Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 700139

Coordinator Mona Shrestha Opens in new window

Description This introductory subject provides foundational skills and knowledge required for professional practice in a range of social science related careers in which working with and as part of communities is essential. With an emphasis on practical understanding through both team-work and fieldwork it introduces students to a range of skills in interpersonal and written communication, and to community and organisational processes and structures. It enables students to identify issues of change; conflicting and collaborative interests; participation and collaboration. It provides practical experience in working with others to achieve shared objectives with mechanisms for goal setting, issues identification, information and resource sharing that operate in everyday life and all professional contexts

School Social Sciences

Discipline Society and Culture, Not Elsewhere Classified.

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Equivalent Subjects CULT 1011 - Organisations Communities and Communication CULT 1020 - Working with Communities LGYB 0465 - Organisations Communities and Communication

Incompatible Subjects WELF 1008 - Skills Development in the Human Service

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled at Western Sydney University, The College. Students enrolled in extended diplomas must pass 40 credit points from the preparatory subjects listed in the program structure prior to enrolling in this University level subject. Students enrolled in 7055 Diploma in Criminal and Community Justice Extended; 7057 Diploma in Social Science Extended; 7058 Diploma in Social Science (Policing) and must have successfully completed 700199 Academic Communication 2 (UWSCFS) or 700208 English for Tertiary Study 2 (UWSCFS) or 700210 Introduction to Academic Communication 2 (UWSCFS).

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Describe key concepts and perspectives in community scholarship
2. Explain how key concepts and perspectives are connected to their individual experience of community, and to a range of professions that work with communities
3. Collect and analyse relevant information about an example community from scholarly and professional perspectives
4. Propose an approach to working with an example community from a professional perspective
5. Explain the importance of community empowerment, capacity-building, community diversity and social justice, to society and the individual;
6. Utilise online technologies to organise, share and communicate Indigenous-related topics and issues.

Subject Content

1. Communities' as dynamic, social groups that are both political and contested entities and exist as multi-scalar (local, regional, international) collectives of interest, as virtual as well as place based.
2. Contextualising the concept of 'community' on abstract and concrete levels. What does the concept of community mean and how is this negotiated in terms of 'belonging' and participating
3. How different types of organisations and institutions - global to local - public and private - formal and informal- serve shared needs
4. Social processes of participation, and the issues of trust, cooperation, communication and collaboration in everyday life and in working life
5. How different organisations, stakeholders and groups within society can work together to achieve shared goals and visions
6. Communications - written and oral forms of communication in everyday and in professional practice.
7. Preparation for field/group work, including working as a team, ethical considerations and integrity, identifying issues, goal setting, defining field work objectives, introductory research skills, analysing secondary data, preparing oral presentation and written reports.