Teaching about Social Exclusion and Poverty to Social Work Students - Making Silk Purses out of Sow’s Ears?
Social workers commonly work with people who are amongst the most disadvantaged in society, who experience considerable social exclusion and may live in poverty (Palmer 2003, Pierson 2001). A main stated emphasis of modern policy agendas within Britain is that of combating social exclusion and promoting an inclusive society (Percy-Smith 2000, Lund 2002). However social policy is traditionally a ‘dry and dusty’ subject area for undergraduate social work students. Making it interesting and enthusing students about policy so that they can see the relevance to their own practice, provides a major challenge for social work educators. However it is a challenge which needs to be met if social work education is to maintain its relevance to practice. This is particularly pertinent given the professional requirements that students’ academic learning must be assessed in terms of its application to practice (DoH 2002). This workshop presents experiential and analytical methods developed at Norwich City College for the teaching of the social policy modules on the B.A. (Hons) Social Work. These teaching methods were closely linked to the development of a new assignment to assess students’ academic learning on these modules which will also be discussed. As an experiential workshop, the audience will be given the opportunity to participate in these exercises.
DoH (2002), Reform of Social Work Training, London: Department of Health
Lund, B. (2002), Understanding State Welfare: Social Justice or Social Exclusion? London: Sage Publications.
Palmer, G. (2003), Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Percy-Smith, J. (2000), Policy Responses to Social Exclusion - Towards Inclusion, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Pierson, J. (2001), Tackling Social Exclusion, London: Routledge