SWH404 Climate Justice in Local and Global Worlds
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: | SWH404 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | Achievement of 192 CP (enrolment in your third year of study) |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | SWH404 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | Achievement of 192 CP (enrolment in your third year of study) |
| Coordinators: | Raj Yadav | raj.yadav@qut.edu.au Melissa Haswell | melissa.haswell@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit orients you to the interface between climate justice, social justice and social work to refine your critical framework for practice in relation to climate change and climate justice. You will apply critical theories and social, economic and political philosophical positions to address social problems including climate change, food insecurity, forced migration, and global poverty, which shape communities and nations. Social workers and human service workers are at the forefront of developing sustainable thinking and cooperative social actions grounded in environmental and social justice as a way to respond to social problems. This unit integrates and applies knowledge and theories, values, ethics and different practices learnt across the course journey with the addition of green social work practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Critically explore and explain the major challenges in local, global and environmental justice such as climate change, food insecurity, and global poverty.
- Apply critical theories and philosophical positions, including Indigenous knowledges and diverse perspectives relevant to debates in the fields of environmental and social justice, including critique of GenAI.
- Critically describe the interaction between environmental justice, social justice and social work practice in the response to challenges of climate change and inequality.
- Articulate and apply a potential new vision and strategies for redressing the impact of climate change and environmental challenges toward sustainable transformative change.
- Apply high level professional communication and advocacy and group collaboration skills relevant to social work practice and climate justice.
Content
The unit will explore climate justice, social justice and social work to develop relevant social action responses to global challenges. Content in the unit supports the refinement of your critical framework for practice focused on environmental and social justice.
Core broad themes underpinning the unit include:
- Contemporary social and environmental problems such as impact of climate change and food insecurity and global poverty.
- Environmental justice and environmental inequality.
-
Critical theories and social, economic and political philosophical positions.
-
Climate change and impact of fast growth capitalism and globalisation. industrialisation, commodification and consumption.
- Equity-oriented degrowth, climate justice, and a return of the commons.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, and diverse perspectives for informing sustainable and inclusive change actions.
- Climate justice through social work and human services activism for engaging in practice.
Relates to learning outcomes
Learning outcomes link to:
AASW Practice Standards for Social Workers (2023): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 9.1
CWA Practice Guidelines (2024): 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.9, 4.1, 4.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7
Learning Approaches
This unit engages you in your learning through workshops on-campus with digital online support, project and experiential activities to focus on developing the skills necessary to successfully integrate climate justice into your critically oriented practice framework and complete your assessment.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Overall feedback will be provided to the whole cohort. Formative activities such as in-class tasks, and critical discussions will support and develop your understanding of key concepts and scaffold your learning in preparation for summative assessment. Summative feedback is given via written comments on marking rubrics/criteria sheets. In the workshops you will be supported by academics and peers to critically explore the role of social work and human services in relation to issues of climate change and environmental justice toward your first assessment piece: essay. Ongoing formative feedback helps you to complete the second assessment piece - Case study
Assessment
Overview
The unit consists of two assessment pieces, an individual essay relevant to critical thinking about climate justice, global challenges and social work/human service practice and a practical case study of designing a social work program or intervention that addresses climate change and social justice objectives. The workshops will assist with planning for assessment tasks and are designed with an emphasis on co-creation of new knowledge and techniques informed by critical theory and analysis.
Each assessment item is designed to measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Essay
In this critical essay, you will respond to the questions of – why is environmental justice important to social work and what can social workers / human service workers do to address issues of climate change, food insecurity and environmental / social inequality? Using a critical theory and philosophy you will identify a climate change challenge and explore the implications for social work practice in addressing global and local challenges. Based on your critical analysis, you will consider the interconnections between social work practice (including potentially activism, community development and or policy analysis and development) and environmental justice to offer socially just actions for transformative change.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design
This Case study report assessment will require you to work either as an individual or in small groups of 3 to design a social work/ human services program/ intervention with a marginalised community that reflects a focus on sustainability and action on climate change and any other related social justice goals and objectives. The case study report will include a focus on the target group, analysis of existing service/ program offerings, input/suggestions from colleagues and identify any gaps across service systems. The report will require detailed discussion of a new service model and how the model aligns to core principles of sustainability, action on climate and social justice and some indicative costings.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
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
Other
A wide range of resource materials will be provided for this unit that will be accessed via QUT Readings.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BA01 Bachelor of Arts
- Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply knowledge about society, culture and technology, for a range of contexts, audiences and purposes.
Relates to: ULO1, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Recognise, develop and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge through critical and creative processes.
Relates to: ULO1, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise information and evidence to inform decision-making, problem solving and argumentation.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Independently formulate questions, and apply foundational research methods and analysis to investigate relationships between society, culture and technology.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Communicate to diverse audiences using a range of modes and technologies to share and disseminate knowledge, skills and ideas.
Relates to: ULO4, ULO5, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural contexts to reflect on individual positionality, ethical practice, integrity, and adaptability.
Relates to: ULO2, Essay
SW04 Bachelor of Social Work
- 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Construct and implement strategies for engaging in critical thinking and decision-making, utilising advanced research knowledge and skills to inform culturally safe practice, and promote social justice from diverse perspectives. [Practice, Knowledge, Values and Disposition]
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Critically examine tenets of diversity and diverse perspectives in social work, and advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. [Values and Disposition, Knowledge, Practice]
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design
SW05 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
- 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Formulate and implement strategies using advanced knowledge and research skills to analyse, consolidate and synthesise social and practice evidence to generate solutions and to inform professional practice and decision-making
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Develop advanced knowledge, skills and values, to inform culturally safe communication and effective intra- and inter-professional collaboration and with a wide range of audiences and contexts, including accessing, evaluating and utlising digital health information.
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Construct and implement strategies for practising collaboratively and independently, focused on socially progressive, anti-oppressive, culturally safe and ethical practice, integral to the standards of professional social work practice
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Online
| Unit code: | SWH404 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | Achievement of 192 CP (enrolment in your third year of study) |
Overview
This unit orients you to the interface between climate justice, social justice and social work to refine your critical framework for practice in relation to climate change and climate justice. You will apply critical theories and social, economic and political philosophical positions to address social problems including climate change, food insecurity, forced migration, and global poverty, which shape communities and nations. Social workers and human service workers are at the forefront of developing sustainable thinking and cooperative social actions grounded in environmental and social justice as a way to respond to social problems. This unit integrates and applies knowledge and theories, values, ethics and different practices learnt across the course journey with the addition of green social work practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Critically explore and explain the major challenges in local, global and environmental justice such as climate change, food insecurity, and global poverty.
- Apply critical theories and philosophical positions, including Indigenous knowledges and diverse perspectives relevant to debates in the fields of environmental and social justice, including critique of GenAI.
- Critically describe the interaction between environmental justice, social justice and social work practice in the response to challenges of climate change and inequality.
- Articulate and apply a potential new vision and strategies for redressing the impact of climate change and environmental challenges toward sustainable transformative change.
- Apply high level professional communication and advocacy and group collaboration skills relevant to social work practice and climate justice.
Content
The unit will explore climate justice, social justice and social work to develop relevant social action responses to global challenges. Content in the unit supports the refinement of your critical framework for practice focused on environmental and social justice.
Core broad themes underpinning the unit include:
- Contemporary social and environmental problems such as impact of climate change and food insecurity and global poverty.
- Environmental justice and environmental inequality.
-
Critical theories and social, economic and political philosophical positions.
-
Climate change and impact of fast growth capitalism and globalisation. industrialisation, commodification and consumption.
- Equity-oriented degrowth, climate justice, and a return of the commons.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, and diverse perspectives for informing sustainable and inclusive change actions.
- Climate justice through social work and human services activism for engaging in practice.
Relates to learning outcomes
Learning outcomes link to:
AASW Practice Standards for Social Workers (2023): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 9.1
CWA Practice Guidelines (2024): 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.9, 4.1, 4.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7
Learning Approaches
This unit engages you in your learning through workshops on-campus with digital online support, project and experiential activities to focus on developing the skills necessary to successfully integrate climate justice into your critically oriented practice framework and complete your assessment.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Overall feedback will be provided to the whole cohort. Formative activities such as in-class tasks, and critical discussions will support and develop your understanding of key concepts and scaffold your learning in preparation for summative assessment. Summative feedback is given via written comments on marking rubrics/criteria sheets. In the workshops you will be supported by academics and peers to critically explore the role of social work and human services in relation to issues of climate change and environmental justice toward your first assessment piece: essay. Ongoing formative feedback helps you to complete the second assessment piece - Case study
Assessment
Overview
The unit consists of two assessment pieces, an individual essay relevant to critical thinking about climate justice, global challenges and social work/human service practice and a practical case study of designing a social work program or intervention that addresses climate change and social justice objectives. The workshops will assist with planning for assessment tasks and are designed with an emphasis on co-creation of new knowledge and techniques informed by critical theory and analysis.
Each assessment item is designed to measure your ability to apply the knowledge and skills stated in the unit learning outcomes.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Essay
In this critical essay, you will respond to the questions of – why is environmental justice important to social work and what can social workers / human service workers do to address issues of climate change, food insecurity and environmental / social inequality? Using a critical theory and philosophy you will identify a climate change challenge and explore the implications for social work practice in addressing global and local challenges. Based on your critical analysis, you will consider the interconnections between social work practice (including potentially activism, community development and or policy analysis and development) and environmental justice to offer socially just actions for transformative change.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design
This Case study report assessment will require you to work either as an individual or in small groups of 3 to design a social work/ human services program/ intervention with a marginalised community that reflects a focus on sustainability and action on climate change and any other related social justice goals and objectives. The case study report will include a focus on the target group, analysis of existing service/ program offerings, input/suggestions from colleagues and identify any gaps across service systems. The report will require detailed discussion of a new service model and how the model aligns to core principles of sustainability, action on climate and social justice and some indicative costings.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
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
Other
A wide range of resource materials will be provided for this unit that will be accessed via QUT Readings.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BA01 Bachelor of Arts
- Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply knowledge about society, culture and technology, for a range of contexts, audiences and purposes.
Relates to: ULO1, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Recognise, develop and apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge through critical and creative processes.
Relates to: ULO1, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise information and evidence to inform decision-making, problem solving and argumentation.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Independently formulate questions, and apply foundational research methods and analysis to investigate relationships between society, culture and technology.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Communicate to diverse audiences using a range of modes and technologies to share and disseminate knowledge, skills and ideas.
Relates to: ULO4, ULO5, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Develop knowledge about Indigenous and diverse intercultural contexts to reflect on individual positionality, ethical practice, integrity, and adaptability.
Relates to: ULO2, Essay
SW04 Bachelor of Social Work
- 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Construct and implement strategies for engaging in critical thinking and decision-making, utilising advanced research knowledge and skills to inform culturally safe practice, and promote social justice from diverse perspectives. [Practice, Knowledge, Values and Disposition]
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Critically examine tenets of diversity and diverse perspectives in social work, and advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. [Values and Disposition, Knowledge, Practice]
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design
SW05 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
- 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Formulate and implement strategies using advanced knowledge and research skills to analyse, consolidate and synthesise social and practice evidence to generate solutions and to inform professional practice and decision-making
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Develop advanced knowledge, skills and values, to inform culturally safe communication and effective intra- and inter-professional collaboration and with a wide range of audiences and contexts, including accessing, evaluating and utlising digital health information.
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - Construct and implement strategies for practising collaboratively and independently, focused on socially progressive, anti-oppressive, culturally safe and ethical practice, integral to the standards of professional social work practice
Relates to: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design - 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: Essay, Case Study - Social work Intervention/ program design