BA (Hons) Social and Community Work

This module aims to provide a critical introduction to community development and youth work by exploring underlying values, defining ideas and contested purposes.

This module will provide an introduction to the value of group work in effecting change in attitudes, beliefs and practice. It will enable students to articulate social and political understandings of the impact of group work. It will introduce experiential group work alongside other significant models and theories. Students will be encouraged to develop their ability to synthesise theoretical understandings, enhance their group work skills and abilities, and assess how these might be applied within the participant group and in wider professional and social contexts. This is a highly interactive module in which participants will be expected to develop personal and professional insight through engagement in group work practice and group work facilitation.

This module will introduce students to the principles, traditions and approaches of social research. The content will provide grounding in research methodology through an examination of investigative techniques applicable to the collection of data in diverse community development and youth work settings. It will introduce students to action research. It will enable students to explore the theoretical influences, and identify practical strengths and weaknesses, of established research approaches. This module will introduce students to co-production and the importance of involving local people and communities as active leaders in participatory research.

This module provides a broad critical introduction to social science understandings that are relevant to work with young people and communities. It will introduce key analytical frameworks for understanding social problems in the UK in particular. It will be concerned to explore the dynamic relationship between individual agency and social structure as it is reflected in a range of contemporary policy issues. The distinctions and connections between democratic and political structures and processes will be a focus of the module.

This module aims to clarify definitions and understandings of racism and explore its manifestations.

and criminality. Students will be encouraged to develop a critical lens through which to analyze the ‘law and order’ discourse that dominates the UK criminal justice system. Students will develop an insight into the role of advocacy in maintaining people’s human rights. Alternative approaches to custodial and punitive responses such as diversionary and community-based orders will be explored and analyzed as to their comparative efficacy. Students will examine disproportionality in the criminal justice system, particularly in relation to race. Students will critically consider the individual and social factors that contribute to why people commit crime, including inequality, poverty, education and discrimination. The module will challenge dominant assumptions about the causes and key responses to crime, within the context of political and social policy agendas. The role of media in defining and contributing to discourses about crime will also be considered. Key examples of contemporary moral panics such as knife crime and county lines will be considered. Students will take a critical approach to understanding that definitions of crime and criminality are contextual, and to exploring what should and should not be considered as deviant.

This module will provide a basic introduction to social work with children and families. The module will explore policy, practice and prevalent theory that is relevant to social work, drawing on psychological and sociological paradigms, such as child development theories (psychology) and C Wright Mills’ sociological imagination. It will offer an overview of the historical, organizational and legislative context of social work in the UK – and explore the political and ideological values that underpin different approaches to practice. Students will gain an understanding of both dominant approaches in social work and more marginal and radical perspectives. Students will be encouraged to critically analyse current interventions, particularly around race equality. Social issues such as poverty, environment, discrimination and education will be explored as key social factors affecting children and families. Equality issues such as race, gender, disability and class will be considered in this.

This module explores the challenges and contradictions of practice in the contemporary context, taking into account the changing context of political relations in society, particularly the nature of the state.

The key aim of this module is to enable students to analyse the relationship between theoretical frameworks, contemporary policy imperatives and developments in youth work practice.

This module aims to examine a range of theoretical contributions to group work including group analysis, critical reflection models and group work for social justice, action and change.

This module is designed to develop students’ understanding and ability to work effectively in groups, with each other and in practice situations.

This module is intended to develop students’ ideological awareness, analytical skills and critical capacity to make cogent political arguments in their work.

This module will focus on demystifying common assumptions about mental health. It will examine psychosocial models of mental health and explore the connections between the individual, families and society. Students will consider the biopsychosocial model alongside other psychosocial approaches. Students will explore the impact of trauma on individuals that stems from childhood and family experiences, as well as broader structural causes such as poverty and racism. The Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on society over time will serve as a case study for this. We will critically reflect on societal responses to mental health and trauma. The module will explore interventions that focus on trauma-informed practice as an alternative to only addressing mental health problems through medication and/or therapeutic approaches focused on addressing symptoms rather than causes. We will explore how a range of professionals might engage in trauma-informed practice in their work with communities.

This module will build on the principles, traditions and approaches of social research and their application to community development and youth work practice introduced in year 1.

This module aims to enhance the personal and/or professional development of the student. Based around theories of reflective practice, students will use an experiential learning approach to plan and undertake a project that facilitates their personal or professional development, recognizing the relationship between these. For example, students might undertake a work experience project or undertake a study of their family history or investigation into their childhood influences. However, they may come up with something completely innovative that supports personal or professional reflection. Whilst the module focuses primarily on independent study, students will be supported to identify and plan a project, undertake the project and reflect on its implications for their learning, and apply this learning to their future professional trajectory. Students might draw on models and theories from across the programme to inform their reflection, facilitated by tutors. They will be encouraged to reflect on how their learning from their individual project can be harnessed as strengths for their future professional journey as well as how areas for development might be addressed as they move forwards. Students will be encouraged to recognize structural barriers that can inhibit progress towards individual goals such as racism, sexism and other discrimination – as well as examining how to overcome letting these be personal blocks to action.

This module aims to provide a theoretical and practical introduction to using the arts in community settings to explore and address issues of interest, need and concern.

This module will introduce students to youth work policies and practice Pan Europe, as well in the Global South.

This module will explore theories, policies and practices of Youth Justice in the UK.

This is an interdisciplinary module which explores the links between religion, belief, and spirituality and professional practice. Western societies are increasingly religiously diverse, and law and guidance require engagement with the religion and belief identities of service users. Yet public discourse and professional training has been dominated by post-religious assumptions which impede a good quality of conversation and debate. Instead discourse has revolved around risks, controversies and crises poses by religion and belief, usually associated with sex, gender, money and violence. This module explores these discourses as starting points for practice with religiously diverse publics. 

This module will explore the histories of community development and youth work in addressing issues of social justice as well as how issues of social justice are addressed in contemporary practice.

This module focuses on the organisational context of community development and youth work practice in a variety of statutory and voluntary sector settings.

This module aims to provide a creative and critical engagement with the social, economic, cultural and political forces influencing contemporary social policy.

The dissertation itself is characterised by independent study and should demonstrate in-depth critical analysis, professional relevance and knowledge of appropriate research and enquiry approaches.

This module will give you analytical insight into causes and responses to homelessness and the endemic inequality within the housing sector. Its overall focus is on the role of inequalities in housing provision and precarity. The module will examine recent trends within public policy relating to homelessness and social housing support, the impacts on communities and specific vulnerable groups and an understanding of the agencies and advocates within the sector and their respective approaches. Central to this module will be developing appreciation of the significance of marginalised voices. There will be a particular focus on the structural and intersectional causes of housing precarity and homelessness including poverty and institutional racism, among others. Therefore the module will be underpinned primarily on sociological theories that recognize structural issues and inequalities

This compulsory module will involve spending 70 hours (10 days over one term) on a work placement. Students will complete an assessment of what they hope to gain from the placement before being supported by the careers office and programme tutors to search for placements in a range of organizations in the social, communities and charities sector. They will complete a CV check with the careers office and workshops to prepare for placement will be facilitated by programme staff with support from the careers office. Placement organisations chosen by students will need to meet the careers office’s compliance requirements.

Students will agree aims and objectives with their placement supervisor. They will reflect on their own learning and development against these objectives. They will also critically reflect on their placement organisation’s purpose, methods and impact and prepare a short presentation on this to deliver to their tutors and peers. Students will be expected to identify how the placement fits into their career and/or further training objectives. Tutor support will be available throughout their time on placement.

If the placement organization requires the student to have a DBS check and do not undertake this on their behalf, it can be undertaken through Goldsmiths but students will need to cover the cost of this (approx. £60). If the student is in financial hardship they will be able to apply to the department for a bursary to cover the cost but this is not guaranteed.

This module will explore historical and contemporary faith-based youth work practice.

This module will introduce students interested in working in the private, public or third sector and/or developing and leading their own youth and community provision using a more entrepreneurial approach.

This module is designed to offer greater insight into and understanding of the dilemmas and possibilities implied in conflict transformation and reconciliation.