SWB306 People, Community and Disability


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:SWB306
Credit points:12
Coordinator:Jennie Briese | jennie.briese@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

Social work and human service practitioners must have the relevant professional knowledge and skills to understand the impact of disability experienced by people, families and carers. The experience of disability can universally impact people of any age or culture, at any point during life course transition. This unit provides a platform for developing foundational knowledge and skills to effectively respond to disability issues; you will be able to challenge social and cultural constructions located in local, national and international community contexts. Because of its importance in preparing you for working with people with disabilities, inclusive of their families, carers and communities, this unit is strategically located in your first year.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Describe and apply knowledge of theory, models and concepts of disability and impairment;
  2. Explore and analyse community, national and international perceptions of disability considering issues of culture, diversity, and intersectionality;
  3. Explore the experience of individuals, families and carers living with a disability, their families and carers inclusive of diverse populations such as refugees, asylum seekers, Indigenous Australians and those who identify as LGBTIQA+ and;
  4. Explore and analyse the contemporary disability service context and practice frameworks

Content

This unit provides an introduction to critical disability theory, knowledge and skills key to practice with people, families, carers and communities around disability issues that cross diverse practice settings. The unit has four core areas of focus:

  • Introduction to critical disability theory, and the core concepts and definitions of disability and impairment;
  • Historical overview and current context of disability including, the UNCRPD, Australian legislation and policy;
  • Insights into the lived experience of disability through the accounts of people with disabilities and their families/carers;
  • Social work and human services practice considerations for working with people with disabilities and their families.

 

Relates to learning outcomes

Learning outcomes link to:

AASW Education and Accreditation Standards (2020): 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2
AASW Practice Standards (2013): 1.1, 4.1, 4.4, 5.4
ACWA Core Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.8, 4.2, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7

Learning Approaches

This unit is offered with weekly lecture and tutorial mode. You will engage in symposiums, case study discussions and experiential activities. Learning and teaching will incorporate a discussion of material relevant to practice, multimedia presentations (PowerPoint, video, podcast and online material), and class activities. Participation in symposiums, tutorial workshop case-based discussions and experiential activities are an integral part of learning in this unit.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

The unit has formative and summative assessment pieces. The first piece of assessment has a formative and summative component whereby formative feedback is provided through lecture and tutorial workshop sessions, group discussions and engagement with discussions and experiential activities and individual consultation. The final assessment is summative, and has a formative component whereby feedback on key learnings for foundational knowledge and practice will be offered in lecture and tutorial workshop sessions, on-campus and virtual learning activities and student consultation.

Assessment

Overview

Tutorial workshop activities are designed with an emphasis on planning for the assessment tasks. Each assessment item is designed to measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes. In addition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded to support to examine and develop learners' understanding and skills as professionals in the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, relevant to working within the context inclusively with disability in SWHS. Exposing learners to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being, doing, and knowing in the context of working with people with disability. Embedded academic supports for learning is through unit links to library and SSG to assist with effective communication, assessment development and research relevant to the context of working with disability in SWHS.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Illustrative Essay

You have been employed by a media agency to provide consultation on media representations of people with a disability. As a social work or human services practitioner you will take an interdisciplinary lens to demonstrate how oppression and discrimination may be experienced by people with disabilities in everyday life through sensationalised media.  You will do this by choosing 3 of the media examples provided, and then describe and analyse these events through the concepts of ableism and critical disability theory learnt in the unit. You will explore diverse perspectives, including Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander perspective toward an inclusive society and practice. The product is the illustrative essay that you will provide to the media agency for consideration to improve disability representation in the media.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension. 

Weight: 50
Length: 2000 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 7
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 3

Assessment: Portfolio

You are required to demonstrate knowledge of concepts of disability, the contemporary disability service context and practice frameworks through providing short-answer responses to provided questions. The questions (and short answer responses) will focus on material covered during the semester. This includes materials discussed in lectures and tutorials. 

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 4

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources





Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Mallett, R. & Runswick-Cole, K. (2014) Approaching Disability: Critical Issues and Perspectives. London: Routledge.

Other

The required readings for the unit each week will be available through QUT readings database.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no particular risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

SW04 Bachelor of Social Work

  1. Critique and apply coherent theoretical, practical and contextually relevant social work knowledge, skills and values, and cultivate a commitment toward meeting diverse clients and community needs. [Knowledge, Practice, Values and Disposition]
    Relates to: Illustrative Essay, Portfolio
  2. Access, evaluate, and utilise relevant social work information that informs and assists in intra- and inter-professional communication in a range of contexts, through effective oral, written and digital interactions. [Practice, Knowledge]
    Relates to: Illustrative Essay, Portfolio
  3. Design a plan of action for working within socially progressive, anti-oppressive, culturally safe and ethical practice, that embody an autonomous and collaborative evidence-based orientation to social work, integral to the standards of professional social work practice. [Values and Disposition, Practice]
    Relates to: Illustrative Essay

SW05 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

  1. Critically evaluate theoretical, practical and contextually relevant social work knowledge, skills and values and, as a change facilitator, meet diverse client and community needs that promote social justice
    Relates to: Illustrative Essay, Portfolio
  2. Access, evaluate and utilise social work information to advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity and worth that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations
    Relates to: Illustrative Essay, Portfolio