Course Objectives

On completion of the course in relation to knowledge, skills and competencies, students will:

• Have gained knowledge of how the child is conditioned by changes in different societies
• Have gained knowledge of the role care plays in the area of child welfare
• Have further developed knowledge of academic writing and be able to apply this knowledge in written work
• Be able to explain and discuss the child’s best interests as a theoretical and cultural concept
• Be able to explain and discuss child welfare from a historical perspective
• Have gained the analytical tools to better understand the area of child welfare in the Norwegian welfare state
• Have gained a critical understanding of power, participation and governance in the welfare state
• Have gained a critical understanding of methods and models used in interaction with children / adolescents and their parents / family

Course Description

In this course, emphasis is placed on students developing a critical view of the role of child welfare in the welfare state. The course uses a historical and comparative basis and aims to shed light on how child welfare has developed and been expressed in different historical eras and societies, shaped by economic, historical, social, cultural and political changes. Furthermore, it is an aim to show how the child welfare services are organized and manifested at different hierarchical levels in the Norwegian welfare state, and thus enable students to identify what problems this may result in for child welfare work in front-line and second-line services. A recurrent theme will be how changes in the framework conditions in the Norwegian welfare state affects the professions, and particular attention will be paid to challenges in interaction situations between clients and child welfare workers. By working systematically with analytical categories such as power, ethnicity, gender and class, students will develop insight into the complexities inherent in current child welfare work. The course aims at stimulating interest in exploring new aspects of child welfare work and encouraging students “to see” the familiar with new eyes.

The course includes the following topics:

• Child welfare and society - an introduction
• Focus on what is best for the child
• Analytical perspectives on / in child welfare work
• Power, responsibility and boundaries of the welfare state

Learning Methods

Students may choose either 981-E3A or 981-E3B.
If there are too few applicants to one of the above options, then only one of them may be offered.

Teaching and learning methods

The course includes different learning contexts and learning methods, which will enhance students’ learning and create an active learning environment. The course comprises lectures, discussions, seminars, discussion groups, feedback on assignments, student presentations and individual work. The workload in this course corresponds to that of a full-time course of studies.

All the seminars are mandatory, as well as the assignments that are outlined in the course plan. Students must meet the attendance requirement of at least 75% of the obligatory seminars and all assignments must be approved before students will be allowed to sit the final examination. The seminars and assignments are mandatory so that students will be able to develop the necessary skills as a foundation for studying the Master’s degree courses and writing a Master’s thesis.

Assessment Methods

Course code: 981-E3A: Child welfare and Society

Home examination 4000 – 4500 words (one week).
Grade A-F.
The grade for the course will be entered on the diploma.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean