Reflective Practice and Cultural Competencies (COS211)
About This Course
The understanding of “self” and its relationship with others is critical in social work practice. The understanding of one’s personal beliefs, values and biases is a first step in appreciating the importance of multi-cultural identities in the lives of clients and how it will influence one’s attitude and beliefs about clients. There are two main components to the course. The first component consists of a journey of self-awareness through experiential learning, and the second component consists of using the insights gained to understand how the “self” interacts and relates to people who have different ages, genders, ethnicity, religions, physical abilities, cultural practices and socio-economic backgrounds. Through a constant practice of self-reflection towards inter-cultural value differences, the course aims to introduce respectful, cultural competent social work practices among diverse social groups.
What You'll Learn
A. Knowledge and Understanding (Theory Component)
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Identify and locate personal values within broader socio-economic contexts
2. Explain key concepts related to reflective practice and cultural competencies.
3. Discuss the importance and challenges of reflective practice in social work.
4. Discuss the relationship between personal values and the role of social workers under various contexts.
5. Identify personal experiences and attributes that shape one’s own values.
B. Key Skills (Practical Component)
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Demonstrate different ways of practicing reflexivity as a social worker.
2. Develop skills and strategies to engage with “difficult” clients.
3. Illustrate how social workers balance between personal, professional, organisational and social values.
Entry Requirements
"GCE 'A' Level with two passes (prior to 2006) or two H2 passes (from 2006); or local Polytechnic Diploma; or International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma; or NUS High School Diploma; or equivalent
Two years of full-time work experience, or currently employed on a full-time basis"