Social Work and Exclusion

International Social Work – Spring semester April 2020 to end of July 2020

How do you work in different fields of social work and special education? International fields of social work such as migration, political crisis and processes of globalization play a mayor role in learning social work today. With the nowadays challenges for social work, it is safe to say that international qualification in social work become more essential than ever. And that is why you will be profiting from our curriculum of “Social Work and Exclusion”. This summer semester will help gain knowledge, skills and experiences in social work practice and theory.

As an international student, you will form one group during the whole semester. You will study side by side with our local students and be a part of our small family campus. Also, you will be provided special support by student buddies and faculty members. Starting with a welcome week and taking part in a one-week excursion to Berlin, will highlight your studying with us.

Within the program, you can obtain up to 30 ECTS. Your learning outcomes will be documented in a transcript of records.

The seminar takes place in English.

Application Deadline: 30 November 2019

Our courses in 2020 are:

2) Domestic violence

Prof. Dr. Christiane Rohleder

The issue of domestic violence - in our context defined as violence in hetero- or homosexual partnerships – has gotten more and more public attention in Germany. In this course, we will discuss sociological approaches to explain domestic violence and its dynamics on the basis of English texts and studies, as there is more research in Anglo-American countries about this social problem.

3) Mediation

Prof Dr. Georg Albers

Mediation is a method for intervening in conflict-affected systems. It is the concept of conflict management. In this seminar, we will work on the theoretical knowledge base as well as on the practical implications for social work. The seminar requires the willingness for role-plays as well as for intensive casework.

4) Narratives in social work

Prof Dr. Georg Albers and Phd. Iryna Starovoyt (UCU, Ukraine)

Touching real aftereffects of political violence across generations in Germany and Ukraine.

5) A semiotic approach towards British youth-subcultures, cultural change, working-class and migration in Dick Hebdige's seminal study 'Subculture - The Meaning of Style'

Prof. Dr. Jochen Bonz

This seminar deals with the music and culture of punk, which is one of the most influential incidents in 20th century western popular culture, with long lasting effects on aesthetics and lifestyle. In his seminal study, 'Subculture - The Meaning of Style', Dick Hebdige (1979) offers an interesting interpretation of punk-subculture, a classic in cultural studies that will be read and discussed in this seminar.

6) Disabilities, developmental disorders and medical genetics

Prof. Dr. Swantje Notzon

The goal of this seminar is to discuss medical aspects of the most frequent disabilities and developmental disorders, e.g. down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. We will understand, why and how these disorders develop, with which typical symptoms they present, and what can be done to support people suffering from these disorders.

7) Poverty and social inequality – challenges for social work

Regine Müller, M. A. , Dipl. social worker

The seminar gives an overview on analysis on social inequalities and poverty in focusing both a German and an international comparative perspective. The seminar especially focuses on poverty and asks how poverty reflects unequal chances of life regarding economic, cultural and social participation in society in Germany and countries all over the world. The seminar will offer open discussion, professional reflection and basic knowledge on social inequality and poverty situations worldwide.

8) Social skills for transcultural Social Work

Michael Rölver, M. A., social worker

Based on practical experiences, students will reflect their own cultural identities and their relevance for professional capabilities. Intercultural learning is a process and a basis for the acquisition of practical skills.

9) Professional discretion and Social Work

Michael Rölver, M. A., social worker

Decision-making is a basic process in social work and inclusive education. Professionals decide how to approach their clients and how a particular case is treated. This seminar will discuss the degree to which discretion is necessary for social work and inclusive education and how it uses effects practice.

10) Reading competences as important cultural competences in the 21st century society

Phd. Anna Kowalska-Rozylo (guest lecture from KUL; Catholic University Lublin, Poland)

The framework of the seminar includes 7 main modules: 1. concept of reading competences, 2. hermeneutics of the text, 3. reading competences, 4. transcultural reception, 5. critical reflection of the media, 6. reading competences towards cultural heritage, 7.reading and writing as a self-expression. Each module will include a lecture part and exercises related to new knowledge on specific texts.

11) Practical Social Work in Germany

Dipl. Andreas Plenge, social worker

The students will explore social institutions in Münster and in its immediate vicinity. They will have the possibility to interview professionals and to compare and discuss the social work in Germany with the social work in their home countries.

12) Supervision

Prof. Dr. Martina Meyer-Schwickerath

In this course, international students will have the possibility to reflect the exchange, the study program and the visited institutions. Supervision will be held in a group with all international students.