Students

SOCX3040 – Human Services in the 21st Century: Care, Gender and Institutions

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Tobia Fattore
tobia.fattore@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
25 Wallys Walk, Room B250 Building B
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
SOCI3040
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores the concept of care and its application in a range of different human service fields including mental health, childcare, child protection, disability services and aged care. We explore the links between informal supports, typically, although not exclusively, provided by women within families and households; and formal supports as provided by professional, trained and untrained staff, through organisations and other, often newly emergent, systems of support. Drawing together the fields of social theory and applied research, this unit provides an opportunity to examine responses to changing concepts of human need for interpersonal support. You will be able to learn from policy makers and practitioners working in this field, and analyse current research on care and human services in Australia and other comparable countries.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Exhibit a critical understanding of the different meanings attached to the concept of care and of changing patterns in the need for care across the life course.
  • ULO2: Analyse the characteristics of care in intimate interpersonal relationships, as well as in contexts in which professional relationships require the provision of care to strangers. .
  • ULO3: Recognise the contribution of a range of sociological, economic and demographic and other perspectives to developments in care and human services.
  • ULO4: Work with a range of policy documents concerned with the planning, provision, regulation, and funding of human services.
  • ULO5: Apply a number of research perspectives to the study of human services.
  • ULO6: Work as part of a social research or policy development team in the field.
  • ULO7: Understand the key issues involved in undertaking social analyses of policies and programs for the development of human services.

General Assessment Information

Assignment Submission

All written assignments (program design paper) need to be submitted using the turnitin link for that assignment. This can be accessed under the assessment tab on the iLearn page for the assignment. The presentation will be delivered in the Week 12 and 13 tutorials and if required, the Week 13 lecture time. The quizzes will be available in Weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12, on the unit iLearn page. Unless otherwise arranged, students will have that week to complete the quiz. However this will be time-limited.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles of Macquarie University. It is a fundamental principle that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim.
  • All academic collaborations are acknowledged.
  • Academic work is not falsified in any way
  • When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately

Late Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all non-timed written assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc) is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams/quizzes, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Program Design Task 20% No End of Week 13, June 2
Program Design Presentation 40% No Friday Week 13, May 31
Quizzes 40% No Online, Weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12

Program Design Task

Assessment Type 1: Design Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: End of Week 13, June 2
Weighting: 20%

 

In addition to the Program Design presentation, students must individually submit a paper describing one aspect of the program that has been designed as part of the Program Design activity. If students have designed the program as a group, group members must submit the individual paper on different elements of the program. If students have designed the program individually, you will be required to submit a paper on one aspect of the program only.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse the characteristics of care in intimate interpersonal relationships, as well as in contexts in which professional relationships require the provision of care to strangers. .
  • Recognise the contribution of a range of sociological, economic and demographic and other perspectives to developments in care and human services.
  • Work with a range of policy documents concerned with the planning, provision, regulation, and funding of human services.
  • Apply a number of research perspectives to the study of human services.
  • Work as part of a social research or policy development team in the field.

Program Design Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Friday Week 13, May 31
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will design a human services program. This work will culminate in an online/pre-recorded presentation of the program at the end of the semester. This will be a guided activity with the weekly discussion forums devoted to tasks designed to assist in the cumulative process of developing a human services program. However, additional research will be required by students to obtain the resources they require to inform their program design. To undertake this exercise effectively, you will initially need to identify a human services field within which you can develop a program (or human services innovation). Related to this is identifying a need that your program intends to address. These could be for example, a program for ‘at-risk youth’, an early-intervention and prevention program for children, a programs to address isolation among older people, or a service program to meet the needs of recently active military personnel. The presentation should address the following components/questions (that will be used as a guide during the tutorials): 1) Program Overview 2) Statement of Outcomes 3) Environmental Context your program is working within 4) Potential demand for your program 5) Client group of the program 6) Detailed Program Description 7) Concrete resources for your program, including a budget

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse the characteristics of care in intimate interpersonal relationships, as well as in contexts in which professional relationships require the provision of care to strangers. .
  • Recognise the contribution of a range of sociological, economic and demographic and other perspectives to developments in care and human services.
  • Work with a range of policy documents concerned with the planning, provision, regulation, and funding of human services.
  • Apply a number of research perspectives to the study of human services.
  • Work as part of a social research or policy development team in the field.
  • Understand the key issues involved in undertaking social analyses of policies and programs for the development of human services.

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Online, Weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12
Weighting: 40%

 

As the discussion forums will be devoted to the program design, the four quizzes will assess student engagement with the core concepts and themes presented in the lectures and readings.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Exhibit a critical understanding of the different meanings attached to the concept of care and of changing patterns in the need for care across the life course.
  • Analyse the characteristics of care in intimate interpersonal relationships, as well as in contexts in which professional relationships require the provision of care to strangers. .
  • Recognise the contribution of a range of sociological, economic and demographic and other perspectives to developments in care and human services.
  • Work with a range of policy documents concerned with the planning, provision, regulation, and funding of human services.
  • Apply a number of research perspectives to the study of human services.
  • Understand the key issues involved in undertaking social analyses of policies and programs for the development of human services.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The teaching program consists of:

  • For all students. A weekly lecture for Weeks 1-12. The lecture will be delivered on-campus Tuesdays 11:00-1:00, 11 Wallys Walk, Room 150. The lecture slides and a recording of the lectures will be available each week on the SOI3040/SOCX3040 iLearn site.
  • For Internal students, during Weeks 2-11 tutorials will be held Tuesdays 2:00-3:00, 1 Central Courtyard, Room 103. These tutorials will be devoted to designing a human services program. This will culminate in the submission of a Program Design paper and Presentation in the Week 12 and 13 tutorials. Further information about the assessments is available on the SOI3040/SOCX3040 iLearn site.
  • For OUA and Online-Flexible/External students, these tutorials will be undertaken online during Weeks 2-11 via guided Discussion Forums accessed via the iLearn site. It is imperative that students post their program activities on a weekly basis to ensure satisfactory progress on the Program design activity and ensure timely completion of the assessments. These activities will culminate in the submission of a Program Design paper and submission of a Presentation via email. Engagement in the Discussion Forums is therefore a requirement for successful completion of the course. Further information about the assessments is available on the SOI3040/SOCX3040 iLearn site.
  • Weekly readings which cover the key issues relating to the weekly topic. These are available via the Leganto link in the SOI3040/SOCX3040 iLearn site. These readings and lectures \ form the basis for the Online quizzes, which will be available via the unit iLearn page in Weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. Each quiz will be worth 10% of your final grade, and will consist of a mix of multiple-choice and short answer questions.
  • Related reading and research development tasks over the course of the unit.

As this is an advanced course in the uses and development of sociological analysis, it is vital for students to participate in all components of the unit. The lectures provide the conceptual basis of the course, examining the theory and much of the relevant evidence for each topic. The tutorials and online discussions are designed to complement this by providing an opportunity to apply ideas to a structured and guided program design task.

While there are no required textbooks for this unit, the following are useful texts for students undertaking this unit:

  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023) Australia’s Welfare: Data Insights, 2023, Canberra. (This can be downloaded free from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2023-data-insights/contents/about)
  • Meagher, G, Stebbing, A and Perche, D. (2022) Designing Social Service Markets: Risk, Regulation and Rent-Seeking, ANU Press (Open Access online: https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/designing-social-service-markets)

Unit Schedule

Week

Lecture

Tutorial / Discussion Forum

Week 1

 

Introduction: Care and Human Services.

No tutorials

Week 2

Understanding Care: Contested Definitions and Perspectives.

Tutorials commence this week

Introductions and Course Overview

Week 3

Formal and Informal Care: The Substitutability of Care.

Quiz 1

Identifying a Program Focus

Week 4

Human Services as Organisations

Developing a Program Theory of Change

Week 5

Total Institutions and the Critique of Institutional Models of Care.

Environmental context and potential demand

Week 6

Reinventing Human Services: Alternatives to Institutional Models of Care.

Quiz 2

Identifying resources and program objectives

Week 7

The Political Economy of Human Service Provision.

Identifying Inputs, funding sources and developing a budget

Week 8

Working in the Human Services.

Identifying Inputs, funding sources and developing a budget

Week 9

Care Around the World.

Quiz 3

Specifying your client group and client intake, participation and exit processes

Week 10

The Future of Human Services

Program Delivery

Week 11

Conclusion: Multiple Perspectives on Human Services in the 21st Century.

Finalising your program design and presentation

Weeks 12 and 13

Program Design Presentations

Week 12 Quiz 4

Program Design Paper Due

Program Design Presentations

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook