Module name: Human Development and Social Relationships
Module Aims and Learning Outcomes
The aim of this module is to provide an overview of key theories of human growth and development, placing these in the context of normative or ‘good enough’ social relationships.
In particular the module will:
• Introduce theories, concepts and empirical research on human development and social relationships.
• Demonstrate comprehensively the contribution that service user perspectives can make to informing professional development, reflexivity and theoretical knowledge within a lifespan perspective
• Explore and analyse the ways in which theory, concepts and research in human development underpin social work practice, values and ethics.
•Provide an opportunity for students to organise, deliver and critique material in a group presentation.
• Reflect some of the SWE standards in both the
design of the module itself and the way in which it is delivered.
Learning Outcomes are as follows:
Critically evaluate theories, concepts and empirical research on human development
and social relationships, assessing these within a range of situations.
Demonstrate comprehensively the contribution that service user perspectives can make to informing professional development, reflexivity and theoretical knowledge within a lifespan perspective
Explore and analyse the ways in which theory, concepts and different forms of research in human development underpin social work practice, values and ethics.
Demonstrate the capacity to organise, deliver and critique material in the essay writing and group presentation.
2:1: Why Human Development and Social Relationships?
Social work is an interdisciplinary professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and well- being of individuals, groups or communities across the lifespan. Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which people develop, form relationships and interact is therefore essential in developing sound assessment capabilities, which take into account the potential effects of social work interventions, or indeed lack of interventions, over the life span.
In this module Lectures will apply different experiential considerations to the life course. You will be encouraged to think about what standards of care represent a ’good enough’ childhood and how these may impact on later life experience. Additionally you will benefit from Lectures which explore the differences in individual lives across cultures and generations,
but also encourage you to consider the potential commonalities of these. Particular attention in lectures will be given to making sense of trauma, attachment, identity, belonging, mental health, adolescence, ageing, sexualities, loss, bereavement, disability and acquired ill health,
some or all of which may impact on people’s lives across their lifespan. Understanding these, should assist you as developing practitioners in gaining respect, empathy, appreciation and engagement with service users from diverse backgrounds – qualities which are fundamental to social work knowledge when working with people.
Summative assessment
The summative assessment will be based on a case study example and assessed with close reference to the learning outcomes for the module. Therefore to gain a pass you will need to critically reflect upon and fulfil the following:
• Critically evaluate theories, concepts and empirical research on human development and social relationships.
• Develop an appreciation of the interrelations between theory, methodology and empirical research on human development and social relationships.
• Explore and analyse the ways in which theory, concepts and research in human development underpin social work practice, values and ethics.
• Demonstrate the capacity to organise, deliver and critique material in a group presentation/essay writing.
The essay will draw on information and learning from both the formative, reflexive account and the group presentation and should aim to address the following:
You are a Social Worker, assigned to the case study provided (see below ). Having read through the case summary please open the essay by providing a pencil sketch of key themes affecting each family member and which personal and professional factors you have considered in making this sketch. Then describe and discuss what would need to change in your chosen service user’s life in order that a good enough quality of life and care might be secured for them and their immediate family both in the present and long term. In considering this you should make critical use of theory and research gained from the human development and social relationships lifespan perspectives learned throughout this module.
In answering this task, you should pay close attention to the SWE Standards and the Professional Capabilities Framework. Consider, for example:
•The competing interests potentially involved in different decisions and the consequent effects of these.
•The need to empower and work with service users own wishes where possible
•The differing physical, mental and emotional factors might you consider in making an assessment?
•The ways you may gather evidence about the service user you are working with and the family as a whole?
•What are the research evidence and the ethical principles which support your decision-making?
•How do you resolve conflicts between differing research evidence in human growth and development?
•How would you involve colleagues and other professionals in your decision making?
•Would it be credible to draw on your own experience in making assessments? If so what experience?
•How far should you work with your reflexive capacity in reaching decisions?
•Your own reactions – personally and professionally. Do these differ? If so how could this effect any potential assessment?
•The human development and social relationship issues highlighted here – how do these interact with the theory and research as taught on the module?
•The ways in which the stories are told now, may have been told in the past and may potentially change again from a lifespan perspective?
• The commonalities and variations in the accounts from a human development and social relationships critical perspective
Case Study Account
The Murray family
The family members:
Jack – father aged 43
Evelyn – mother aged 36
Lora – daughter aged 6
Seb – son of Jack from previous relationship aged 17
David – son of Jack from previous relationship aged 15
Doris – the mother of Evelyn and the grandmother of Lora: 71 years old.
All family members identify as “White British”.
The Murray family have lived in a house that they bought ten years ago. Jack Murray is 43 and works as building contractor. His wife Evelyn, who is 36, gave up work when their daughter Lora was born. Lora is now six years old and has been in school for almost two years. Jack has two children from a previous relationship: Seb is now 17 and his younger brother, David, is 15 years old. Neither boy has regular contact with their father but do show interest in and kindness towards Lora and this would usually happen at occasional extended family gatherings.
Mr Murray was adopted as a six month old baby but has never had any desire to trace his biological parents. His adoptive parents were always very open with him about his background and he knows as much as they do, that his mother had been a teenager when she had him and that his father was also very young. Although the parents who raised him were not drinkers Jack is prone to drink quite heavily when his work as a building contractor is slack. His wife sometimes drinks with him but until Lora turned six there was no real concern about the extent to which their drinking might interfere with their ability to parent Lora.
Evelyn has been hospitalised twice this year, once with a broken arm and then with a very bruised face and broken ribs. Evelyn sometimes experiences depression and has left the family home twice to go to a women’s shelter. Meanwhile Lora has sometimes been cared for by her maternal grandmother, Doris who is 71, and now becoming frail
Now that Lora is older she is able to make more astute comparisons between her home life and that of the friends whom she often visits after school. Lora is also doing very well in school and gains a great deal of positive affirmation from her teachers and also from among her peers because she is a very popular and well liked member of her class. Her head teacher has been particularly astute about the extent to which Lora is having to fend for herself at home. Until recently Lora has been able to stay at her grandma’s when her parents need her to. Doris has found it increasingly difficult to cope with the day to day needs of a 6 year old. Because of this Lora’s social worker had to place Lora in emergency foster care during the summer holidays. This was a last resort decision based on there being no one within the extended family who felt able to take care of Lora. It was also a decision that was based on a conversation the social worker had had with Lora after her mother had discharged them both from a Women’s shelter. Lora had asked her mum if they could stay at the shelter and not go home. Evelyn had insisted that they return home and had chosen to do so even when Lora was so visibly upset by this decision on her part. Doris worries when she is no longer able to take care of Lora, she will have less regular contact with her grand-daughter and the families. Doris also feels worried by a neighbour’s suggestion that her life would be easier, if she went into a care home.To date all the family members have been willing to work with a social worker and Lora shows a high level of maturity for a six year old.
*written in red is the question.
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