Learn and Work in Social Welfare

Explore ways to work in the welfare sector:

• helping people to cope with difficult circumstances
• assisting people to find solutions where solutions have been difficult to find
• resetting a damaged mindset
• moving beyond what may have seemed impossible problems

Society has always had problems. Problems change, but there are always some who need assistance from others, and the knowledge you derive from this course will expand your capacity to do just that. 

COURSE CONTENT

CORE MODULES

The following six modules are compulsory:

• Introduction to Psychology BPS101
• Social Psychology BPS205
• Multicultural Awareness BPS303    
• Criminal Psychology BPS309
• Developmental Psychology BPS210
• Industry (Workplace) Project or Research Project I BGN102 
  
  

ELECTIVE MODULES
Students are then required to select 3 modules from the following:

• Sports Psychology BPS106
• Ethics BPS217
• Child Psychology BPS104
• Adolescent Psychology BPS211
• Psychopharmacology (Drugs & Psychology) BPS302
• Legal Terminology BWR108
• Marketing Psychology BPS107
• Industrial Psychology BPS103
• Workshop I BGN103
• Educational Psychology BPS105
• Aged Care & Counselling BPS212

Learn More about How Human Society Works

Society is made up of different social groups. People tend to feel comfortable being with groups who they share attitudes and interests with These are their "in groups".

People’s social identity depends on the groups to which they belong. Any group a person belongs to is their ingroup. If they don’t belong to a group, it is an outgroup. People generally have lower opinions of outgroup members and higher opinions of members of their own groups.  People who identify strongly with a particular group are more likely to be prejudiced against other outgroups.  

People tend to think their own group is composed of all sorts of different people, but tend to think that everyone in an outgroup is the same. Prejudice is thought to decline when people in an ingroup become more familiar with the customs, norms, food, attitudes and so on of the outgroup, so helping them see the diversity within the members of the outgroup. 

Reducing Prejudice
Research has shown that prejudice and conflict among groups can be reduced if four conditions are met:

• Each group has equal legal status, economic opportunity and political power.
• The groups have opportunities to interact formally and informally with each other.
• Groups cooperate towards a common goal.
• Authorities advocate equal rights. 

So hostility between an ingroup and an outgroup can increase when groups compete, but the hostility decreases when those groups have to cooperate with each other to reach a shared goal. In such situations, the people in the two groups tend to feel like one larger group than two smaller groups. 

Stereotypes
Though not the same thing as prejudice (which means pre-judgement), stereotypes are closely entwined with prejudice, so much that the two terms tend to imply each other. A stereotype is the idea that people of a certain group share particular characteristics. However, this belief can be positive or negative. For example:

• All women are bad drivers.
• All people who wear glasses are intelligent.

Learn to understand people and society and expand your capacity to work better

within and across different social groups.

Who Might Choose this Course?

• Anyone working in the welfare sector, for CPD or career advancement
• Anyone with a passion for understanding and working with people in any context
• Anyone preparing for a business or employment in the social welfare sector
• Social entrepreneurs, teachers, students or anyone with a passion or need to better understand society