Examination arrangement

Course content

The course focus on various contexts and forms within client participation. Client participation is given great emphasis in social and health sciences as well as in social and welfare policy. Clients of social and health services must be involved in their own treatment and development of the service. Client participation always takes place in collaboration between clients, relatives and the professionals. In the course, client participation is problematized from different perspectives at both individual and systemic level. Particular emphasis will be placed on the topics from a client/patient perspective and service provider/personnel perspective. Emphasis will be placed on the application of theory of client participation.

Learning outcome

Students must have in-depth knowledge of key concepts and approaches in research on client participation. Students must have in-depth knowledge of the prerequisites for, approaches to and consequences of client participation in the social and health services. Great emphasis is placed on the students being able to handle complex academic questions, and be able to challenge established knowledge and practice in the subject area. Students should be able to communicate and discuss professional challenges related to client participation in practice and research. Emphasis is placed on the students developing their ability to apply theories and perspectives to issues that are relevant in their own doctoral work.

Learning methods and activities

A block-based instruction is given in the form of lectures, discussions, student presentations of paper, feedback on paper and submission of paper of 4500 - 5000 words. There is also separate work with course literature. Each student presents their paper at the collection. A fellow student and a scientific employee are responsible for providing feedback on the paper. The paper will deal with freely chosen topics related to user participation, and may be related to a separate dissertation. The exam paper consists of a processed paper that has been presented at the seminar. The course can be taught in Norwegian or English. The teaching can be canceled or changed if there are fewer than 5 registered, and/or that the department of social work does not have teaching capacity.

Compulsory assignments

• Approved attendance, presentation of paper and feedback on other student's paper

Further on evaluation

The paper may not be used as part of the doctoral thesis, but may be related to the doctoral thesis.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Master's degree or equivalent. Master students may occasionally take part in the course but do not earn ECTs.

Course materials

The reading list will be 600-800 pages, of which 200-300 pages are chosen by the student.