Course

Families: Working from an Indigenous Perspectives

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Child and Youth Care
Course code
CYCC 2332
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
Indigenous Content
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
In this course, students will examine Indigenous societies' pre-colonial family structures, contextualizing them within the devastating impact of imperial interventions such as the Indian Act, Residential Schools, and the Sixties Scoop. Through the lens of Indigenous worldviews, students will critically reflect on their familial backgrounds, recognizing and celebrating their families' unique gifts, strengths, and resilience. By engaging with Indigenous knowledge systems, including Elders teachings, Indigenous Storywork, and the lessons embedded within, students will gain insight into how these resources can inform the revitalization of Indigenous-focused family support systems.
Course content
The following Indigenous principles guide the design and delivery of this course:
  • Integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into service delivery for Indigenous families contributes to culturally safe and  relevant approaches that respect Indigenous communities and promote resilience, wellness and healing.
  • A comprehensive understanding of the various policies and legislation impacting Indigenous children, youth and families, both historically and presently, provides an understanding of how the policies shape the experiences or challenges faced by Indigenous children, youth and families.
  • Collaboration and accountability are essential to working with Indigenous children, youth, and families.
  • Indigenous people are particularly skilled at raising resilient children.
  • Indigenous people have inherent rights and self-determination in child and family services.
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.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation as part of the student’s graded performance. Expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the instructor course outline.

Students in the CYCC program are required to maintain a minimun grade of 60% (C) in all CYCC courses in order to progress in the program.  Additionally, CYCC 1220 and CYCC 2432 will require a minimum grade of 65% (C+) in order to be applied as a pre-requisite.

Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Analyze and articulate the intergenerational effects of colonization, the Indian residential school system, adoption, foster care, and the justice system on Indigenous families.
  2. Engage in a reflective exploration of their lived family experiences, recognizing the nuances of their family dynamics and histories.
  3. Interpret and apply Indigenous Knowledge and how these teachings can impact family networks and promote holistic well-being within Indigenous communities.
  4. Explore how Indigenous ways of being, doing, knowing, and becoming support the practitioner in developing a collaborative and culturally safe environment when working with families.
  5. Articulate a foundational understanding of various theories regarding family dynamics and developmental frameworks while critically examining relevance within Indigenous contexts. 
Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.

Requisites

Prerequisites

Course is restricted to Indigenous Pathway students. Students in other programs, please contact coordinator for registration.

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

CYCC 2333

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for CYCC 2332
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) No credit
Langara College (LANG) LANG GNST 2XXX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU CYCA 2XXX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) No credit
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC IS 2XX (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU CYC 2nd (3)

Course Offerings

Fall 2026

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
30
Currently enrolled
0
Remaining seats:
30
On waitlist
0
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
Start Time
9:30
-
End Time
12:20
Section notes

This course is restricted to BACYC/DPCYC students. Other students interested in this course, please contact cyc@douglascollege.ca.