In this course, various current social policy issues in the areas of welfare, labour, education, health and housing will be examined in the light of the on-going debate in the community with reference to international and Mainland experience whenever applicable. Relevant empirical evidence, theories and value dimensions will also be examined.

This course develops knowledge and skills relevant to the understanding and helping of focused target populations, the selection of which will be based on the special nature of specific client groups, problem areas or service settings.

This course begins with a critical review of the current state of theory and research on youth problems and delinquency. It will then go on to evaluate existing policies and services directed at youth at risk and juvenile offenders in Hong Kong. Finally it will explore current issues in the field of youth policy and juvenile justice, particularly the overseas development of new programme initiatives. Special emphasis will be given to the relevance of these issues and programmes within the context of Hong Kong

This course tells you everything you always wanted to know about sex but are too afraid to ask: Whom you want to have sex with and why? What would you do in sex and where and when would you do it? Who’s on your mind when you think about sex, Leon Lai or Shu Kei? Which is more pleasurable, heterosexual sex or homosexual sex? What is the best sex that you’ve ever had? Why are having sex with yourself and masturbation acts of revolution? What is pornography – a stimulant to or substitute for sex? Who has a better claim to authority on sex, your family doctor, your lecturer, the host of a radio phone-in programme on sex or a sex worker in the street?

Human behavior is heavily influenced by family upbringing and socialization. This course based on a marathon experiential training mode, aims to help students to achieve an understanding of their family. Virginia Satir’s concepts of family rules, communication patterns, family mapping and self-esteem will be used to guide students through a process of self-discovery. Active participation will be essential. Assessment: 100% coursework.

This course examines the developmental characteristics and needs of young people and their actualization in the local context. Special focus is put on understanding the contemporary local youth culture and how it reveals the needs of the young people. Major models and concepts in youth work are introduced. Working skills with young people implied from these models and concepts are also introduced. This course is especially suitable for students who intend to join the fields that work with young people, e.g. social work, teaching, church, entertainment, etc.

Counselling approaches used in health care such as crisis intervention, grief work, cognitive behavioral intervention, support groups, art therapy, psycho-education skills, bereavement counselling, pastoral care and peer counselling will be examined. Students will be provided with experiential training on skills/techniques in working with patients in hospitals and in the community.

This course examines various models for the analysis of social policy, as well as basic concepts of social planning, programme design and implementation. Selected social policy issues in Hong Kong and neighbouring countries will be critically analyzed to enhance students’ understanding of the subject.

Adventure-Based Counselling (ABC) is a popular contemporary approach employed to work with people in order to assist their building and/or promoting of a positive self-concept, improve their interpersonal relationship and enhance their problem-solving abilities. Although it is especially popular among working with young people, it can also be used in working with different age groups, families and couples. This course introduces the basic theories and practices of ABC and to provide training in some micro skills in conducting ABC sessions. The quality of an ABC facilitator and the ethical considerations in employing ABC to work with people will also be discussed in this course. The format of the course includes lectures, seminars and ABC workshops for students to participate and experience the process.

Social workers who work with people with disabilities nowadays should have critical mind and self-reflective attitudes to meet the challenges from the changing field of disabilities. To enhance quality of life of people with disabilities, social workers should have sensitivity to understand situations of individuals with disabilities, and have substantial knowledge of intervening in different levels of environments. Providing students an insightful learning process, this course uses interactive and experiential activities besides traditional one-way lectures. Guests, including friends with intellectual disabilities, friends with physical handicap, their careers and social workers, will be invited to come to the class to share their life experience. This course introduces students the paradigm shift in the field, the evolution of services affecting people with disabilities, and contemporary approaches to provide services to people with disabilities.

This course enhances student’s understanding of (1) the psychological and social implications of separation, divorce and remarriage; (2) the separation/ divorce/ remarriage decision making process and the considerations involved; (3) legal issues related to separation, divorce and remarriage (grounds for divorce, custody and maintenance, adoption, etc.); (4) the characteristics, dynamics and needs of single parent families and stepfamilies; and (5) intervention approaches relevant to working with divorced and remarried families.

The objective of school counselling is to enhance students’ whole person development through the provision of remedial, preventive and developmental services in school settings. Phenomenon such as students’ suicide, physical and sexual abuse, mental health issues, study problems and school violence pose great challenges to a school counsellor. Adopting the ecological perspective, this course examines the service provision of school guidance and counselling service in Hong Kong, the multiple roles of a school counsellor, the establishment of collaborative relationship with school personnel, the application of practice theories and intervention strategies to individual and school-based family counselling, and the implementation of comprehensive school guidance and counselling programmes. By participating in this course, social work students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be a competent school counsellor.

This course introduces the growing body of knowledge on pathological addictive behaviours. Topics to be covered include drug abuse, alcoholism, computer addiction, and compulsive buying. Various models on the biological, psychological, and social factors related to the course of addiction will be explored. Assessment, treatment, and prevention strategies will also be discussed.

With increasing complexity in the Hong Kong society and the attendant problems faced by various groups of people, there is need to devise specific approaches in alleviating their problems. This course covers selected topics that pertain to the understanding of the characteristics and needs of special populations, and introduces relevant working approaches for practitioners and social policy analysts.

The Hong Kong society and the world at large have unfolded multifarious new social phenomena that pose new challenges to professional social work practice. The social work professional community has to devleop new insights in understanding the nature of such problems and challenges, and accordingly devise timely and appropriate intervention to address these issues. This course covers selected topics that meet acute societal needs, or are of current interest or on the cutting edge of knowledge advancement in social work.

In dealing with the increasing complexity of problems handled by the social work professionals, the social work community across the globe has developed new theories and techniques in practice. This course covers intervention models that are of current interest in social work. The key concepts and techniques of the models, and their development in terms of empirical base will also be discussed.

Every child has the right to a life free from violence. Unfortunately, millions of children around the world are the victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as global neglect. Child maltreatment is a serious public health problem with a negative impact on the victims, their families and societies as a whole. This course examines the prevalence and risk factors of child maltreatment. Effective prevention and intervention strategies will also be investigated.

The nature of interpersonal conflicts and strategies of conflict resolution will be examined in this course. The key elements of negotiation and mediation will be reviewed from different perspectives. Students will learn basic skills of negotiation and mediation. A win-win strategy in the conflict resolution process will be emphasized.

This course equips students with relevant knowledge and skills of counselling applicable to business settings. Some prominent approaches in helping people to change and/or solve their problems through the use of counselling strategies in the business settings will be introduced. An emphasis is placed on the application of counselling in helping people working in the business environments. Topics include the concepts of employee assistance, the needs of counselling in business settings, the applications of counselling in both profit-making and non-profit-making organizations, boundary and limitations.

This course examines the various theories related to community building and the development of civil society.   It also highlights the development of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Hong Kong and internationally, and their growing importance both in the international and global scene.  Relevant public policies including urban development, housing, social welfare, home affairs, sustainable development, etc., that are both relevant and important to community building will also be examined.  The role played by the CSOs in various public policies in Hong Kong will also be discussed. Pre-requisite: SOWK1001 Introduction to social administration or SOWK1002 Introduction to social work or SOWK1011 Introduction to social entrepreneurship and social innovation or SOWK1013 Introduction to social policy and development studies.

This course will examine the relationship between behavioural economics and social change. Individuals frequently make decisions that systematically depart from the predictions of standard economic models based on a purely rational model. Behavioral economics attempts to integrate the understanding of the psychology of human behavior into economic and policy analysis. The course will review the major themes of behavioral economics and address the implications for social policy and social change in a wide variety of domains, including social security, health care, labour, education and social welfare programmes. Pre-requisite: SOWK1001 Introduction to social administration or SOWK1002 Introduction to social work or SOWK1011 Introduction to social entrepreneurship and social innovation or SOWK1013 Introduction to social policy and development studies.

This course examines international social policy in comparative perspective. The aim is to help you understand not only the varying ways in which nations have addressed social issues, but also the political and social forces that have shaped these responses. The course will introduce students to conceptual thinking on a range of social policies –including employment, family policy, child protection and education – drawing on case studies from global regions including North America, Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. A particular focus is given to understanding the social policy of East Asia through the international comparative lens. It will emphasize alternative program designs and implications to introduce students to the potential and limitations of different alternatives. After completing the module, students will be knowledgeable about a variety of social policies in major regions of the world.

This course studies the ways in which social and cultural factors enter into the aging process. The practical and immediate effects of aging on society are examined. This course provides a comprehensive description of the dimensions of aging. The goal is to provide a holistic view of aging and to point to the ways in which the personal, social and structural levels of the process interact to shape the daily life of the elderly. With these understandings, the ways to deliver appropriate services to the elderly will also be discussed.

Over three decades, China has substantially developed in various social areas. The course offers an overview of social development in modern China. The major areas of social development, such as public policy, socio-economic status, urbanization, social welfare, population mobility and migrant workers, family, aging, and health care are presented. The major issues of social development in contemporary China are discussed.

This course examines family counselling issues relating to intimacy, dependency, parenthood, attachment, power and conflict. The emphasis is on clinical relevance and practice wisdom, guided by the culturally relevant knowledge of the Chinese family system. Students will participate in clinical demonstrations, experiential learning and role plays so as to develop practice competence on assessment, formulation of intervention strategies, and direct intervention in working with the issues arising from personal vulnerabilities, societal pressures, communication impasses, intimacy problems, or inter-generational clashes.

Design Thinking is a very useful tool for social innovation. It helps re-framing problems that are ill-defined or unknown, and facilitates generation of new ideas and solutions for social problems. This course helps students develop a good understanding about the human-centered approach and equip them with the essential skills of design thinking to create innovative solutions for identified social issues. Students will form into teams and work collaboratively to design solutions for specific social problems.

Students will critically examine how cultural diversity, social inclusion and exclusion operate within and shape Hong Kong and contemporary societies. The course takes a multi-level approach to analyzing cultural diversity at micro (identity and interpersonal relations), meso (institutional) and macro (structural) levels, with focus on education, work and participation in social life. The first part of the course provides students a theoretical foundation to explore and analyze cultural diversity and social inclusion. This includes: theories of equality equity, equal opportunities, anti-discrimination, oppression and marginalization. The second part of the course emphasizes the experiences of specific marginalized populations, including: refugees and immigrants (incl. cross-boundary students); ethnic minorities; LGB and T/GNC communities; persons with disabilities; older adults; and people living in poverty. The third part of the course considers intersectionality, intersectionality-based policy analysis (IBPA) and critical reflection on the complexity of analyzing multiple, identity-based realities in a globalizing world. Through in-class participation, individual assignments, intercultural dialogue and teamwork, students will develop important knowledge and skills related to cultural diversity and social inclusion, and their applications in the areas of social policy, social development and/or social work.

This course focuses on the practice of social work with selected target groups such as children, youth and delinquents, alcoholics and drug addicts, or in specific settings such as school, hospital, youth centres and correctional facilities. For each group or setting, attention will be focused on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the problems encountered and the role of social work in solving such problems.

This course focuses on the various approaches in working with delinquents and young people experiencing emotional or behavioral problems. To facilitate skills development, emphasis will be placed on experiential learning through the use of simulated exercises, games and role-play. Throughout the course, case and group examples will be drawn from a variety of local practice settings-probation, residential facilities for juvenile offenders, correctional services, outreach and school social work. Assessment: 100% coursework.

This course introduces concepts which will aid in the understanding of organizational behaviour and emphasizes the application of these concepts and skills in managing people in non-profit making organizations. This course is particularly suitable for students who have not taken any management courses before but will be soon required to take up people management responsibility as a team leader or supervisor in the course of their own professional career development. The topics include basic concepts on management functions, purposes of a managerial position and the roles of a manger; and skills in managing subordinates including motivation, morale, leadership, coaching, performance management and disciplinary actions.

Success in one’s career is one of the most important life tasks for most people. Besides teaching students the necessary knowledge and practice of core career skills, this course also trains students to design and conduct career skills programmes. Through participation in this course, students will be able to master the theories and skills of career planning, understand the relationship between labour market dynamics and job searching, analyse the effect of social, economic and political changes on the job market. Through understanding the social psychology of career aspects, students will become more sensitive to human dynamics in the work setting.

This course is for all who want to be emotionally and relationally competent in human interaction, be it in the family, at work, with friends, or with neighbors. Training on enhancing capability to be present here and now as well as developing mutually satisfying and meaningful relationships. This course is primarily experiential and practice oriented, integrating the philosophy, science and art of intra and interpersonal competence into real life applications. Recent thinking in philosophy, psychology, group work, and neuroscience will be applied to working with intense emotions, inner blocks and inconsistencies, dilemmas and relational conflicts that haunt human encounters. Through class demonstrations, paired and small group practice, students will come to acquire concepts and skills that will guide them in facing the daily test of human interaction, help them advance their listening skills, increase self-understanding, gain confidence in decision-making, achieve relational transformation, connect with their deeper spiritual self, and affirm a more attuned, grounded, steady, and creative presence.

This course aims at nurturing Change Makers for attainment of social objectives and collective community goals through sustainable innovations that are multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral. Students will critically examine the theories of change, framework and practice of Change Maker in society through innovations and social entrepreneurial spirit. The course provides a broader framework for leadership practice to encompass successes and failures in the pursue of social business and organizations in the achievement of social outcomes. Students are encouraged to examine their personal passions and strengths, and to work on a chosen project which provides a safe space for students to experiment on visionary, creative and socially responsible entrepreneurial project.

This course brings together cutting-edge knowledge and discussions on mental health from diverse but related disciplines of philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, and social and healthcare services administration, both in the unique local context and in the international mental health scene. Students will be introduced to the critical examination of theories and practices in mental health with real-world examples. Throughout the course, conceptual explorations will be illustrated by case studies, including two complex syndromes affecting youth (i.e. psychotic disorders) and elderly (i.e. dementia), as well as other common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and developmental disorders (e.g. autism spectrum disorder) where appropriate. Using the conventional disease/medical model as a starting point, students will be guided to understand mental health in the broader context of biological, psychological, social and cultural factors that operate in combination to affect mental health outcomes at individual and population levels.

Population mobility bridges the local and global across the 21st century world. This course covers topics of specifically relevant to the HK context such as cross-border migration of new arrivals from China, topics relevant to HK and the wider world such as the integration of ethnic minority migrants, and different types of migrant populations, including low-wage/skill, high-wage/professionals, voluntary (labor) and forced (refugee, humanitarian, trafficking) migration. Theories of globalization, modernization, multiculturalism and social inclusion will be examined to enable students to appreciate and apply relevant concepts to their future practice in various positions locally and globally

This course introduces the class to the use of play therapy in working with children, adolescents and families. The students will be presented with the essential elements and principles of play therapy, including historical development, theoretical modalities, basic techniques and applications. Pre-requisite: SOWK2107 Foundation of social work practice I or SOWK2137 Theories in counselling.

The development of social policy, social programmes and projects involves various stakeholders in the community including political groups, local organizations, NGOs, professional bodies and the general public. Public engagement and community partnership become the core process and relationship that underline the formulation of policy, programmes and projects and the provision of human services in the community including health, education, labour, and welfare services involves the development of strategic partners within the community. This course enables the students to develop in-depth understanding of the social, political and administrative structures in both the district and societal levels, the political and inter-group dynamics in the community, and the theory and practice in promoting community partnership and public engagement.

This course introduces you to population issues, concepts, theories and methods by encompassing the entire field of demography, including principle and practice. It offers an overview of various aspects of demographic growth and transition relating to changes in health and mortality, fertility, migration, age structure, urbanization, family and household structure. This course also examines the relations between population and development and their potential consequences from a sociological, economic and geographical perspective. Other topics include global variation in population size and growth, various demographic perspectives and their modern implications, environmental impacts, and population policy. Special emphasis on demographic transition in Hong Kong and its neighborhood region will be highlighted in the course.

This course introduces the theories of creative arts as healing and illustrates the use of creative arts in local social work contexts, including individual or group counselling setting and community development setting. It is a practical course with hands-on experience to the use of creative arts in expression, communication and healing. Creative arts are action-oriented and process-focused. The development of skills and use of creative arts for self-exploration go simultaneously in this course. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with the use of arts for creative exploration and self-understanding. Different arts media will be introduced, including visual art, craft work, music, sounds, dramatic exercises, spontaneous movement and writing. The students will synthesize their personal experience with conceptual learning through experiential activities, live demonstration, listening exercise, case studies, video analysis and sharing. This course is not a formal creative arts therapy training, but offers opportunities for exploring the resources of creative arts in social work context.

There are more than a hundred deaths each day in Hong Kong, but death is a taboo for most for us. The unfamiliarity towards death induces a sense of anxiety when this topic is brought up to us. Death-related problem is one of the commonest issues that clients bring to counselling, but is often rated as the most uncomfortable scenario by beginning counsellors. This course is designed for students with an interest in understanding death, dying and bereavement. It offers a close examination on the challenges individuals, families and service providers face surrounding life-threatening illness and death. Theories and intervention strategies on end-of-life and bereavement care are reviewed. This course increases students’ competence in working with clients facing death, dying, loss and trauma.

This course gives students an opportunity to understand the therapeutic use of drama (TUD) in social work setting in both micro and macro contexts. This incorporates the philosophies and approaches of certain key psychologists, psychotherapists, and applied drama practitioners such as Humanistic Approach, Existentialism Psychotherapy, Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Developmental Transformations Drama Therapy, Sesame Drama & Movement Therapy, Psychodrama Psychotherapy, Jungian Analytical Psychology, Playback Theatre and Forum Theatre. Through lectures and experiential activities, students can have basic understanding of the concepts and theories, as well as reflections on how the approaches have worked for them and the application in social work setting. Although the course does not aim at training students to be therapists or specialists in any of the approaches, students can understand different therapeutic frames and elements so to integrate into their social work professions. It also provides students a picture for further academic development in these areas.

This course places a normative emphasis on how social policy, planning and practice are a force for progressive transformation and sustainable, equitable, gender-aware and socially-just development. The study of long-term structural and macro dimensions is combined with attention to the local and the specific, within Hong Kong and the wider world. Diverse areas of social development practice including planning and intervention, asset building, community action, employment and decent work, microfinance and microenterprise are explored using case study and experiential learning to develop analytical skill and allow practical application of classroom based learning. Pre-requisite: SOWK2084 Theoretical foundations in social policy and planning or SOWK2131 Behavioral economics for social change.

This advanced level course will deepen students understanding of policy advocacy and social change. Students will learn theoretical and conceptual information about policy advocacy and social change including topics such as the policy process, influencing social change, building coalitions, stakeholder theory, social activism and social movements. In addition, the course will focus on the application of policy advocacy theory to practice, offering students the opportunity to learn through participation in the policy process, and from guest speakers working in diverse policy advocacy roles. Course format will include lectures, case studies, interactive seminar and debate. Assessment: 100% coursework.

Social entrepreneurs make use of social business or social enterprise for the creation and sustainability of social values. Yet, many social enterprises fail as a result of unsound business models or poor management. To sustain social values, it is important to ensure “doing good and doing well”. This course equips students with the basic concept and knowledge about the different business models and strategies for social business and social enterprise. Different challenges of operating and managing social enterprises will be examined and students will have the opportunity to learn how to deal with these challenges, and how to evaluate the performance of the social enterprise. Learning will be based on lecture, tutorial, case studies, intensive in class discussion as well as project work.

This course builds on the content covered in research methods and is an advanced level course designed to give students the knowledge base and core skills (quantitative and qualitative) to carry out programme and policy evaluation. This course therefore focuses on types of evaluation, evaluation design, causal inference methodology, data collection, data analysis, and utilization of findings. Students are expected to identify and critique the state of the empirical evidence related to the policies and programmes.

This course examines the concept of a `family perspective´ and assist students in gaining an understanding of the major approaches to working with families. Theories on family, methods of assessment, and a range of strategies and techniques for effective intervention with the family as well as their applicability to the local context will also be considered. Assessment: 100% coursework.