Power Relations and Actor Perspectives in Social Work

2022/2023

Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

During the module students will gain knowledge, competences and skills to study, analyze, conceptualize and critically reflect upon how welfare is produced within welfare regimes, specific areas of social policy, administration and in social work practice with service users.  There will be a particular focus on how multiple actor perspectives and power relations at various levels and within different fields of society influence the production of well-being. This also involves an understanding of how this production is related to a wider international context of welfare, social policy and social work practice including the shaping and transformations of different welfare regimes.

Type of instruction

Core lectures, group work, structured debate. Core lectures contains a lecture, group work and joint discussions. The three modules in the second semester, although divided, are closely connected. Students are supposed to connect the three modules in Semester 2 by switching between them all the way through the semester. The aim is to make students understand that problem based learning, field studies, research methodology and ethics, theories, analyses and discussions of power and different perspectives are closely connected. This will imply that the module will contain discussions of field experiences and problem based learning. In this way, core lectures will involve both common debates and group work from all three modules. Besides the subjects taught and discussed in this module constitutes a general and basic knowledge supposed to be used throughout the program and as central skills graduates are able to utilize after finishing the program.

Exam

Exams

Name of examPower Relations and Actor Perspectives in Social Work
Type of exam
Written exam
Individually written essay on power relation and actor perspectives.
Students will start their work on the essay during the six weeks involving lectures. On the basis of both lectures and common discussions of chosen subjects, students will work continuously on the essay and finish it a week after finishing lectures. The essay is an independent and individuel assessment however the knowledge from the essay is expected to be transferred to the PBL project.
ECTS10
Assessment7-point grading scale
Type of gradingInternal examination
Criteria of assessmentThe criteria of assessment are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures

Facts about the module

Danish titleMagtrelationer og aktørers perspektiver i socialt arbejde
Module codeASA20195
Module typeCourse
Duration1 semester
SemesterSpring
ECTS10
Language of instructionEnglish
Location of the lectureCampus Aalborg
Responsible for the module

Organisation

Study BoardStudy Board of MSc in Social Work
DepartmentDepartment of Sociology and Social Work
FacultyFaculty of Social Sciences and Humanities