Course

Global and Environmental Perspectives in Social Work

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Social Work
Course code
SOWK 4260
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
Certificate in Global Competency
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
In this course students will examine social work practice from a global perspective. Course content will include issues related to social justice, wealth inequality, human rights, human trafficking, global medical issues, war, oppression and colonization, particularly as these relate to migration and settlement. Students will consider how globalizing forces are manifested in local communities and learn about how to anticipate and respond to the social consequences. The environment, climate change and interventions will be examined from a global context. Students will apply international theory, including Indigenization, to their understanding of global issues.
Course content

Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge, and best practices. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.

  • Social workers assess and anticipate the impact of globalization on social welfare at the local and international level.
  • Emerging practices for international collaboration and social welfare developed by or in partnership with Indigenous peoples offer unique perspectives which may foster innovation and creativity to meet the challenges posed by globalization.
  • Knowledge of global events and trends informs social work assessment, advocacy, intervention and planning.
  • Social workers evaluate and adjust practice in response to emerging global changes.
  • Social workers should be aware of international social work theories.
Learning activities

Lecture
Presentation
Small group discussion
Online

Means of assessment

Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. 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’s course outline. This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of assessment may include some or all of the following:

Written paper
Exam
Project
Presentation (individual or group)

Learning outcomes

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

  1. Provide an analysis of the impact of global issues on the social welfare of people locally and internationally.
  2. Evaluate policies governing refugees, forced migrants and immigrants and consider best practices working with newcomers.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of the effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples in the global community.
  4. Explain social problems such as human trafficking and forced labour and formulate a social work response to these problems at the local and international level.
  5. Apply various international social work theories to global problems with an emphasis on intervention.
  6. Understand White privilege narratives that have been and continue to be embedded in social work practice, policy, research and education.
  7. Understand and analyze the role of major international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, World Health Organization, and World Bank in international economic and social development.
  8. Identify environmental injustice and racism (ie. inequitable burdens borne by those who contribute the least to environmental degradation).
  9. Describe environmental sustainability across individual, organization and professional contexts.
  10. Identify the role of social workers in advocacy for policies and social practices that will support ecological health and environmental sustainability.
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:

Mapp, S.C. (Current Edition). Human Rights and Social Justice in a Global Perspective: An Introduction to International Social Work. Oxford University Press.

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

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for SOWK 4260
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

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
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1004
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
Section notes

SOWK 4260 001 is restricted to BSW students.