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Critique (written)

Social workers and Human Services professionals are faced with many complex contemporary issues including international conflict, the consequences of COVID-19, climate change, increased violence, ableism, and the intersecting injustices around gender and sexuality. Few would disagree that social work is “complex” but it is more important that practitioners understand that complexity in practice carries elements of uncertainty regarding causes, effects, and potential solutions. Complexity theory derives from theories of complex adaptive systems, describing interactive relationships in and between complex needs, relational complexity, and organisational complexity. Social workers and Human Services must see that these boundaries as blurred and intersectional; interconnectivity and complexities occurring in and between contribute to the production of many of the “wicked” problems facing the world. Complexity theory assists with deconstructing and re-assembling the pervasive complexity faced by social workers working at the micro, meso, and macro levels.     This course is designed for final year social work and human services students as they prepare for graduation and employment. To address the complexity of challenges facing humankind in the 21st century, social workers and human services professionals benefit from examination of complexity theory that provides a useful framework for understanding the social, economic, political, and ecological contexts in which social workers practice. Climate change has been chosen to illustrate the utility of this theory given its inherent complexities and the stark reality of its impact. Using complexity theory, climate change is unpacked, disassembled, evaluated and analysed in search of eco-social justice.

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Students enrolled in the BHMS program must have completed SWK2010 and HSW3388 as course pre-requisites.

Students enrolled in the BSWK program must have completed SWK4000 and SWH4100 as course pre-requisites. A pre-requisite or co-requisite of SWH4400 must also be completed. 

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Complexity in Social Work

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Online seminar (synchonous)

 Online Lecture (asynchronous)

SWH4300 - Practice Ready: Complexity and Climate Change in the Global Context

Practice Ready: Complexity and Climate Change in the Global Context

Integrate critical thinking, critical reflexivity and complexity theories into Social Work and Human Services practice when faced with a range of complex and challenging situations and environments. 

Utilise their practice framework and be work-ready as a social work and human services graduate.

Formulate anti-oppressive strategies and describe complexity theory, drawing upon its history in response to 21st century challenges facing humankind. 

Executing critical knowledge of ‘wicked problems’ to Social Work and Human Services practice and problem solving in an interprofessional context. 

Critically examine, advocate for and engage in eco-social justice actions inclusive of climate change. 

SWH4300-TR3-OL-TWMBA

SWH4300-TR1-OL-TWMBA