuracy and precision in measurement results are affected by sources of error and uncertainty in instrumentation, procedures and work techniques
• has a background for understanding developments and future perspectives in the field
• is capable of communicating their own results orally and in writing

The teaching is organised as lectures, exercises and laboratory instruction.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can sit the exam:

• 6-day compulsory laboratory course with 2 written assignments (groups of 2-4 students, 10-20 pages per assignment)
• 1-day compulsory workshop in bioanalytical metods (4 h laboratory work, groups of 10-15 students, no written assignments).
• Some exercise sessions related to the laboratory course will be compulsory. These sessions will be announced separately
• Before a laboratory exercise starts, a tutorial must be completed where the students groups submit a written plan on how to carry out the exercise.
• A written collaboration assignment in the form of a case study (groups of 2-4 students). Oral presentation of the solution to the case assignment (6-8 hours).