Module Descriptions
Bachelor of Arts Honours in Community Development
Below is the Module Descriptions for 2024.
Important Notice:
Earn a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Community Development in one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, accumulating 120 credits. The program offers a flexible delivery mode, allowing students to choose between contact and distance learning. The curriculum is designed to equip students with a solid understanding of both the theory and practice of community development.
Students have the opportunity to explore specific areas of interest within community development studies. The program achieves this by guiding students in comprehending, analyzing, and applying key aspects such as community development theory, policy and governance, program management theory, and social research methodology. This comprehensive approach ensures a well-rounded education that prepares students for meaningful engagement in the field of community development.
Full-time Option: Study year 1 of 1 (NQF 8)
This module introduces students critically to the epistemological and theoretical foundations of community development in order to build advanced analytical capacity among community development practitioners. It does this by interrogating philosophical and conceptual assumptions as well as analytical approaches in community development practice.
This module introduces students to the policy and legislative ecology that governs the profession of community development and examines the need for and strategic importance of policies and regulations regarding their respective functions and roles in the systemic structuring and application of community development. The impact that relevant policies and regulations have on the practice of community development will be analysed in order to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of community development professionals. Students will also explore legal requirements and procedures to be followed in community development practice.
This module is designed to facilitate the independent planning, execution and reporting/ writing up of a research project in partial fulfilment of the programme. The Independent Research Project (IRP) report, which is based on work integrated research, forms a major part of this module. The IRP involves conducting a systematic literature review preferably linked to an aspect of community development of the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, where students also gain practical experience. In 2020, students explored literature review topics that would benefit the organization where they were working or had worked.
This module focuses on the methodology of social science research and is designed to build research capacity amongst future community development practitioners. During the course students will be taught the logic inherent to social research methodology, covering the design stage, data collection, data capturing, data analysis, data interpretation and research ethics. A research proposal, which may form the basis of the Independent Research Project (IRP), forms a major part of this module.
This module explores the concept of Youth Development on an International and local (South African) level from the perspective of the Community Development Practitioner. Youth development theories and youth development practices will be critically evaluated. Dimensions of youth development and its application within a community will be discussed as it relates to community transformation.
This module will focus on expanding knowledge and skills needed on the project, programme and organisational environment in which community leaders mobilise and manage their people and other resources to achieve desired outcomes and impacts in their communities. Students will be guided to achieve personal, interpersonal, and organisational effectiveness through the “frames” of ethical and theoretical guidelines. The module will furthermore attend to the application of the impact value chain, log-frame planning, monitoring and evaluation as it applies to project, programme and organisational development.
This module is designed to facilitate the independent planning, execution and reporting/ writing up of a research project in partial fulfilment of the programme. The Independent Research Project (IRP) report, which is based on work integrated research, forms a major part of this module. The IRP involves conducting a systematic literature review preferably linked to an aspect of community development of the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, where students also gain practical experience. In 2020, students explored literature review topics that would benefit the organization where they were working or had worked.
In this module developing a human community is viewed as the outcome of ecological processes. Through communities, people come together and collectively not only survive but may also increase their standard of living. The four principal ecological dimensions are population, organization, environment and technology, acronym POET. The module thus expounds the importance of population as groups of humans that occupy an area, how they are organized into a community to gain sustenance, and their common environment (including other communities). The module also addresses the application of knowledge and the tools used to adapt to their environment to enhance their sustenance i.e., a population’s technology. Particular attention is given to the principle and challenge of sustainable community development in diverse community locations and settings.
Part-time Option: Study year 1 of 2 (NQF 8)
This module introduces students critically to the epistemological and theoretical foundations of community development to build advanced analytical capacity among community development practitioners. It does this by interrogating philosophical and conceptual assumptions as well as analytical approaches in community development practice.
This module introduces students to the policy and legislative ecology that governs the profession of community development and examines the need for and strategic importance of policies and regulations regarding their respective functions and roles in the systemic structuring and application of community development. The impact that relevant policies and regulations have on the practice of community development will be analysed in order to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of community development professionals. Students will also explore legal requirements and procedures to be followed in community development practice.
This module explores the concept of Youth Development on an International and local (South African) level from the perspective of the Community Development Practitioner. Youth development theories and youth development practices will be critically evaluated. Dimensions of youth development and its application within a community will be discussed as it relates to community transformation.
This module will focus on expanding knowledge and skills needed on the project, programme and organisational environment in which community leaders mobilise and manage their people and other resources to achieve desired outcomes and impacts in their communities. Students will be guided to achieve personal, interpersonal, and organisational effectiveness through the “frames” of ethical and theoretical guidelines. The module will furthermore attend to the application of the impact value chain, log-frame planning, monitoring and evaluation as it applies to project, programme and organisational development.
Part-time Option: Study year 2 of 2 (NQF 8)
This module is designed to facilitate the independent planning, execution and reporting/ writing up of a research project in partial fulfilment of the programme. The Independent Research Project (IRP) report, which is based on work integrated research, forms a major part of this module. The IRP involves conducting a systematic literature review preferably linked to an aspect of community development of the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, where students also gain practical experience. In 2020, students explored literature review topics that would benefit the organization where they were working or had worked.
This module focuses on the methodology of social science research and is designed to build research capacity amongst future community development practitioners. During the course students will be taught the logic inherent to social research methodology, covering the design stage, data collection, data capturing, data analysis, data interpretation and research ethics. A research proposal, which may form the basis of the Independent Research Project (IRP), forms a major part of this module.
This module is designed to facilitate the independent planning, execution and reporting/ writing up of a research project in partial fulfilment of the programme. The Independent Research Project (IRP) report, which is based on work integrated research, forms a major part of this module. The IRP involves conducting a systematic literature review preferably linked to an aspect of community development of the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, where students also gain practical experience. In 2020, students explored literature review topics that would benefit the organization where they were working or had worked.
In this module developing a human community is viewed as the outcome of ecological processes. Through communities, people come together and collectively not only survive but may also increase their standard of living. The four principal ecological dimensions are population, organization, environment and technology, acronym POET. The module thus expounds the importance of population as groups of humans that occupy an area, how they are organized into a community to gain sustenance, and their common environment (including other communities). The module also addresses the application of knowledge and the tools used to adapt to their environment to enhance their sustenance i.e., a population’s technology. Particular attention is given to the principle and challenge of sustainable community development in diverse community locations and settings.