Study Guide

Objective

The course examines welfare in a European context. It gives comparative perspectives on caring professions. The students will be examining how social welfare services are organised differently in different places; how some countries have developed particular approaches and concepts, or even different caring disciplines and professions; and how different client groups are identified and helped by professionals. The students will be examining services to support people across the human life course, from birth to old age.

Content

Comparative social policy; community and community development; service user/client/customer involvement

Location and time

Online studies begin in May and the exchange week is on 11-17 June in Vechta. The application period for BIP is at the beginning of the year 2023.

Teaching methods

Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Oranges and lemons: Comparing policies, projects, and practice.
The course examines welfare in a European context, to give us comparative perspectives on our caring professions. We will be examining how social welfare services are organised differently in different places; how some countries have developed particular approaches and concepts, or even different caring disciplines and professions; and how different client groups are identified and helped by professionals.

We will be examining services to support people across the human life course, from birth to old age. Our programme is based on speakers from, and visits to, agencies in Vechta, Germany where we will be staying. We are hoping this BIP will have an international spirit. Before and during the June week, you will be working together with students from three other countries and learning about their cultures, lives and their own social policy traditions. We hope this will internationalise your thinking and understanding of the caring professions.
You will be working in international/intercultural work groups. You will be given activities to complete, both alone and together in small groups, and we hope that in the course of the week you will be getting a lot out of reflecting on yourselves, your own culture, and your interactions with people from other European cultures.

The programme starts with online learning sessions and continues in person in June. The finishing of the course requires active participation in online and in-person learning, small group activities and written report.

International connections

If you are interested in participating the course, please contact departmental international coordinator Kirsi Autio kirsi.autio@karelia.fi

Evaluation scale

H-5

Further information

BIP blended intensive programme