LEARNING OUTCOMES
Setelah pelajar-pelajar bergraduat dari program ini, mereka dapat:
1. To master knowledge and skills so students can engage with the social, economic and cultural contexts within which they are located.,
2. To integrate knowledge, values and skills for social work practice.,
3. To critically analyse social issues and problems which are the outcome of social dynamics especially in the context of a developing country.,
4. To demonstrate the communication skills required at the various levels of social work intervention including multi-disciplinary practice.,
5. To demonstrate the ability to be empathetic, culturally sensitive and self-aware.,
6. To internalise the core social work values with special emphasis on anti-discriminatory/oppressive practice, social justice, diversity, equality and human rights.,
7. To engage in critical reflection of various issues related to ongoing development of social work professional competency.,
8. To develop assessment and problem solving skills at both the micro and macro levels., dan
9. To plan and organise services, programme and policies addressing needs and concerns at family, communities and societal level..
Courses offered during the three years program are as below:
Year 1
This course contextualises the historical development of the social sciences within world civilization. It introduces students to important social science terminology in preparation for the understanding of other courses in the faculty. It also gives students an opportunity to conceptualise and explain social reality through social science perspectives.
The course introduces students to the application of psychological concepts in contemporary society. Main areas of psychology taught in this course are general psychology, developmental, social and abnormal psychology. This also includes key topics such as learning, memory, social communication and motivation which will also be discussed in-depth in order to bring about understanding their relevancy to everyday life and work. Different core psychological domains such as cognition, social, perception and emotion that are fundamental to understanding of human behaviour will be examined.
This is not a conventional history course which deals with events in a chronological order. Instead, it discusses history thematically and exposes the student to the processes of social and historical transformation.
This course highlights in detail the range of academic topics in political science to include theoretical approaches, basic concepts and definition of politics in the context of formal government institutions, power relations, value distribution systems and public policies. In addition, concepts about power, states, sovereignty and political culture will be covered. This course also discusses basic political concepts which later pave the way for constructing debates and discussions of current political affairs. There are four components in this introductory course namely; the field of political science, political institutions, political processes and politics and society. With emphasis on these four areas, it is hoped that students will be able to critically analyse and understand the subject of political science.
This course is divided into three major sections, namely, Section I: Understanding basic economic concepts, principles and theories; Section II: Understanding national and global Economy, and Section III: Analysing social issues from the economic perspective. Section I exposes students to topics related to the definition of economics, some basic economic concepts, principles and theories and their relationship to us. Theories of demand and supply, the application of elasticity concept, as well as different market structures will be discussed in Section I. Section II helps students to relate national economy to their daily lives. Topics covered in this section include measuring a nation?s income, measuring the cost of living, money and banking system, unemployment, foreign exchange, international trade and its importance among nations. Some basic concepts of open-economy macroeconomics as well as economic growth and public policy will also be discussed in Section II. The final section provides students with the opportunity to apply their understanding and knowledge concerning basic economic principles on contemporary social issues that are related to their respective field of study.
Anthropology and sociology are two distinctive disciplines BUT at the same time fundamentally share one common characteristic, that is, the study of human phenomena. More often than not sociology is perceived as the study of human social life in urban societies whereas anthropology is the study of human cultures and rural communities. While sociology is usually perceived to study social behaviors such as juvenile delinquency, family structure and criminal behaviors, anthropology tends to study cultural functions such as the rites of passage, kinship and ritual chastisement.
In this course, the student is expected to understand that anthropology and sociology do not merely give them the academic insight to society but also plays a fundamental role in their lives as they attempt to understand the wider facets of social relationships and experiences. More importantly, introducing anthropology and sociology will hopefully enable the student to critically question what they already know and claim to understand as being part of their society.
This course will discuss the changes in patterns of communication within a society by focusing on the historical transition from traditional communication system, its transformation processes, to its contemporary modern forms. The characteristics of communication that will be focused in this course are human and mass communication. Among the topics that will be discussed will be culture and society, media literacy, general opinion, persuasion, new communication technology and its effects on society, and towards information society.
Societies are not just simply an amorphous mass of people. A society is characterised by differentiation of people into various categories according to social divisions such as gender, ethnicity and class. These divisions form the basis for the distribution of power, status and opportunities. Who we are depends on how and where we fit into society. An understanding of how the intersection of these forces work in the life of an individual is imperative for all students of social sciences.
Year 2
This course examines the emergence of social welfare systems and social work as a profession. Students will examine various forms of welfare services, utilising concepts such as social problem definition, universality and cultural diversity, charity and citizenship. The course explores the role of social workers within the broad area of social welfare and social services. Historical responses to social problems particularly poverty will be examined using examples from Asia and the West, and social work’s commitment to social and economic justice will be emphasised.
Human development is a portrayal of life in the process of becoming. Social environment plays a crucial role in the cognitive, moral and personality development of an individual. This course emphasizes the study of human development over the life span in relation to social milieu. The development of individual and intimate groups will be studied in relation to the development life cycle, its stages and passages, problems and tasks. The impact of stress and crisis, loss and disability on individual and families will be examined.
This course introduces students to the theories and methods in social work. It prepares students to understand the historical and cultural development of theoretical approaches is emphasised to give students an understanding of how theories evolve and the processes/factors involved. It includes explaining the multiple components of practice, their inter-relationship and the importance of theory in practice. Specific attention will be given to the problem solving approach and crisis theory plus the accompanying skills and intervention strategies required.
This course examines the philosophical foundation for the creation of knowledge in the social sciences. Students will be exposed to the major school of thoughts concerning social sciences as a science. The course explores the intersection between knowledge, society and culture, and interrogates knowledge production from a social science perspective. Topics that will be included in this course are the theoretical debates in sociology of knowledge, the relationship between empirical knowledge and cultural values or ideologies.
This course is designed to familiarise students with knowledge and skills required in the field of family and child welfare – a core social work practice area. It will include a close examination of the ideologies and theories underlying family and child welfare policies, programmes and practice. Knowledge and skills needed for intervention and management of children in need of care and protection will be introduced. Special attention will be given to issues of domestic violence, including child abuse. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own assumptions and value base and how this compares to applying social work values.
Social workers use counseling as an intervention approach to help people to resolve problems. This course provides students with foundational knowledge of the process of counseling and the underpinning theoretical perspectives. The emphasis is to equip students with core counseling skills, which may be applied in the professional therapeutic and management settings. The course provides students with the opportunity to develop and refine skills in a variety of situations incorporating professional values and ethics.
Year 3
Community work is one of the major social work approaches that involves mobilizing groups of people to address problems that are of common concern. Students will be introduced to key aspects of planned interventions including profiling/assessing communities; identifying population concerns; analzying community and related organisations? problems; mobilising community assets; facilitating the development emerging organisations; utilizing different strategies and tactics to generate social capital; implementing and evaluating. The main focus will be on working with marginalised communities in order to empower them.
This course aims to assist students to develop a critical awareness of the interaction between social work practice and the law. This is achieved by providing students with an understanding of the legal system, legal principles and proceses as well as the existence of legal plurality in Malaysia. The course will examine the evolution of law, its role and function, as well as its limitations in meeting the current welfare and social goals in our society. Areas of law pertaining to social work will be explored in particularly child protection, domestic violence, juvenile justice, mental health, marriage and divorce. Advocacy as a core method of social work practice is explored in relation to practice with populations-at- risk.
This course looks at the underlying issues and processes involved in social policy formation and enactment at society, community and agency level. The roles played by principles, values, political philosophy, history, assumptions, empirical data – including social indicators – in developing policies will be examined. Different models of the planning process, the context in which planning occurs, and how policy and resulting programmes are monitored and evaluated will also be studied. The debate surrounding the role of the State versus the market in providing services will be explored. Central to the discussions will be the issue of how to address inequalities and provide just systems- two key tenets of social work.
This course is concerned with the disadvantaged position faced by certain groups including women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and those who are lesbians or gays. It examines issues confronting social workers when operationalizing the professional responsibilities of removing barriers to development for all groups. Emphasis will be on the students’ sensitivity to variables such as ethnicity, gender and class-key attributes for effective social work practice.
It is imperative for social science students living in the developing world to have an understanding of the theories which govern development practices. Development is a controversial term and far from that which has a taken for granted meaning. This course takes students not only through the various theories on development but also introduces feminist critiques to these development theories. An understanding of these critiques is imperative as development is a gendered process.
Kursus Disertasi merupakan sebahagian daripada syarat untuk penganugerahan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Sains Sosial.
This course introduces students to the concept of deviance and provides a systematic analysis of the nature, causes, and prevention of crime, and the treatment of the criminal. It specifically focuses on various types of deviancy including their social causes and consequences. An overview of the criminal and juvenile court system as it relates to individual rights will also be discussed. Students will also be exposed to how crime is defined, various categories of crime and delinquency, and how crime and delinquency is measured. In this course students are taught with the major sociological theories of criminal and delinquent behavior. The roles of reformatory services, social workers, government and non-government agencies and the whole society in responding to these issues will also be discussed, as well as alternative techniques and methods towards rehabilitation. Social work values, ethics and interventions in dealing with crime will also be addressed.
This course introduces students to a holistic view of health and the contribution social workers can play as part of a multi-disciplinary team in both the hospital and community settings. It will highlight common psychological processes associated with illness, the objectives of social work intervention and how it is influenced by health care systems, and the link between poverty and health. Common referrals to social workers working in health care settings will be examined using a bio-psychosocial model. The course will give a basic understanding of the field of mental health – including how definitions of mental illness can be influenced by society/state. It also introduces guidelines on how social workers can intervene.
This course requires students to be attached each week to a specific agency and to attend weekly tutorial discussion groups on campus. The placement allows students the opportunity for direct client contact at a level commensurate with their abilities and one that is suitable given the time-frame of their placement. The discussion groups back on campus, and the assignment work, are all designed to maximize the learning opportunities presented in their fieldwork including integrating the different intervention approaches. Particular attention will be given to developing assessment and interviewing skills; linking theory and practice; applying values especially empathy, self-determination, confidentiality and non-judgmental attitude and being able to discuss the macro/social policy issues that arise from practice at the micro level.
This course aims to enhance students’ understanding of the integration of theory and practice in social work. It is designed to develop students’ ability to engage in critical reflection of various issues considered important for their ongoing development as professional social workers, including issues related to professional and cultural competencies. It is also designed to assist students to be able to understand, analyse and work in a range of human service organizations. Through active participation in class discussion and seminar presentations, students identify their own learning needs and develop a personal practice framework.
Source: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)