Social Work in the Nordic Welfare Model
The course deals with the social science aspects of the social educator's professional practice in the Nordic welfare context. This means promoting the empowerment and liberation of people and influencing political and administrative decision-making processes to promote equality of service provision and sustainable social development.
Central topics in the course:
- Political and administrative decision-making,
- The Nordic welfare model
- Organization and leadership of welfare services in Norway and internationally
- Social inequality and knowledge of structural discrimination, particularly in relation to ethnic, cultural and language minority populations
- The role of the social worker as a political actor
- Community work
- Empowering processes
- Social sustainability
Knowledge (11)
- has broad knowledge of the status of the Sami as an indigenous people and ethnic minority, and their rights to linguistically and culturally adapted services in Norway
- has knowledge of the core values and ethical codes in social work
- has knowledge of political and administrative decision-making processes
- has knowledge of how health and social policy guidelines affect the provision of services
- has knowledge of how societies function and change and the ways society impacts on the situation of the individual
- has knowledge of how social inequality and social problems affect health, living conditions and quality of life
- has knowledge of children and young people's rights and opportunities for being involved
- has familiarity with the common models used for organizing and managing welfare services in Norway and internationally
- has knowledge of how language and culture are important for communication, interaction and collaboration in service provision
- is familiar with the social worker's role in intersectoral collaboration
- is familiar with challenges faced by different minorities in engaging with Norwegian health and welfare services
Skills (4)
- can apply methods for systematic collection of user experience
- can apply academic knowledge to initiate and lead interprofessional and cross-sectoral interaction
- can apply academic knowledge to ensure equal services for all groups in society regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion and belief, culture, disability, diagnosis, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age
- can reflect on the social worker's role as a political actor
General competence (3)
- can plan and carry out measures to prevent and resolve conflicts
- can communicate knowledge on political and administrative decision-making processes and the common models used for organizing and managing welfare services
- is familiar with empowerment and co-creation processes to promote social sustainable communities
Learning activities and teaching methods
In combination with independent work, the course has a number of different required student-active learning activities based on participation in class or in groups. Skills training is also included in the course. Participation in all teaching, both digital teaching and physical sessions, is compulsory.
Compound assessment, grading scale A - F. All parts described below must be approved/passed in order to receive a final grade in the course:
- Compulsory participation - 80%, grading scale Approved/Not approved. Participation is registered hour by hour.
- Written Exam 6 hours, comprising 100/100 of the grade, grading scale A - F.