Assignment: Practice Through the Lens of Discourse

Task

Due Date: 19 November, 2021

Weighting: This assignment is worth 50% of final grade

Word Length: minimum 600 words and maximum 1,000 words

The purpose of this assessment is to apply and then critically analyse two different models of social practice: one structuralist and one post-structuralist.

Submit via Moodle (turnitin link in the ‘Overview and Assessments’ tab)

This assessment relates to Learning Outcomes 1 and 2, which are available in MyCourseDetails and on the first page of your Moodle course.
No referencing required. Paraphrased ideas and/or quotes from course materials (only), using appropriate in-text (only) APA referencing, are acceptable.

Well in advance of completing this assignment, you will choose two models:

1.  either Psychodynamic Therapy or CBT, (structuralist model) and
2.  either Narrative or the Meihana model (post-structuralist model)

In class time on November 17th, you will be given a case study (which you will see in this class for the first time). You are able to take notes to help you write the first two paragraphs of this assignment, as follows:

how you would use your chosen structuralist model

how you would use your chosen post-structuralist model.

For each model, pretend you are a practitioner of it and have met with the client(s) in the case scenario a few times.

Paragraphs 1 and 2 need to cover the same two key elements:

A. Identify the model chosen.

B. Write a progress report to an imagined supervisor about your work with this/these client(s). From the lens of the model – an ‘insider’s perspective –succinctly describe or analyse the problem, describe and justify any ‘interventions’ that have occurred, and describe any plans for future interventions and goals.

Important: refer to the marking criteria below for further details.

During breakouts on November 10th, you can take notes to help you write the last two paragraphs of this assignment, as follows:

an analysis of discourses that operate within the first chosen model.

an analysis of discourses that operate within the second chosen model.

In this part of the assignment you take up an ‘outsider’ perspective on each of the models. You are no longer discussing the specific case that was addressed above. However, in order to illustrate your points well in paragraphs 3 and 4, it is recommended that you provide brief examples of the effects of discourses on the specific case discussed in paragraphs 1 and 2.

First, identify the model chosen, then identify the discourses about people, problems, and change that operate within each model you are working with.

Tips on discourses of ‘people’:are ‘healthy’ clients seen more as individuals or more as part of a collective? What norms of health are operating in this model? How are practitioners positioned in relation to clients?

Tips on discourses of problems: Where are problems thought to be located? How are problems defined, understood, or theorised: as deficits? As irrational beliefs? As a disconnection from an important area or areas of life (such as spirituality, community)? As stories or discourses?

Tips on discourses of change: What and/or who is understood as needing to change? At what level(s) – individual, family, social, community – does change occur?

Discuss some of the effects of these discourses; as well as who or what might be excluded from or silenced by them.

• You are welcome to work in small groups. However, you must take your own notes (in preparation to submit your individual assignment), and write your own assignment individually. If notes are shared or duplicated too closely across assignments you are at risk of plagiarism.

• During class on the day, the lecturer will be available to clarify assignment criteria and offer a few tips. However, the content comes from you, and advanced preparation for this assignment will be required for you to do well. Significant class time is devoted to this preparation so being in those earlier classes will really help.

• If you cite any class readings as part of this assignment (not a requirement), please ensure that you use proper APA citation conventions, but only use intext citations (do not include a reference list with this assignment).

• Given the short time frame to finalise and submit this assignment, grammar and sentence construction will not be a primary consideration in the marking. Note, however, that your assignment needs to be well-written overall in order to convey its ideas effectively