Family Systems Social Work

Overview

Course description

In this course, students will study diverse family structures, theories, and approaches to working with families. Family dynamics, strengths, and cultural and community contexts are explored. The course emphasizes self-reflection, understanding how personal background shapes practice, and applying anti-racist and decolonizing strategies to support families.

Course content

• Diverse family structures and definitions
• Family systems theories and generalist practice approaches
• Engagement, assessment, and intervention with families
• Family development and life cycles
• Strengths-based and collaborative practice
• Indigenous perspectives on family and healing
• Impacts of colonization and systemic inequities
• Use of self and reflexive practice
• Complex family challenges and caregiving

Learning activities

In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, discussion, group work, case studies, and presentations.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline. This is a letter-graded course.

Typical means of assessment include the following:

Written papers
Presentations
Projects
Exams
Participation
Attendance

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Describe the role of social workers in supporting families;
Explain the impact of systemic inequities on families;
Apply theories used in generalist social work practice with families in the processes of engagement, assessment, and intervention;
Discuss the impact of historical and ongoing colonization on Indigenous families;
Apply theories used in Indigenous social work practice with families in the processes of engagement, assessment, and intervention;
Use a variety of assessment and intervention strategies with families;
Demonstrate the importance of self-awareness in reflective practice;
Critically analyze one's own social location and articulate how use of self is incorporated into practice.

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. Example texts may include:

Albanese, P. (current edition). Canadian families today. Oxford University Press.
Burnette, C. E. (2018). Family and cultural protective factors as the bedrock of resilience and growth for Indigenous women who have experienced violence. Journal of Family Social Work, 21(1), 45–62.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

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.

September 2026 (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 SOWK 2333
Simon Fraser University (SFU)	SFU SA 231 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC)	UVIC SOCW 2XX (1.5)