Course

Theories and Perspectives for Social Work Practice

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Social Work
Course code
SOWK 3100
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
The course provides students with an overview of essential theories, models and perspectives relevant to generalist social work practice. Students will examine theories important to social work practice, such as developmental, biopsychosocial, systems, anti-oppression, Indigenous, feminist, strength-based, social justice, social constructivism, and structural. Students will explore the application of theories, models, and perspectives to practice and develop a guiding framework for their own practice.
Course content

• The role of theory in shaping social work practice, policy, and research
• Anti-oppressive, structural, feminist, and social justice theories
• Indigenous and decolonizing theoretical perspectives in social work
• Evidence-based practice and the relationship between theory and empirical research
• Application of multiple theories to assessment, intervention, and evaluation
• Critical reflection on the limits of theory

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
  • Case studies
  • Role-play demonstrations
  • Presentations
  • Projects
  • Exams
  • Participation
  • Attendance

 

Learning outcomes

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

  1. Explain the significance of theory in shaping social work practices, policies, and research;
  2. Analyze a range of social work theories and their practical applications;
  3. Critique the role of evidence-based practice that is informed by theoretical frameworks and empirical research;
  4. Explore Indigenous theoretical approaches and how they inform social work practice;
  5. Examine potential gaps between theory and real-world complexities, especially in working with diverse and marginalized populations;
  6. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in selecting and applying theories to practice, accounting for the sociopolitical and cultural contexts of clients;
  7. Apply a selection of theories to a situation and describe how each theory guides practice in that situation.
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: 

Shaikh, S. S., LeFrançois, B. A., & Macías, T. (Eds.). (Current edition). Critical social work praxis. Fernwood Publishing.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

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 SOWK 3100
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit

Course Offerings

Fall 2026

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
0
Remaining seats:
35
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1004
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1004
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
Section notes

SOWK 3100 001 is restricted to BSW students.