Lecture: 4 hours/week
Lecture
Group exercises
Student presentations
Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge and best practice. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content:
- Social work practice in metropolitan area requires an understanding of the diversity of the population and communities.
- An understanding of racism, oppression and the multi-generational legacy of colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada is essential to urban social work practice.
- Social workers best serve their clients when they are familiar with the network of services available including those provided by public, private, secular and non-secular organizations.
- Social workers apply their knowledge of the social determinants of health to best respond to issues.
- Poverty and housing concerns are important areas of social work intervention.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
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Describe demographic and human geographic trends in metropolitan areas, such as Vancouver, from a social work perspective.
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Apply the social determinants of health framework to marginalized populations.
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Explain the considerations for working with different populations of people (Indigenous, unhoused, immigrant and refugee) within an urban context.
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Identify the importance of language, including French and culturally appropriate support within social work.
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Demonstrate understanding of social exclusion and its impact on marginalized groups.
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Describe current housing issues for people experiencing homelessness, including provincial, federal and municipal roles in this area of social policy.
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Describe different forms and sources of racism and oppression including systemic, structural, interpersonal, etc; and their impact on communities.
Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with °µÍø51 Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the instructor’s course outline. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of any of the following:
- Examinations
- Research papers
- Project work
- Individual and/or group presentations
- Participation
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. Example texts may include:
Raphael, D. (Current edition). Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.
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