According to Kenny (2006, p. 21), “The community development approach to the problem of disadvantage in our society [also] challenges the common sense framework in which the social problems are often conceptualised”. What does Kenny mean by this?

What is “the commonsense framework” for understanding social problems? What is “the community development framework for understanding social problems?

Respond to Kenny’s statement. Write your essay using relevant theories of community development, social work, and social policy. Give contemporary Australian examples of community development that demonstrate a community development approach to the problem of disadvantage.

The essay is not an opinion piece but an analytical and critical piece of writing that argues for or against the ‘common sense’ understanding of social problems. Use and refer to a minimum of 6 books or articles, either from the required reading list or beyond.
Assessment guidelines / details / expectations
Presentation of Assignments
The following format should be observed:

• The essay word limit must be strictly observed. Markers will not read beyond 10% word excess of the assignments.

• The work should be well presented and accurately referenced, using APA Referencing Style (see next section).

• Papers should be written in a readable style with good syntax and spelling.

• Essay 2 should demonstrate wide reading community development, social work and social policy.

• Essay 2 should be well structured with an introduction, a logical development of the argument, supported by references from the literature, and appropriate sub sections, and a conclusion.

• Papers must be analytical and not merely descriptive. Academic essays are more than opinion pieces. They must refer to relevant studies.

• Papers should be double spaced with 2 cm margins

There are some potential pitfalls that students can avoid by following the guidelines below:
• Avoid excessive use of web sites as references – There are many web sites online, some of which offer quality information, others do not. Your reading nd research for ideas to include in your assignments should focus on recognised academic or professional literature. Regarding the use of Wikipedia, Wikipedia is useful for finding simple definitions and may be useful for directing you to relevant references and sources. However, as Wikipedia can be updated by anyone, there is some question about its credibility. It should not be used in an academic essay.
• Do not use the topic handouts as references – The topic handouts are provided as a general resource to assist students during presentations. This material will not be accepted as a reference in essays. For example, a reference such as “Irizarry (2013)) Power Point from Interventions with Children and Young People” is not an acceptable citation. You must cite the original source of any referenced ideas in your essays. Any references should refer to the original work. Use of the handouts as a reference will result in a loss of marks.
Appropriate Referencing
Ideas which are not your own should be referenced. Referencing demonstrates your use of literature and allows the reader to locate a source if necessary. It is obligatory to use only the APA Referencing Style.