Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 101900

Coordinator Nidhi Wali Opens in new window

Description In 2021, this subject replaced by 102815 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia: Peoples, Places and Philosophies. A diverse range of professionals use social science research, theories and principles in their work with communities. In this subject students will explore common scholarly ideas and practices that inform work with communities and how these are applied in a range of professional settings. This subject introduces students to the methods and principles of community participation, capacity-building, community needs assessment, and resilience. Students will be guided to identify and analyse global, local, government and organisational aspects and interests in the development of their own and wider communities. Students will plan a professional approach to working with an example community by building and reporting on a chosen case study.

School Social Sciences

Discipline Society and Culture, Not Elsewhere Classified.

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Equivalent Subjects CULT 1011 - Organisations Communities and Communication BUSM 1033 - Working with Communities HUMN 1060 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia Peoples Places and Philosophies CULT 1021 Working with Communities (WSTC)

Incompatible Subjects WELF 1008 - Skills Development in the Human Services

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. Threshold concepts and the main debates in community scholarship
2. ‘Communities’ as dynamic, social and cultural groups that are both political and contested entities and exist as multi-scalar (local, regional, international, and across time) collectives of interest, as virtual as well as place based. 
3. Why community matters: power, social action, a sense of the past and future directions, contestation and decision-making
4. Assessing social needs and enacting change: How different organisations, stakeholders and groups within society can work together to achieve shared goals and visions
5. How different types of organisations and institutions – global to local – public and private – formal and informal- serve shared needs
6. Social justice and building community resilience
7. Ethical approaches to working with communities: Participatory methods, the issues of trust, cooperation, communication and collaboration in everyday life and in professional life
8. Communications – written and oral forms of communication in everyday and in professional practice to different intended audiences/ readerships, via a journal (assignment 1), a professional report (A2) and a website (A3).
9. Scholarly skills: ethical considerations and integrity, identifying issues, goal setting, time management, introductory research skills, analysing secondary data, writing professional reports and preparing a community engagement website.