WS5103 - Community Development

A variety of theoretical and practical approaches to community development work in the tropics will be explored in this subject, through engaging with a wide range of literature and the completion of a number of learning activities. In particular, this subject seeks to develop a critical analysis of the potential of practice of community development practice to transform complex social systems, institutions, structures, processes, practices and inequities with a specific focus on achieving social and environmental justice.

Learning Outcomes

• a critical understanding of the central concepts of community development and community practice, the underlying values, ethics, theories, and methods, and their application in professional practice and workplace contexts in the social work discipline;
• ability to discuss a number of models of, and approaches to, community development practice, and adapt community development knowledge and skills to address social barriers, inequity and injustice across diverse contexts;
• ability to analyse the context of community development practice in the tropics to consider the impact of complex social, political and historical issues on environmental and social sustainability;
• ability to analyse the potential for community development practice to transform complex social systems, institutions, structures, processes, practices and inequities;
• ability to investigate, critically analyse and describe the knowledge and skills necessary for effective, community development practice to engage with and enable individuals, groups and communities to achieve social and environmental justice.

Subject Assessment

• essays (50%)
• discussion paper (50%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.