Social perspective strategies & regionalization in social work

Department

Bachelor's program Social Work

Course unit code

SOA-B-5-MT4-REG-ILV

Number of ECTS credits allocated

3.0

Name of lecturer(s)

Hofmann Johanna, BA MA

Mode of delivery

face-to-face/optional online

Recommended optional program components

none

Recommended or required reading

Bryant, L. & Williams, C. (2020): Place and space in social work, Vol.19, No.3, 321-336.

Kessl, F. & Reutliner, C. (2022): Sozialraum. Eine elementare Einführung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

Opačić, A. (2021): Practicing Social Work in Deprived Communities. Competencies, Methods, and Techniques. Wiesbaden: Springer.

Postan-Aizik, D. (2021): Social exclusion in a post-industrial city: towards a critical urban social work perspective, European Journal of Social Work, Vol.24, No.6, 1015-1027.

Reutlinger, C. (2022). Sozialraum. In: Rund, M., Peters, F. (eds) Schlüsselbegriffe der Sozialplanung und ihre Kritik. Sozialraumforschung und Sozialraumarbeit. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. 171-188.

Spatscheck, C. (2012): Socio-Spatial Approaches to Social Work, Social Work and Society, Vol.10, No.1, 1-13.

Spatscheck, C. & Wolf-Ostermann. K. (2009): The Socio-Spatial Paradigm in Social Work - Social Space Analyses as Method for Practitioners and Researchers. In: sozialraum.de (1) Ausgabe 2/2009. URL: https://www.sozialraum.de/the-socio-spatial-paradigm-in-social-work.php, Datum des Zugriffs: 17.08.2023.

Level of course unit

Bachelor

Year of study

Fall 2025

Semester when the course unit is delivered

5

Language of instruction

English

Learning outcomes of the course unit

The goal is to gain an understanding of different concepts of space, social space, socio-spatial strategies and local or regional development, the art of place-making, and regionalisation/ localisation in social work. Furthermore the goal is to recognise the importance of these concepts for social work practice.

Course contents

- Theoretical approaches to the perception of space between concrete places in physical space and abstract spatial concepts.

- City and region: ideal-typical attributions and characteristics of urban and rural areas and its implications for social work.

- Public space, its potential and obstacles perceived from the perspective of different (disadvantaged) circumstances.

The social space:
- as a frame of reference for the organization of "social services",
- as an interface and meeting place for different public institutions,
- as a place of democracy promotion - as an economic area.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course comprises an interactive mix of lectures, discussions and individual and group work.

Work placement(s)

none