OVERVIEW

The course aims to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of social service and the welfare and social service systems within which it originated and evolved.

Social service are introduced as a profession, as a discipline and as an institutional resource.

We will explore the cultural foundations and values, the historical evolution, and the organizational forms within which it is implemented in the Italian social and institutional context will be explored.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Human needs and societal responses. Social service: origins and historical evolution, definition, objectives, method. The principles of social service: ethics and professional ethics; the Code of Ethics - Social policies, institutional frameworks and organizational models. The functioning of organizations. Definition of the general characters of organizational realities through the analysis of metaphors used in the literature on organizations. Organizational intervention in territorial social-health services as a specific area of the social worker's professional action with respect to the themes of teamwork, network work, matrix organization, and community development. The national and regional framework of health, social and welfare services. Citizens and services. The role of the professions in complex organizations and the place of the social worker in the planning process and in the different areas of the organization of social and health services.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Class attendance, participation in educational activities and individual study will enable the

student to:

- Know the historical origins and evolution of social work;

- Understand the current reality of the profession and the welfare system in light of its historical roots;

- Clarify goals and functions of the profession, to the point of identifying as comprehensive a definition of it as possible;

- Identify the values, operating principles, and attitudes that guide professional practice;

- Get to know the Code of ethics in its various parts;

- Be aware of the disciplinary, civil, criminal, and administrative responsibilities associated with professional practice;

- Apply theoretical principles to complex situations, addressing ethical dilemmas that arise in professional practice.

- Become acquainted with the functions that social workers perform in the different sectors and organizations in which the profession is practiced.

- Be introduced to an understanding of organizations and organizational cultures.

The goal is to provide students with the tools to learn about the organizational specifics of the context in which they will work and better understand the role of the social worker, as well as the duties associated with the profession.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching approach will be participatory.

Discussion and debate will be encouraged, also through the use of digital platforms, starting from concepts presented via slides and videos.

Students will be invited to contribute by suggesting materials—including visual ones (videos, films, songs, readings, newspaper articles, social media posts)—related to the topics covered in class, as well as to themes that may emerge from classroom discussions.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction
Organizations and their environments. Overview of the Sociology of Organizations.

First part: Historical and cultural foundations
Brief history of poverty and assistance in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age. Origins and development of social work in Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. Evolution of social policies and the welfare system from the 1970s to today. Reflections on social work today.

Second part: Ethical and value-based foundations
Ethics and professional deontology. Values, operational principles, attitudes. Introduction to the code of ethics for social workers. Sexual orientation and gender identity and social work.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Students who do not speak Italian may ask for texts in English.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First semester. Classes begin on Monday, September 15

Unless otherwise indicated, classes will be held on the following days:

GROUP A–L

• Monday, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, MERIDIANA Classroom

• Tuesday, from 5:00 PM to 3:00 PM, ROOM 4 

GROUP M–Z

• Monday, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, MERIDIANA Classroom

• Wednesday, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, ROOM OB DAD (Architecture)

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will primarily be oral, unless the number of registered students makes it impossible to carry out an effective evaluation by the scheduled date.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD)
Students with disabilities or with SLDs are reminded that, in order to request accommodations for exams, they must first upload their certification to the University's online platform at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University’s Office for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLDs (link).

Afterwards, students must send an email to the instructor of the exam at least 10 days before the exam date, copying both the School Inclusion Representative for students with disabilities and SLD (isa.fanlo@unige.it) and the Inclusion Office using one of the following email addresses:

• disabili@unige.it
• dsa@unige.it
• inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it

The email must include:

• the name of the course
• the date of the exam session
• the student’s surname, first name, and student ID number
• the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures considered helpful and being requested

Prof. Isabel Fanlo Cortés, the School Representative, will confirm to the instructor that the student is entitled to request exam accommodations and that these should be discussed with the instructor. The instructor will then reply, indicating whether the requested accommodations can be granted.

Requests must be submitted at least 10 days before the exam date, to allow the instructor sufficient time to assess them. In particular, if a student intends to use concept maps during the exam (which must be significantly more concise than those used for studying), failure to meet the deadline may result in insufficient time for any necessary modifications that the instructor may request.

For more information regarding the request for services and accommodations, please refer to the document: Guidelines for requesting services, compensatory tools, and/or dispensatory measures and specific aids.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is conceived to verify the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are not only descriptive and notional, but also argumentative and critical.