Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE YTH1008

 
TITLE Principles and Practice in Youth and Community Work

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 6

 
DEPARTMENT Youth, Community and Migration Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit will revolve around experimental approaches to youth and community work practice both locally and abroad. Students will be introduced to the variety of contexts of youth work including its history, the role of partnership, and local, national and international networks. Discussions will be devoted to specific issues that are related to different youth work practices. Issues will be evaluated in terms of social structures, value systems and economic and political concerns. Particular attention will be given to the practical considerations of making positive change. The study-unit will be based on a framework that assists students to develop principles for effective youth and community practice.

Study-unit Aims:

- Introducing students to the variety of fields, organisations and principles of youth and community work.

- Enabling the development of the relationship between the capacity to critically reflect on practice issues and to develop sustainable and effective forms of practice and consequently to relate both capacities to ethically responsible practice.

- Encouraging students to develop a personal youth and community approach that is based on a sound theoretical framework which is relevant to the local context and to the needs of young people.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• gain an overview of key trends, models and development of youth work in Malta and abroad,
• have a clear understanding of the nature and context of Youth and Community Work,
• understand the role and function of the youth and community worker,
• understand the values and principles of youth and community work.

2. Skills (including transferable [generic] skills):
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• initiate and develop appropriate responses to the needs of young people in their working context,
• map and establish a framework to identify the different types of practice when working with young people, the sites in which such work takes place and some of the main contemporary issues facing workers,
• reflect on the context and practice of youth and community work,
• communicate this reflection verbally and in writing.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:
(availability at the Library or otherwise is indicated against each entry)

Department of Education and Employment (2002) Transforming Youth Work – Resourcing Excellent Youth Services, Nottigham: DFEE Publications. (unavailable)

DFES (2005) Youth Matters, Norwich:HMSO. (unavailable)

Davies, B. (2005) Youthwork: A Manifesto for Our Times, Leicester: NYA

Harrison, R. & Wise C. (eds) (2005) Working with young people, London:Open University Press

Jeffs, T. & Smith, M. (eds) (1992) Youth Work, London: Macmillan. (available)

Jeffs, T. and Smith, M. K. (2002) 'Individualization and youth work', Youth and Policy 76: 39-65 (available)

Mizen, P. (2004) The Change of State of Youth, Houndmills: Palgrave

Young, K. (2005) The Art of Youth Work, Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing. (available)

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation SEM1 No 20%
Assignment SEM1 Yes 80%

 
LECTURER/S Maria Pisani

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit