Well, as a social work lecturer I also teach social policy but not in a chunk as such. We have a first year course in which various staff members introduce different dimensions of social policy alongside which students do two PBL projects, one around a town facing an influx of ex-patients from a long stay psychiatric hospital in each group half have to advise the pro group and half the anti group; the other in which their group is brought in as consultants to an estate with a number of problems including a changing menu of contemporary issues. This enables them to relate policy to real life and to apply the teaching as well as doing quite a lot of learning (the social policy web pages being very helpful). In the second year we take an international view and look at movement of people and group work involves examining the experience of diasporas in the UK and comparing their experience of welfare in the UK to their own setting. They also interview a migrated person and reflect in the light of various theories (social construct, personal construct and symbolic interactionism)In the third year they major on their practice specialism which in my case is children and families. I am just marking some wonderful essays on whether social work influences children's life chances, in the light of policy developments over the last 5 years. Won't ask you all to predict the general views...
So I reckon we hold and develop their interest by providing learning activities that engage them and require them to find out more as well as to think. They don't all like it but most of them do. The discussion board on life in the former coalfield communities this year was brilliant.
Anne
Dr Anne Hollows
PL Social Work
Coordinator for child and family research
Sheffield Hallam University
Collegiate Campus
Sheffield S10 2BP
+44(0)114 2252369
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To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Getting students interested about social policy
Oh. I've BTDT with social work students, so I feel your pain :-)
What I do depends on the students. For social work students (or other practitioners - I've had this issue with nurses & probation officers
too) I try to structure the curriculum so that they can see the relevance of social policy in their particular area of practice. So for community nurses you might look at the policy drivers behind the development of the NHS and primary care, and then show specific research-based examples relevant to them (eg when looking at quasi-markets and new public management in health, showing examples of targets affecting nursing practice - eg on clearing beds in A&E, or immunisations rates). For social workers you might look at community care policy as another example of this - show how it has affected their practice (why they do 'assessments', for example). Find research examples where you quote the experiences of practitioners at them.
For non-practitioners (eg first year undergraduates) I try to engage them by showing how the welfare state impacts directly on them - healthcare & visiting the GP is one universal experience that is a good explanation (eg as an example of rationing, new public management, governance, funding, structures, citizenship, ethics, conditionality, activation.....whatever it is you are teaching!). Case studies that are universal are good starts - eg cervical cancer screening - can be used to discuss gender in the welfare state, how GPs get paid, citizenship rights and duties (is it your 'fault' if you die of cancer and didn't go to the screening and should the NHS therefore not treat you?) healthcare organisation, employment and professional hierarchies in the welfare state, welfare and state-citizen relationships, resources, demand management, neo-liberalism.....
You get the picture. Make it about *them*.
Kirstein
-----Original Message-----
From: Social-Policy is run by SPA for all social policy specialists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Ellison
Sent: 08 April 2008 11:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Getting students interested about social policy
From: Paul Henman
Sent: Monday, 7 April 2008 11:44 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: getting students interested about social policy
Hi colleagues
I am emailing the SPA e-list to see what other social policy teaching staff do to get students excited about social policy. What have people found successful? Has anyone written about their experiences?
I am teaching social policy to mainly social work students who think social policy is irrelevant and dull. Any pointers?
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul
(Dr) Paul Henman
BSW Honours Coordinator
Senior Lecturer, Social Policy Unit
School of Social Work and Human Services
University of Queensland QLD 4072
Phone: +61 7 3365 1845
Fax: +61 7 3365 1788
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