Course syllabus autumn 2022
Course syllabus autumn 2022
Title
Social Work and Disaster Risk Reduction
Swedish title
Socialt arbete och katastrofriskreducering
Course code
HS648E
Credits
7.5 credits
Grading scale
UA / Excellent (A), Very Good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Pass (E) or Fail (U)
Language of instruction
English
Decision-making body
Faculty of Health and Society
Syllabus approval date
2021-01-26
Syllabus valid from
2021-08-30
Entry requirements
Undergraduate degree from an educational program with at least 180 credits, including a final degree thesis comprising 15 credits in criminology, pedagogy, psychology, nursing /care science, sociology/social work or equivalent. Alternatively 180 credits from a social work program including final degree thesis comprising 15 credits.
Level
Advanced level
Main field
Social Work
Progression level
A1N
Progression level in relation to degree requirements
The course is given as an independent course.
Course objectives
The aim of the course is for the student to develop knowledge in social work concerning events that are described as crises and disasters and in the area of disaster risk reduction.
Course contents
The starting point is taken as a broad definition of social work that includes both the work within authorities and in the voluntary sector in the local, national and global arena. The course deals with and discusses social work in relation to events that are described as crises and disasters from different theoretical perspectives and are related to social work and its domain of knowledge. Furthermore, key concepts such as vulnerability, risk and resilience are examined with a focus on how these concepts reflect underlying power relations and social and material processes. The concept of dependence is also examined on the basis of its connection to the technical and social complexity of modern society and is linked to an interest in the conditions of social work, from the social workers perspective and from the people in need of support and help. Furthermore, the course deals with different ways of organizing disaster risk reduction work and crisis preparedness in relation to the conditions of social work. Factors such as class, ethnicity, gender, age and disability are examined to shed light on the organization of disaster risk reduction and crisis preparedness and its outcome.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student should be able to:
1. reflect on and apply key concepts such as risk, vulnerability, dependence, preparedness and resilience as well as theoretical perspectives on crises and disasters relevant to social work,
2. analyse power relations, focusing on factors such as gender, class, age, ethnicity and disabilities, and their significance for the emergence and management of crises and disasters,
3. identify and critically examine the role, terms and conditions of social work in relation to crises and disasters at local, national and global levels, and
4. systematically analyse and assess various forms of practical organization of social work in relation to crises and disasters
Learning activities
The pedagogy is based on student-active working methods, individually and in groups, and includes lectures, seminars, exercises and oral and written presentations. The teaching of learning objectives 1–4 takes place in the form of lectures, group discussions and seminars. To achieve learning objectives 1–3, the course content is presented at lectures, after which the student processes this on his or her own to discuss individual written assignments on the course content during compulsory seminars. In order to achieve learning objective 4, the course content is presented at lectures, after which the student independently conducts an individual empirical project work which is discussed at compulsory seminars.
Assessment
Learning outcomes 1–3 are examined through individual written assignments that are presented orally at compulsory seminars. Here, the student's ability to reflect on and apply relevant theoretical perspectives and the central concepts and relate them to social work is examined. Furthermore, the student's ability to analyse power relations with a focus on gender, class, age and disabilities and their significance for the emergence and management of crises and disasters and to identify and critically examine the role, social conditions and conditions in relation to crises and disasters is examined at local, national and global level.
Learning outcome 4 is examined through an individual project work that is presented in the form of a paper and an oral presentation at a seminar. Here, the student's ability to critically and systematically analyse and assess various forms of practical organization of social work in relation to crises and disasters is examined. Active participation is required in the form of analysis and reflection of one's own and others' presentations at the seminar.
The individual assignments are weighted together and form the student's final grade for the course. The students' capacity to reflect over and apply relevant theoretical perspectives and central concepts and relate these to social work is examined in the assessment. At mandatory seminars and presentations, formative feedback is given to the participants, and active participation is required to pass the course. Assessment criteria for the examination can be found in the study guide. Any absence in compulsory parts shall, at the discretion of the examiner, be compensated by an individual written assignment.
To receive a Passing Grade (C, D or E) it is required that the student have passed on all the obligatory assignments. Achievement of the Grade of Distinction (A or B) requires that originality and theoretical understanding characterize the compulsory assignments.
Right to re-take
Students who fail the exam are given the opportunity for two re-examinations on the same course content and with the same requirements. In addition, the student has the right to take the same course on subsequent courses according to the same rule. The exam and re-examination are carried out at times, specified in the schedule.
Course literature and other study material
Aronsson-Storrier M, Dahlberg R, (red.) (2021) Defining Disaster: Disciplines and Domains. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. (kapitel i urval 80 sidor).
Alston M, Hazeleger T, Hargreaves D, (2019) Social Work and Disasters: A Handbook for Practice. London and New York: Routledge. (233 s.)
Cuadra C B, ( 2021) Positioning social work in relation to disasters: A social notion running along a continuum. I Aronsson-Storrier M, Dahlberg R, (Eds.) Defining Disaster: Disciplines and Domains. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. (20 s).
Gillespie D F, Danso K, (Eds.) (2010) Disaster concepts and issues: A guide for social work educa¬tion and practice. Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press. (270 s).
Van Heugten K, (2014) Human service organizations in the disaster context. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (172 s).
Wahlstrom M, (2017) Social work and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. European Journal of Social Work, 20(3): 333-336. (3 sidor).
Wisner B, Blaikie P, Cannon T, and David I (2003) At Risk, Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters. New York: Routledge. Del 1. (134 s).
UNDRR (2020) The human cost of disasters: an overview of the last 20 years (2000-2019) (17 s).
Rapeli M, (2017) The role of social work in disaster management in Finland. Doctoral thesis, Jyväskylä University (74 s).
Maximum 200 pages can be added in the form of scientific articles and chapters.
Course evaluation
The course coordinator is responsible for ensuring that a summative course evaluation is carried out at the end of the course. The course coordinator presents the results to the students at the start of the following course. Notes from the feedback are to be made available to the students on the course and also be presented to the students who start the course the next time it is run.
Interim rules
Transitional provisions
If a course has been discontinued, or been significantly changed, the students shall, within one year of the change, be offered two re-take opportunities, in accordance with the syllabus that applied at the time of admission.
Additional information
This course syllabi is a translation of a Swedish source text.