Course Title: Community Development Strategies (Social Work Theory and Practice IV)

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Community Development Strategies (Social Work Theory and Practice IV)

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
HUSO2068	City Campus	Postgraduate	330H Social Science & Planning	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006
HUSO2068	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2007
HUSO2068	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2015
HUSO2068	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: Chris Maylea

Course Coordinator Phone: +(61 3) 9925 3951

Course Coordinator Email: chris.maylea@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8, Level 10

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course is designed to provide you with a critical understanding of theoretical and practical developments in the evolution (and contested nature) of ‘community development’ in a comparative societal context. Key concepts to be explored are the important definitions of communities, differences in the types and styles of participation, the role of voluntary associations, minority groups and leadership. Such conceptual understanding will be grounded in a broader consideration of comparative political or government structures, including how they differ across societal forms (e.g. ‘traditional’, ‘modern’ and ‘postmodern’). As well as dealing with theoretical and conceptual components, the course will explore basic skills for working with communities and community-based organisations. To do this, it will use comparative case-study material which links the practices of community development and policy-making.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

On completion of this course you should have developed: an understanding of the background and context of contemporary community development in Australia; a critical awareness of some of the major perspectives and theories informing community-based practices; knowledge of some of the contexts for community work practice, including contexts at the local, regional, urban and international levels, and an understanding of some of the major debates, concepts and issues in community work/development. These will include: the contested functions of ‘community’ and community work/development/organising; the implications of the changing role of the state; the potential of information and communications technologies in community development; an understanding of a number of key community development skills, and a capacity to assess and critically evaluate community work interventions.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be required to engage in a variety of lectures and smaller classes.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will be able to use a prescribed text.

Overview of Assessment

You will be able to prepare assessment tasks with a total word length or equivalent of 5,000 words.