Course Overview

*This course welcomes undergraduate and graduate students in social work and other professional fields. The topics about China and Taiwan will be proceeded in Mandarin for best understanding. Others will be in English. As identity movements spread and globalization impacts people's everyday life, the concept of cultural diversity "takes account of its dynamic nature and the challenges of identity associated with the permanence of cultural change" (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2009). Social workers nowadays are obliged to understand and properly respond to the subtle differences across groups of gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity or/and race, area, and social class and the influence on the people. Based on the core value of social justice, issues related to human rights and oppression are also of concern. This course aims to prepare cultural competence of students in terms of cultural awareness, knowledge acquisition, and skill development. The sessions start with relevant theoretical frameworks, looks into pressing issues of oppressed populations, and ends by reviewing the development of practice, research and social service system. To enrich students' cross-culture exposure and sharpen sensitivity toward distinct cultures, international guest speakers are invited to introduce on a series of selective issues in the context of their society. Applying certain elements of "flip classroom", the guest speeches will be performed in ways such as recommendation of reading list, pre-recorded lecture, asynchronous discussion on-line through CEIBA system, and/or live discussion through internet connection in the classroom. For each topic of the guest speech, students work (in group or individually, depending on class size) to present a similar or related issue in Taiwan or other societies so that dialogue between societies and among the course participants would occur and deepen the learning experience. [Weekly topics] Part 1. Introduction Week 1: Course introduction Week 2: Defining cultural diversity Week 3: Cultural competence in social work: Global context Week 4: Cultural competence in social work: United States VS. Taiwan Part 2. Theoretical pieces Week 5: Social justice and human rights Week 6: Anti-oppression perspective Week 7: Postmodern paradigm Part 3. Selective issues around the world Week 8-14 (exact schedule and guests yet confirmed) Topics (Guest speakers):
． Disparity and disproportionality of ethnicities in American children welfare (Mary McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW, Director of Social Work Education Consortium, USA)
． Preparing for cultural diversity at organization level (National Child Welfare Workforce Institute)
． Aging in place: Cultural meaning and practicing (Paul Urbanski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Monmouth University, USA)
． Environmental justice in action (MSW students at Monmouth University, USA)
． Inner immigration from rural to urban areas in China中國城移民之農民工議題 (Lei Wu, Ph.D., Lecturer at Renmin University of China/蕾博士 中國人民大學講師)
． New marriage immigrant and the family in Taiwan台灣新移民及其家庭議題 (Pei-Chun Chen, MSW Student of National Taiwan University/陳君 台大社工系研究生)
． Cultural care in aboriginal tribes in Taiwan台灣原住民部落的文化照顧 (Chao-Chi Huang, MSW Student of National Taiwan University/愷 台大社工系研究生)
． Factors and preparation for cultural shock in overseas volunteers國際志工文化衝之因素及因應 (Huei-Chuen Yang, MSW Student of National Taiwan University/楊惠淳 台大社工系研究生) Part 4. Development in practice and research Week 15 Cultural competent practice: Skills and techniques Week 16 Cultural competent research: Measurement and methodology Week 17 Course wrap-up

Learning Achievement

After accomplishing this course, the students shall be equipped to (1) recognize own and others' cultural experiences and the underlying assumptions (2) respect the dignity and worth of a person with a cultural diversity perspective (3) analytically and critically tackle cultural issues at individual, agency, or/and policy levels (4) perform culturally competent practice and/or research

Competence

Course prerequisites

1. All readings, assignments, and communication of this course are in English. 2. To facilitate at-home reading and in-class discussion, a set of questions will be posted on the discussion board of CEIBA. The students can select five weeks to respond the questions by posting relevant discussion, reflection, resources or questions by noon of the day before the class time (Wednesday 11:59 AM). Or, you may raise your own questions or bring up reflections about topic of the week and the reading materials. Late post counts about the points would be taken down for fairness. 3. For individual presentation, students (in group or individually, depending on the class size) may select one of the selective topics around the world to explicate further, such as relevant discussions in another society or other profession. It shall be taken as a mid-term paper adopting decent references without writing out the contents. Please schedule a meet-up with the teacher regarding the presentation to ensure the insightful dialogue would occur as late as two week ahead. 4. Students are expected to read the papers assigned and participate in classroom discussion. Individual student is responsible for the learning of self, group members, other students, and (guest) lecturers. **Undergraduate and doctoral students are encouraged to take this course as a selective. In such case, requirements and evaluation standards would be individualized for fairness.

Grading Philosophy

Course schedule

Course type

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Yi Yi Chen

Other information

*Majors-only (including minor and double major students).
*Registration eligibility: graduate students.

(College of Social Sciences) Graduate Institute of Social Work

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