SWB110 Understanding Families and Relationships
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | SWB110 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | The Commonwealth supported place student contribution amount for this unit depends upon the course of study. Find out more |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,204 |
| International unit fee | $4,572 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | SWB110 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Coordinator: | Alyssa Venning | alyssa.venning@qut.edu.au |
Overview
For effective practice, social workers and human services practitioners need a deep, critically informed understanding of the nature and importance of relationships for human well-being, identity and social justice. The immediate social worlds of individuals and families are complex, dynamic and heavily influenced by their socio-political context. Professional practitioners require an appreciation of this aspect, as well as the impact of diversity and difference. Through understanding these complexities social work and human service practitioners can shape their practice to better respond to the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. This unit provides introductory knowledge for professional practice and is located in first year as a foundation for subsequent critical theory and practice.
NB: Bachelor of Human Services (SW03) or Social Work (SW04) students must enrol in the on-campus, internal version of this unit to meet accreditation requirements.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Identify aspects of the varied and dynamic character of people's family and social roles and relationships and how these are influenced by their socio-political context
- Critically analyse the role of family and other social relationships and connections in fostering and maintaining human wellbeing and identity within a complex socio-political context
- Apply key concepts and theories regarding the diversity of family life
- Critically analyse and communicate as a group the variety of factors that can lead to relational tensions and connect to broader structural issues
- Identify collaboratively as a group and communicate how community and social services can support relationships that foster social justice, wellbeing and human rights
Content
This unit includes content on:
- The socio-political context and its influence on relationships
- Theories and perspectives that help understand families in their social and structural context
- Family diversity, transitions and power relations
- Interpersonal and structural dimensions of Identity, gender and sexuality
- Families, attachment and patterns of interaction
- Social roles, care, connections and networks
- Tensions and conflicts in social relationships and resultant impacts
- Domestic and family violence
- Social work and human service roles in supporting relationships from socially just perspectives, including responding to socio-political and relational tensions
Relates to learning outcomes
Learning outcomes link to:
AASW Education and Accreditation Standards (2020): 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3, 4.4, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2
AASW Practice Standards (2013): 1.1, 4.2, 6.2
ACWA Core Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 2.2, 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 5.5
Learning Approaches
This unit will be taught via a weekly lecture and tutorial. A range of lecture materials including video material, and other resources located on Canvas will be provided. The tutorials will assist you to ground your understanding of key concepts and theories through case scenarios, discussions, role plays, and audio-visual materials.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will gain self and academic feedback on all of the assessment pieces in lectures and tutorials. You will also receive written feedback from the teaching staff on your second assessment, which will prepare you for your final assessment.
Assessment
Overview
Each assessment item is designed to assess your application of the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes. The unit consists of two assessment items, the first being a case study that critiques family interaction and constructions in society. The second assessment is a group policy and practice report and presentation designed to respond to an area of family practice and in the form of an organisation proposal. There are group and individual components with Assessment 2 (See breakdown in Assessment Tasks. The assessments build upon your learning over the semester to enable you to meet the unit aims and learning outcomes.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Case Study Response
Choose a family from the case examples provided on LMS Canvas and provide a written critique about the varied and dynamic family and social roles within that family. You will need to analyse the role of family in society as well as other social relationships that are evident in the family. These will need to link to the concepts of wellbeing and identity for each of the family members. You will need to identify the socio-political complexities relevant to that family, through the application of key concepts and theories about families and family life.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Policy, Practice Report and Organisation Proposal
Part A: Policy and Practice Review Report (30%) (Group)
In Part A, form into small groups and assume the role of a social worker or human service worker and construct a practice and policy review of an area of family practice in the form of a professional report. Areas of family practice will be provided during the lectures and detailed instructions will be available on LMS Canvas. This report will be formatted into a report style document for submission to a hypothetical agency for an upcoming staff meeting.
Part B: Building an Organisation (20%) (Group)
For Part B, this section will include a detailed presentation of an organisation that you will develop that fills a gap in practice with families. It will build on the same topic as the policy and practice review (Part A). Your vision will need to be expressed as an innovative organisation that demonstrates sound design and implementation of social work and human services family practices. Your organisation should identify how community and social services foster social justice, wellbeing and human rights for families.
Part C: Q & A (10%) (Individual)
Part C involves each member of the group responding to a Q & A at the end of the presentation. Your group members will each respond to Questions posed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Dempsey, D. & Lindsay, J. (2014). Families, relationships and intimate life (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Other
Resource materials will be placed on Canvas and a comprehensive reading list will be provided.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no unusual risk management issues associated with this unit. However, given the focus on subject matter with which all students have had experience, students should be aware of any personal discomfort they experience and discuss this with unit staff or appropriate QUT sources of support. Students are encouraged to refer any concerns to the Unit Coordinator.
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Online
| Unit code: | SWB110 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
Overview
For effective practice, social workers and human services practitioners need a deep, critically informed understanding of the nature and importance of relationships for human well-being, identity and social justice. The immediate social worlds of individuals and families are complex, dynamic and heavily influenced by their socio-political context. Professional practitioners require an appreciation of this aspect, as well as the impact of diversity and difference. Through understanding these complexities social work and human service practitioners can shape their practice to better respond to the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities. This unit provides introductory knowledge for professional practice and is located in first year as a foundation for subsequent critical theory and practice.
NB: Bachelor of Human Services (SW03) or Social Work (SW04) students must enrol in the on-campus, internal version of this unit to meet accreditation requirements.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Identify aspects of the varied and dynamic character of people's family and social roles and relationships and how these are influenced by their socio-political context
- Critically analyse the role of family and other social relationships and connections in fostering and maintaining human wellbeing and identity within a complex socio-political context
- Apply key concepts and theories regarding the diversity of family life
- Critically analyse and communicate as a group the variety of factors that can lead to relational tensions and connect to broader structural issues
- Identify collaboratively as a group and communicate how community and social services can support relationships that foster social justice, wellbeing and human rights
Content
This unit includes content on:
- The socio-political context and its influence on relationships
- Theories and perspectives that help understand families in their social and structural context
- Family diversity, transitions and power relations
- Interpersonal and structural dimensions of Identity, gender and sexuality
- Families, attachment and patterns of interaction
- Social roles, care, connections and networks
- Tensions and conflicts in social relationships and resultant impacts
- Domestic and family violence
- Social work and human service roles in supporting relationships from socially just perspectives, including responding to socio-political and relational tensions
Relates to learning outcomes
Learning outcomes link to:
AASW Education and Accreditation Standards (2020): 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3, 4.4, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2
AASW Practice Standards (2013): 1.1, 4.2, 6.2
ACWA Core Competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 2.2, 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 5.5
Learning Approaches
This unit will be taught via a weekly lecture and tutorial. A range of lecture materials including video material, and other resources located on Canvas will be provided. The tutorials will assist you to ground your understanding of key concepts and theories through case scenarios, discussions, role plays, and audio-visual materials.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will gain self and academic feedback on all of the assessment pieces in lectures and tutorials. You will also receive written feedback from the teaching staff on your second assessment, which will prepare you for your final assessment.
Assessment
Overview
Each assessment item is designed to assess your application of the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes. The unit consists of two assessment items, the first being a case study that critiques family interaction and constructions in society. The second assessment is a group policy and practice report and presentation designed to respond to an area of family practice and in the form of an organisation proposal. There are group and individual components with Assessment 2 (See breakdown in Assessment Tasks. The assessments build upon your learning over the semester to enable you to meet the unit aims and learning outcomes.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Case Study Response
Choose a family from the case examples provided on LMS Canvas and provide a written critique about the varied and dynamic family and social roles within that family. You will need to analyse the role of family in society as well as other social relationships that are evident in the family. These will need to link to the concepts of wellbeing and identity for each of the family members. You will need to identify the socio-political complexities relevant to that family, through the application of key concepts and theories about families and family life.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Policy, Practice Report and Organisation Proposal
Part A: Policy and Practice Review Report (30%) (Group)
In Part A, form into small groups and assume the role of a social worker or human service worker and construct a practice and policy review of an area of family practice in the form of a professional report. Areas of family practice will be provided during the lectures and detailed instructions will be available on LMS Canvas. This report will be formatted into a report style document for submission to a hypothetical agency for an upcoming staff meeting.
Part B: Building an Organisation (20%) (Group)
For Part B, this section will include a detailed presentation of an organisation that you will develop that fills a gap in practice with families. It will build on the same topic as the policy and practice review (Part A). Your vision will need to be expressed as an innovative organisation that demonstrates sound design and implementation of social work and human services family practices. Your organisation should identify how community and social services foster social justice, wellbeing and human rights for families.
Part C: Q & A (10%) (Individual)
Part C involves each member of the group responding to a Q & A at the end of the presentation. Your group members will each respond to Questions posed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Dempsey, D. & Lindsay, J. (2014). Families, relationships and intimate life (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Other
Resource materials will be placed on Canvas and a comprehensive reading list will be provided.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no unusual risk management issues associated with this unit. However, given the focus on subject matter with which all students have had experience, students should be aware of any personal discomfort they experience and discuss this with unit staff or appropriate QUT sources of support. Students are encouraged to refer any concerns to the Unit Coordinator.