SOWK28004 - Cross-Cultural Issues in Social Work

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit you will explore the complexity and fluidity of cultural constructs. You will examine the notion of culture as an ‘identity’ framework for people and will consider the ways in which populations are categorised, located, stratified and frequently stigmatised on the basis of their conformity to or deviation from dominant cultural norms. This exploration will include both long recognised indices of cultural variation: race, ethnicity, religion and class, and more recently acknowledged cultural discourses: gender, age, disability, gender-identity and sexual orientation. You will examine the development of discriminatory structures and practices, and consider their impact on and implications for social work services in Australia. You will investigate the knowledge and skills required for culturally safe and sensitive practice, and will explore your own cultural background, and reflect on how your values and assumptions might impact your practice.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 8
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Essay 40%
3. Case Study 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

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Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Examine historical and contemporary cross-cultural issues that influence the discipline of social work
  2. Critique discourses and theoretical frameworks that inform the construction of cultural identity and diversity
  3. Investigate discriminatory social structures and policies relevant to social work practice
  4. Demonstrate critically reflective practice that focuses on cultural competency and safety for social work practice.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Essay •
3 - Case Study • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge • • • •
2 - Communication • • • •
4 - Research •
5 - Self-management • • •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment • • • •
2 - Essay • • • •
3 - Case Study • • • •