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Stand Alone Module

Culture, Identity and Ethnographies

30 Credits

Duration:

15 Weeks

Start Dates:

February and September

Attendance:

One study day per week

Venue:

High Wycombe Campus

Cost:

Available on request

Key Contact:

Harry Nicholson

Tel:

01494 522 141

Email:

harry.nicholson@bucks.ac.uk

Is this course suitable for me?

This 30 credit module will be of interest to people working in variety of community areas, such as youth workers, voluntary sector, youth justice workers.

Overview

You will consider how culture has been constructed through the emergence of subcultural studies, ethnographic case-work, definitions of ethnicity, the influence of faith, communities of interest and the impact of immigration on hybridity and ‘super-diversity’. This module will provide the students with the means to look at issues that affect working with specific groups, such as: substance-misusers; sex workers; young people; gang-culture; gay and lesbian networks. It will also explore factors that influence developing practice and fieldwork within contemporary areas of ethnic diversity, the government integration/cohesion debate and globalisation. The course will draw on resources associated with a number of different disciplines – including community development, anthropology, sociology, criminology and policy studies.

Content

The area covered will include:

• Definitions and theories of culture
• Victorian ethnographies of the urban poor
• The Chicago school – a developing sense of sub-cultures, deviance and ethnographic accounts
• Understanding and working with specific subcultures: substance misuse (the normalisation and prevention debate) youth culture and hybridity; gender-specific work; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender networks; sex workers and sexual health; mental health and user-forums
• Ethnicity – identities maintained through diaspora, immigration and economic migration, multiple identities, hybrid, cultural fusion and racist ideology
• Issues attached to single-issue work and the compartmental approach to understanding and targeting client groups
• Globalisation – its influence on identities, national boundaries, communication and communities of interest
• Faith and secular tensions: working within government frameworks for cohesion and integration
• Developing networking and partnership links with specific target groups
• Exploring techniques and interventions with different community groups

What will I learn?

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive and detailed knowledge of cultural construction and the contextual nature of its formation within various social settings (from local to global) and apply this to the core values and activities of community development practice.
2. Understand the complexity of professional roles with regard to developing ethical positions that will enhance practice and quality of service delivery within a client-centred framework.
3. Develop abilities to undertake independent analysis of complex social and cultural contexts that influence professional practice and effect an independent synthesis of theory and practice designed to address solutions to highlighted issues.
4. Critically evaluate complex and contradictory components of cultural and social identities to ascertain the validity and effectiveness of responses within on-going processes associated with community development practice.
5. Apply a range of knowledge and skills to defining and addressing problems associated with complex social situations and practice interventions.

Teaching and learning

The teaching will be differentiated to address a range of learning styles. While there will be some introductory lectures for topic areas, most sessions will be interactive with use of a structured seminar and workshop format incorporating whole-group and smaller-group activities. The module will be further enriched through inviting guest speakers from or working with specific communities of interest. Representation will be integrated into the module assessment structure through developing active and collaborative processes that will both influence and define form and content of the assignments.

Entry requirements

Working in a practice area with minimum 6 months experience in an appropriate setting is required

• 120 level 5 credits (or equivalent)
• Support of the manager
• Opportunity to work outside usual practice area, if necessary, to gain specific clinical competence

How to make an application

Please contact the Enquiries Team on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk

We hope to have a fully on-line application system shortly, but in the meantime, to apply for a course, please download and print these forms, completing them fully and posting back to the address below.

• Course_Enquiry_Letter (70.4 KB)
• Application_form (58.1 KB)
• Notes_for_Guidance (51.6 KB)
• Fee_Authoristaion_Form (61.1 KB)
• Clinical_Reference_Form (57.2 KB)
• Academic_Reference_Form (50.6 KB)

If you are unable to view the forms, please click here to download a free version of adobe reader.

Alternatively, if you call us on 01494 603 171 or email ask@bucks.ac.uk we can post you a hard copy application pack.

Students funded by the NHS or other employer

If the cost of your course is being funded by your employer, please contact your education lead or manager for guidance as to how they would prefer you to make an application.