Course Description
This course will focus on the development of a professional identity through examination of values, worldviews, and personal ethics in context of the professional ethics in education and human services. In forming strong and healthy communities, factors related to diversity, self-determination, social and economic justice, and power relations will be examined. Using the concepts of critical thinking, students will explore and reflect on historical and current perspectives and ethical decision-making. Current legal and policy trends will be discussed in relation to significant social and cultural issues.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Respecting diversity, self-determination, and analyzing power relations in community are integral for working towards social, economic, and environmental justice.
- Exploring and reflecting on one’s own experience as a member of a community is fundamental to understanding socialization and respecting other experiences and perspectives.
- Communities have many resources. Through collaborative work, communities have power, the capacity to effect change, and the ability to take care of their own members.
- Critical thinking and the clear effective articulation of ideas in a variety of formats and settings are essential to effective practice and community involvement.
- In addition to knowing the standards of practice or the expectations of one’s employers, practitioners need to continually examine their own beliefs and value systems to understand how they shape professional practice.
- Professional practice requires an understanding of ethical principles and their application to decisions and actions taken. Ethical decision making requires continual reflection, self-examination, and ongoing values clarification.
- By making a commitment to become active, ethical practitioners, human service workers can contribute to the development of healthy communities.
- Critically examining the history of the social service field and service delivery is necessary to understand what has been, what is, and what is possible.
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Group Work
- Student Presentations
- Guest Speakers
- Audio-Visual Presentations
All methods of instruction apply to in class, hybrid and/or online modes of learning.
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to the Douglas College Evaluation Policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.
- Written Assignments
- Group Presentations
- Self Assessment
- Classroom Activity Participation
- Other
This is a letter graded course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Reflect on community membership and articulate the impact of personal, cultural, professional, and societal values on their work in community.
- Describe the characteristics of healthy human service communities and the rights and responsibilities of human service members.
- Explore and critically analyze historical and current social justice issues in context of human service work.
- Apply ethical principles to human service dilemmas.
- Understand the division of power in Canada's political systems and explain how social policy is created.
- Evaluate how policies can support or hinder social justice.
Textbook Materials
Course materials and/or textbooks approved by the department.