CWTMK26HKI Community Work Theories and Methods (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Objective

The students will be able to:
• recognise different concepts, definitions and theories in community work
• recognise the social capacity and assets of the members of communities
• understand different definitions of participation
• analyze the meaning of place in social service and community work
• apply different participatory community work methods in neighbourhood work

Content

• Concepts, definitions and theories in community work
• Social capacity and assets of members of communities
• definitions of participation
• Meaning of place in social service and community work
• Participatory community work methods used in neighbourhood work

Materials

The study module consist of lectures and reading materials about the meaning of place for social service work, community work and participatory methods including photovoice, participatory photography, participatory/cognitive mapping and go-along methods. The following literature & matgerial may be updated in the beginning of the study module.
SPACE AND PLACE
Akesson, B., Burns, V., & Hordyk, S.-R. (2017). The Place of Place in Social Work: Rethinking the Person-in-Environment Model in Social Work Education and Practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 53(3), 372–383.
Atkinson, S., Bagnall, A., Corcoran, R., & South, J. (2017). What is community wellbeing? Conceptual review.
Atkinson, D., Jackson, P., Sibley, D., Washbourne, N., Atkinson, D., Jackson, P., . . . Washbourne, N. (2005). Cultural geography: A critical dictionary of key concepts. Tauris.
Augé, M. (2020). Non-places: An introduction to supermodernity. Verso Books.
Flynn, K., & Mathias, B. (2020). “I would say it’s alive”: Understanding the social construction of place, identity, and neighborhood effects through the lived experience of urban young adults. Qualitative Social Work, 19(3), 481–500.
Fuller, S. (2012). Wellbeing and place. Taylor & Francis Group.
Gillespie, A., Abu-Rubieh, Z., Coll, L., Matti, M., Allaf, C., Seff, I., & Stark, L. (2024). “Living their best life”: PhotoVoice insights on well-being, inclusion, and access to public spaces among adolescent refugee girls in urban resettlement. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 20(1).
Hopkins, P., & Pain, R. (2007). Geographies of age: thinking relationally. Area (0004-0894), 39(3), 287–294.
Johnson, N. C., Schein, R. H., & Winders, J. (2013). The wiley-blackwell companion to cultural geography. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Lebrusan Murillo, I., & Gómez García, M. V. P. (2022). The importance of place attachment in the understanding of ageing in place:" the stones know me".
Littman, D. M. (2020). Third place theory and social work: Considering collapsed places. Journal of Social Work, 21(5), 1225-1242. https://doi-org.anna.diak.fi/10.1177/1468017320949445
Pain, R. (2001). Gender, Race, Age and Fear in the City. Urban Studies (Routledge), 38(5/6), 899–913.
Placeness, place, placelessness (a good we-site about sense of place)
Ralph, D., & Staeheli, L. A. (2011). Home and migration: Mobilities, belongings and identities. Geography compass, 5(7), 517-530
Rasmussen, K. (2004). Places for Children – Children’s Places. Childhood, 11(2), 155-173. https://doi-org.anna.diak.fi/10.1177/0907568204043053
Ratliff, G. A., Graaf, G., & Choy-Brown, M. (2023). Orienting social work to incorporate place-based principles: A practical guide to the use of place in social work practice. Journal of Social Work, 23(4), 692-720. https://doi-org.anna.diak.fi/10.1177/14680173231162537
Smith, A. E. (2009). Ageing in urban neighbourhoods : Place attachment and social exclusion. Policy Press.
Community Toolbox. Understanding and Describing the Community. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/describe-the-community/main

PLACEMAKING & PLACE-BASED WORK
Community Development Halton. https://www.cdhalton.ca/
Mäenpää & Faehnle: City activism as a resource for cities 2017:1
Project for public spaces. What is Placemaking? https://www.pps.org/article/what-is-placemaking

GO ALONG METHODS
Evans, J., & Jones, P. (2011). The walking interview: Methodology, mobility and place. Applied Geography, 31(2), 849–858.
Kusenbach, Margarethe. "Street phenomenology: The go-along as ethnographic research tool." Ethnography 4.3 (2003): 455-485.
ESRC National Centre for Research Methods. Realities Toolkit Using walking interviews. https://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/schools/soss/morgancentre/toolkits/13-toolkit-walking-interviews.pdf
Van Cauwenberg, J., Van Holle, V., Simons, D., Deridder, R., Clarys, P., Goubert, L., Nasar, J., Salmon, J., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Deforche, B. (2012). Environmental factors influencing older adults’ walking for transportation: a study using walk-along interviews. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 9, 85–95.

PARTICIPATORY PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTOVOICE
The Bartlett Development Unit. Freetown through a Citizens' media lens - neighbourhood planning using participatory photography [video]. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un_iX57-378.
Hardwick, L., Smith, R. S., & Worsley, A. (2016). Innovations in social work research: Using methods creatively.
Community Toolbox. Implementing Photovoice in Your Community. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/photovoice/main
Krieg, B., Murdock, L., & Havelock, J. (2009). A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PHOTOVOICE: SHARING PICTURES, TELLING STORIES AND CHANGING COMMUNITIES.
Marcu, C., & Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu. (2018). Home Away from Home: Photovoice Project with Young Asylum Seekers. Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu.
Parajuli, P. & Päällysaho, K. Tools and Techniques for Community Development . In A. Nieminen, & A. Suikkala Tools for wellbeing and dignity: Il, Developing multi-professional collaboration competence among the disciplines of nursing, social work and microbiology (107-123). Diaconia University of Applied Sciences.
Participatory Photography Project Guide. From community assessment to political action. (n.d.) Community Health Partnership. Oregon’s Public Health Institute.
Photovoice. https://photovoice.org/
Wang, Caroline, and Mary Ann Burris. "Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment." Health education & behavior 24.3 (1997): 369-387.

PARTICIPATORY MAPPING
Corbett, J. (2009). Good practices in participatory mapping: A review prepared for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Emmel, N. (2008). Toolkit# 03 participatory mapping: an innovative sociological method. Real Life Methods. Leeds: ESRC National Centre for Research Methods.
Gessa, Stefano Di. "Participatory mapping as a tool for empowerment." Roma. En: International Land Coalition (2008).
Swords, J., Jeffries, M., East, H., & Messer, S. (2019). Mapping the City: participatory mapping with young people. Geography, 104(3), 141-147.
Teixeira, S., Hwang, D., Spielvogel, B., Cole, K., & Coley, R. L. (2020). Participatory Photo Mapping to Understand Youths’ Experiences in a Public Housing Neighborhood Preparing for Redevelopment. Housing Policy Debate, 30(5), 766–782.

Teaching methods

Community Work Theories and Methods (CWT) study module consists of independent orientation assignments, lectures, small assignments to be done during the course, field visits, an assignment in small groups, guidance sessions on the group work, & a final seminar

Attendance to the orientation and final seminar is compulsory. Attendance to field visits is compulsory.

Employer connections

Students will interview residents in a given neighbourhood by using participatory photography, walk-along and participatory mapping methods and analysing the interviews. Some groups will work in Havukoski area.

Exam schedules

Seminar will be held at the end of the study module.

Alternative way of completing the study module shouuld be completed by the end of the semester.

International connections

If the student participates in ABCD-Bip, this study module is covered by that participation.

Completion alternatives

Alternative way of completing the study module is only possible upon specific circumstances/criteria (i.e. sickness etc.). Personal reasons such as travel and work are not considered as acceptable criteria.

Alternative way of completing the study module must be agreed with the responsible lecturer and/or study guidance counselor two weeks before the beginning of the study module.

Alternative way of completing the study module consists of a large exam that covers the concepts of space and place, the meaning of place for social service work, theories of community work and participatory methods.

The literature for the exam will be given in the beginning of the study module.

Student workload

The study module is 5 credits and it is divided as follows:

* Lectures and seminars: 2 credits (50 hours)
* Group work on the assignment: 3 credits (81 hours)

Further information

The student can apply for RPL with previous University/University of Applied Sciences studies and work experience related to community work theories and methods.