Current course offerings

Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.

Course description

This course explores the relevance and importance of community development ideas and approaches in social work practice. It sets out to illuminate the community development process, its broad scope and critical or transformative potential. At its core, community development is about the movement from the private concerns of individuals to collective public action underpinned by values of ecological and social justice. Learning the practice of community development requires engaging with the values and theory base of the work; using 'method' to move a private concern to public action; structuring the work through forming groups and participatory and democratic organisations; and expanding linkages to develop coalitions and alliances to tackle trans-local and global issues. The course provides the opportunity for dialogue to explore the practice of community development and to practice key skills involved.

The Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) program is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The AASW Accreditation Standards (2020) stipulate that accredited social work programs are required to include content that addresses five core curriculum areas. SWSP4213 contains content in curriculum areas 1-4:

1. Constructions of social work purpose, place, and practice
2. Power, oppression, and exploitation
3. The history and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
4. Culture, identity, and discrimination

Archived offerings