MSW Learning
SOWK 671 S01: Social Policy
Through this course, I learned about my own political stance, which is more leftist and libertarian, and how this, along with my moral intuitions, shapes my worldview, values and social work approach. Even though I was very intimidated by this course as I had no prior knowledge on any policy issues, I appreciated learning about how social policy is interlinked with social welfare. While I have always been interested in multiculturalism, I realized I did not know much at all about Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism and so I set out to explore this subject in my course assignments. SOWK 673 S01: International Social Development This course was intensely challenging as it really prompted me to critically question the role of social workers and the impacts of Canadian NGOs in international development. This course also pushed me to learn about neoliberalism and the jargon and rhetoric of development. In exploring the consequences of globalization and neoliberalism, I had the opportunity to look into migrant workers and remittances which is a subject I feel close to as I had a Filipino live-in caregiver when I was a child and is interlinked with my interest in working with newcomers. SOWK 675 S01: Advanced International Social Work Modules In the Gender & International Development module, I found it very valuable to have an emphasis on the need to approach development using a ‘gender lens’ as true sustainable development is not feasible without taking gender differences in equality and equity into consideration. The Tools for Social Change module emphasized the issues of sustainable development and local ownership and introduced me to the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. For this module, I had the opportunity to delve into the area of frameworks related to maternal-child health in anticipation of my practicum with HCU. In the Contemporary Peace Building module, I found it very interesting to look at a range of issues including local ownership, foreign involvement, and the effectiveness of aid. I especially valued identifying lessons for ‘outsiders’ on how to support community-based peace building capacity, such as needing to be highly collaborative and understanding of the context of the conflict. In the Disaster, Conflict & Development module, I really enjoyed learning the distinction between hazards, such as earthquakes and floods, and disasters, which are socially constructed and took the opportunity to explore the relationship between disaster impacts and poverty. SOWK 677 S01: Social Work Research, International and Community Methods I entered this course with the mind-set that I do not really care to engage in research in my social work practice. But this course really changed how I felt and I began to appreciate research which is informed by a social work perspective as something that is of great value to development work. Through practical assignments, this course taught me about various data collection methods and how to do a literature review as well as disseminate research findings. I would get the chance to find out for myself how research can be a significant contribution to development during my MSW practicum. Also, after learning about Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Photovoice in this course, I hope to engage in such research methods at some point in my future work. SOWK 679 S03: International and Community Development (ICD) Projects In this course, I worked in a large team of MSW students from both the ICD and Clinical Specializations over the entire course of the term. We developed a series of reports as steps in producing a project proposal for Syrian refugee women in Jordan. This proved quite challenging but also a valuable practical learning experience as, for example, it would be difficult at times to arrange meetings or come to agreements. But these times also gave us the opportunities to collaborate and problem solve. This experience really helped prepare me for working collaboratively as part of the HCU team in my practicum. This course also taught me applicable knowledge and skills, such as how to write an effective project proposal. SOWK 697 S01: Diversity, Oppression & Social Justice As I greatly value the practice of reflection, I really appreciated that this course had us keep a reflective journal. Through reflection, I could explore and truly engage more with subjects such as discourse analysis, oppression and power, and the experiences of Indigenous peoples and their implications. And as I had already explored my interest in working with refugees and immigrants through a number of my course assignments, I took the opportunity in this course to investigate a different area of interest and learn more about Indigenous peoples and intergenerational trauma. SOWK 699 S02: Advanced Community Development Theory & Practice I This course taught me the importance of respectful collaboration and forging strong relationships in community building and social justice activism. For this course, I had the opportunity to reconnect with the community that first ignited my interest in social work, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, through an analysis of the housing and anti-gentrification movement in that community. Through this assignment, I gained an understanding of conjunctural analysis, which involves exploring how various actors, forces and events collide to either create or constrain opportunities for action. SOWK 699 S03: Advanced Community Development Theory & Practice II One of my most memorable moments in the program was when we were asked in this class, what is development? I felt rather surprised that I did not have a confident answer but now I can define development as positive change. While I learned a great deal from my fellow classmates in all my courses, this course really pushed us to generate our own learning and share with each other, such as with a World Cafe. Also, this course introduced me to social capital theory and self-efficacy theory, which really resonated with me and I have now incorporated into my practice model. |
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