Course content

The point of departure for the course is that research on service user's encounters and experiences with the social service system tend to be rather critical. The focus of the course is theories and research that will provide tools for understanding the complexity of this problem, whether it is in Nav (the Work and Welfare Administration), child welfare or other parts of the service system. One will address issues such as the street level bureaucracy and the dilemmas of the individual employee, consequences of governance systems and the so-called New Public Management, use of discretion, challenges related to coordination and production of individually tailored services, and innovations in welfare organisations.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall:

• have thorough knowledge about theories and research on organizational preconditions for the practical and user-oriented work in social service organisations
• knowledge about the consequences of such conditions for the adaptations of the individual employee
• knowledge about possible consequences for the experiences of service users and individually tailoring of services

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

• recognize various theories and perspectives in research and address these critically
• analyze data or situations independently by using the tools provided by this area of research

Qualifications - the student shall be able to:

• employ the knowledge and skills in new and related areas
• present challenges, issues and problems related to social service organisations in an analytic and reflective way
• work with organizational development and innovations in social service organisations

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, seminars and individual learning activities

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in social work, child welfare work, health sciences or social sciences.

Required previous knowledge

Admission to the master studies in Social Work, Child Welfare Work or Disability and Society. The course can also, after individual assessment, be opened to students in other social sciences or health sciences master's programs.

Course materials

Reading list of about 750 pages. The syllabus list is published on Blackboard at the start of the course.