Social Work and Personal Social Services

The training activity aimed at achieving these objectives is divided into the following areas:

1. Theory and methodology of Social Work

• Basic themes: historical evolution of Social Work theories and main international approaches;
• Relational Social Work: methodological foundations; techniques for analysing and facilitating coping networks; applications in work at the case, group and community level, in the planning and management of social services, in the coordination of teams, in social work education

2. Social policies and services to the person, including their connections with social phenomena, anthropological data, psychological dynamics and psychopathological frameworks related to situations of poverty, disadvantage, marginalization, stigma.

3. Public, private, penal and penitentiary legal system, with particular reference to weak subjects (minors, disabled, non-self-sufficient, substance addicts, psychiatric patients, etc.), community justice, powers and responsibilities of social operators and services

4. Research methodology and techniques

• Basic themes: the construction of the research design; qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods social research;
• Insights related to Social Work Research: overlaps and differences between Social Work Research and social research; the review of the literature in Social Work Research and Social Policy Analysis; participatory research in social work; research for the analysis and evaluation of social welfare interventions; action-research for the experimentation of innovative Social Work interventions and in the design of local welfare policies.

5. Social Work Ethics and Research Ethics in Welfare and Social Work contexts.

6. Transversal skills: English for Academic Purposes; Public Speaking; Management of research processes.