Ateneo - UPO

Theories and Method of Social Work II.

Synthetic Contents
1. The fundamentals of social work as a discipline and a profession, to be revisited based on previous years' studies.

2. Community social work: theoretical and methodological approaches to social work in the local community at national and international levels, including project planning, networking, roles, functions, methods, tools, negotiation and evaluation.

3. Social work with groups: theoretical, methodological, ethical and professional practice aspects.

4. Reflection and research processes in social work.
The significance and functions of research, reflective practice and supervision in social work, including from an anti-oppressive perspective.

For a more detailed description of contents and reading list of the course, please see the Italian web page of the course. Student who do not speak Italian are welcome to take the course; however, they are requested to contact the teacher in advance.

Reading List 1. Allegri E., Il Servizio sociale di comunità, Carocci, Roma, 2015; 2. Heap, K. (1986). La pratica del lavoro sociale con i gruppi: Un approccio sistematico. Astrolabio Ubaldini.3. Allegri E. (2023), Supervisione e Servizio sociale, Carocci, Roma, capp. 1, 3, 4. 4. One article of choice, in English, to be presented and discussed at the oral examination call: Segal, M. (2024). Confronting and managing ethical dilemmas in social work using ChatGPT. European Journal of Social Work, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2024.2377786 (Open access); Ellis, K., & Sen, R. (2024). Meeting the challenges of participation? Care experienced people’s involvement in social work practice and policy development. European Journal of Social Work, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2024.2418874 (Open access): Pavani, L., Allegri, E., & Sanfelici, M. (2025). Coping strategies against oppression in social workers’ everyday practice: findings from a national study. European Journal of Social Work, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2579966; Gal, J., & Weiss-Gal, I. (2025). The policy role of social workers as heads of local government social services. European Journal of Social Work, 1–13. Open Access https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2493318 5.In addition, parallel and timely consultation of the New Dictionary of Social Work, edited by Campanini A. M., Carocci, Roma, 2022; particularly with respect to the following entries: Advocacy, Auto-aiuto, Cittadinanza attiva, Deontologia professionale, Servizio sociale ed emergenze, Empowerment sociale, Errore, Reti sociali, Mediazione familiare, Ordine professionale, Partecipazione, Pratica antidiscriminatoria e anti-oppressiva, Ricerca di Servizio Sociale, Servizio sociale e salute, Territorio, Violenza.

MISSION
This 60-hour course will enable participants to earn eight CFU credits.
The course aims to provide theoretical and methodological tools for the analysis of, and intervention in, the collective dimension of social work, with particular reference to community social work and group work. The course further aims to develop critical reflection on professional practice, including through supervision and research applied to social work, in preparation for third-year placement.

Prerequisites
Have passed the exam of Theories and Method of Social Work I.
At the start of the course, students will be asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire to evaluate their prior knowledge. Students may also wish to prepare by building on previous years’ studies with reference to the following entries in the Nuovo Dizionario di Servizio sociale (Carocci, Rome, 2022): social worker, social work, multidimensionality, professional ethics, models of social work, social policies, principles of social work, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, social work methodology, the helping process, quality, network-based intervention, the interview, participation and evaluation.

Teaching Methods
For each topic addressed in the course, both lectures and exercises, simulations and small-group discussion of case studies are provided. Oral presentations by students on the content and case studies addressed are also included. Attendance is strongly recommended, not least in view of preparation for third-year placement.

Each student is invited to register to the course DIR page:
https://www.dir.uniupo.it/course/index.php
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Assessment:
Written and Oral Examination.
The exam consists of one written test and one oral.
The evaluation criteria regarding completeness and relevance of the content, formal correctness and lexical properties, ability to use interdisciplinary knowledge for Social Work, citation of sources and authors

The examination consists of written and oral components. The written component will take the form of a mid-term test on Tuesday, 1 December 2026, during one of the course sessions. It will last approximately 2 hours 30 minutes and will consist of an essay or three open-ended questions on topics covered in the course. These topics will be agreed with the students and the test will form an integral part of the final examination.
The grade obtained will be averaged with the oral test, which will take place in the exam call sessions. This written test is also to be strongly recommended for non-attending students, in anticipation of the third-year internship and future State Examination.

The evaluation criteria concern completeness and relevance of content, formal correctness and lexical property, ability to use interdisciplinary knowledge for Social Work, and citation of sources and authors.

Those who have taken and passed the written midterm may prepare a topic of their choice that they will present at the oral examination, during which they will also have to answer two further questions. Those who will not take the written midterm will not be able to prepare any topic of their choice and will have to answer 6 questions in the oral examination.

The course is divided into four learning units, each of which will be covered in a separate lesson.
1. The fundamentals of social work as a discipline and a profession (revisiting the study undertaken in previous years).
2. Community social work: theoretical and methodological approaches to social work in the local community, at national and international levels, including project planning, networking, roles, functions, methods, tools, negotiation and evaluation.
3. Social work with groups: theoretical, methodological, ethical and professional practice aspects.
4. Reflection and research processes in social work. The significance and functions of research, reflective practice and supervision in social work, including from an anti-oppressive perspective.

1. The foundations of social work as a discipline and a profession, revisited based on previous years' studies and the self-assessment of prior knowledge carried out during the first lecture.

2. Community social work
The context amidst changes and the erosion of the welfare state
Between the individual and the social
Social work towards the community
Austerity and the erosion of the welfare state
Beyond the crisis: in search of new horizons
Area plans, participation and competences
The theoretical and methodological foundations of community social work
The community, the local community and the sense of community
Community social work: towards a definition
The theoretical and methodological perspective and the ethical and political perspective
Theoretical and operational models of community intervention: the community care model; the community development and social work model.
Changing perspective: from the individual case to the community (not just a question of method); initiating the process; participatory action research; outreach.
Community Social Work in Practice.Understanding the Context: Community Profiles; Social Work Techniques in the Collective Dimension.

3. Social work with groups: theoretical, methodological, ethical and professional practice aspects.
Group membership in everyday life; the functions and types of groups in social work and for service users; the stages of group work; group formation and planning; the first meeting; operational stages relating to needs, communication, structure, and culture; activities; and collective facilitation.

4. Reflection and research processes in social work. The significance and functions of research, reflective practice and supervision in social work, including from an anti-oppressive perspective. Strategies for managing and addressing oppression in the day-to-day practice of social workers. Supervision: definition; adult education and learning; supervision as LEPS; the key players: social workers, the organisation and the supervisor; the relational dimension of supervision.

Knowledge and understanding:
Understanding of the main theoretical and methodological foundations of social work as a discipline and profession, including collective programmes and interventions such as groups, self-help groups, citizen participation and community social work, as well as the role and functions of the social worker.
Understanding of the main theoretical and methodological contributions of community social work at a national and international level.
Understanding of the theoretical, methodological and ethical foundations of social work with groups.

The ability to apply this knowledge and understanding, and the ability to critically analyse contemporary professional mandates and identify the different levels at which social workers operate (in work with individuals, organisations, and the local community).
Ability to utilise the specific roles, functions, methods and tools of community-based networking, including negotiation and evaluation phases of interventions.
The ability to design, organise and facilitate group work with service users and citizens, including in the form of self-help and mutual support.

Independence of judgement.
Critical evaluation of various community social work models and approaches, tailoring methodological choices to the specific characteristics of the local area.
The ability to critically analyse the dynamics and ethical dilemmas inherent in working with groups from an anti-oppressive perspective.

Communication skills: ability to collaborate and communicate with colleagues in the same and other professions and with local policymakers in the context of community interventions.
Ability to communicate and mediate within group work processes, with service users and citizens, and with the team.
Ability to organise written texts and deliver brief oral presentations in public.

Learning skills: ability to develop reflective and self-assessment practices through professional supervision, including from an anti-oppressive perspective.
Understanding of the role of applied research in social work in relation to the development of the discipline and the profession.
The ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course to the third-year placement.