Details

Lecture contents

Students receive insight into the historical development of feminist topics, gender and diversity theories and concepts, whereby the difference and diversity, as well as processes of differentiation, are given concrete form through the core criteria of diversity. Diversity concepts are discussed, taking into consideration societal power relationships and social inequality, and put in the context of mechanisms of discrimination. Furthermore, dealing with discrimination with those concerned, personal positioning and experiences, and the consequences for professional relationships, are discussed.
Central concepts like construction and deconstruction or doing gender are illustrated. The students learn to reflect about their own societal role, their knowledge and their experiences in relation to diversity criteria. The integration of gender and diversity aspects in communication and intervention strategies by students is of central importance here. Additionally, the students get to know concrete approaches to work for Social Work, which build on concepts of social inequality.

Assessment methods

Final exam

Teaching methods

Lecture, working in small groups, discussion, guided reflection

Language

German-English

Lecture contents

In this module, the students learn about the fundamentals and terminology of political processes, political communication and the aggregation of interests. Through different concepts of democracy and participation, and through taking societal power relationships into consideration, central perspectives of the political action of Social Work are conveyed and discussed. The students are encouraged to develop and defend their own political position regarding social topics, while taking their professional role into consideration.
Through selected political fields, the connection between politics and Social Work is analysed. Within the area of tension between representative systems and non-formal political areas, perspectives on intervention are developed, particularly taking into consideration different participatory models.

Assessment methods

Continuous assessment
Immanent exam characteristic with different partial performance requirements

Teaching methods

Literature, discussion, lecture, working in small groups

Language

German-English

Lecture contents

Racism-critical work focuses on the theoretical and practical engagement with prejudice and patterns of exclusion as elements of a culturalized and racialized construction of groups in the form of antisemitism, antimuslim racism etc.
The module creates space for a self-reflective view on intervention, institutions and structures in which racisms are (re)produced. On the basis of a fundamental understanding of the necessary creation of visibility of racisms for the generation of unequal conditions, as well as their intersectional interrelation, the structural mechanisms for exclusion are presented and questions of social equality, participation and empowerment explored.

Assessment methods

Continuous assessment
Immanent exam characteristic with different partial performance requirements

Teaching methods

Seminar with exercises

Language

German-English

Lecture contents

This module relates to the module ‘Democracy and Participation' and presents the findings from analysing democratic structures and participatory processes with self-organised structures and actions within Social Work and self-reliant (potential) clients of Social Work. Locating Social Work in relation to self-organised groups is explained, and the possibilities of working together is increased.
For this purpose, the aspects of representation through Social Work, self-representation of affected (groups) people, emancipation and empowerment, as well as user participation and codetermination in accommodation facilities, are discussed.
Considering Social Work as a part of political structures in Austria, it is negotiated how Social Work takes, shapes and enforces its political role.
For this purpose, the engagement with interests and intervention strategies of different political actors, as well as the understanding of political structures and processes is promoted. Furthermore, concrete methodological options to promote self-organisation are discussed.

Assessment methods

Final exam

Teaching methods

Literature discussion, casework, exercises, discussion

Language

German-English

Lecture contents

The students reflect on the demands placed on writing a thesis regarding research strategy, topical focus and question. They deepen their knowledge about different ways of working, in terms of analysing the literature and familiarising themselves with the formal rules. They practice the scientific argumentation and analysis of subject-specific areas of discourse, learn to assess resources and understand the criteria for assessing academic writing.
The students are supported during the preparation of the exposé and narrowing of their topical scope. Concrete sources are discussed with them and they receive feedback on their writing and research process, while working on their exposé. The exposé is presented and discussed with the students during the module, and a general structure and time plan for the thesis is elaborated. Furthermore, they determine preliminary presuppositions in relation to the expected findings of their BA thesis.

Assessment methods

Final exam

Teaching methods

Literature-based group work and discussion, partly distance learning supported

Language

German

Lecture contents

The students prepare a literature-based written bachelor thesis. They receive feedback on the writing and research process during writing the individual thesis, and implement it in their work. Students implement the scientific concepts acquired during the degree through recognising, defining and elaborating on the questions, based on the basic scientific methods, which are important for the field.
They are able to illustrate the relevance of the selected topic for their theory-based and scientifically sound engagement with the case-related area of research. They compose their academic work in a fashion that complies with the general and scientific language requirements, lead a discussion at the current discourse level of the selected field and know the assessment criteria, which need to be applied to the bachelor thesis. Furthermore, they are able to summarize and discuss the results of their work, as well as the derived consequences.

Assessment methods

Continuous assessment
Immanent exam characteristic with different partial performance requirements

Teaching methods

Lecture-based group work and discussion, partly distance learning supported

Language

German-English

Lecture contents

Historical and current approaches to working at the local community level, as well as developments of socio-cultural and social-space-oriented approaches are imparted to the students. On this basis, the students practice and learn about selected methods of social-space analysis, the investigation of outreach work, including information, activation and project work, the support of citizens, moderating and supporting large and small groups, as well as negotiating different conflictual situations.
On the basis of case study examples, taking methodological action with regards to target group specific and target group overlapping Social Work is reflected, in order to understand the connections between professional principles and the application of intervention techniques.
Emphasis on open youth work:
Students receive an overview of organisational forms, conditions and goals of selected offers within open children and youth work (i.e. youth centres, park support, outreach and mobile youth work). In the process, the goals of open youth work are addressed, such as organising recreational activities, supporting personal development, development of sexual identities and supporting relationship-building abilities and creating ‘try out spaces' in the spirit of professionally supervised intermediate worlds.
Furthermore, the students get to know life-world and appropriation-oriented approaches and methods, as well as practice Social Work interventions in different consultancy and support situations.
Through concrete case study examples, the students are taught to analyse complex social problems and topics for children and youth, to determine the role, function and professional orientation of Social Work, to develop possibilities of intervention and to justify methodological interventions in detail.
Emphasis on district work:
The students receive an overview of the programme, project and organisation which Social Work offers in public spaces and/or operates in district work (i.e. neighbourhood projects, offers of urban regeneration, outreach measures of Social Work). Thereby, notions of order and measures in public spaces and districts (i.e. residential buildings, open spaces, railway stations, shopping streets) are critically elaborated on, while projects of participatory development and social participation within the district are discussed, in order to make Social Work intervention perspectives usable and develop them further.
Through concrete case study examples, the students are taught to analyse complex social problems within urban spaces, in order to determine the role, function and professional orientation, to develop possibilities of Social Work intervention and to justify methodological interventions in detail.

Assessment methods

Final exam
Final exam: written case elaboration and team-teaching presentation

Teaching methods

field- and case-oriented exercises

Language

German

Language

German