Anna, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland“I chose VIA University College because it is a good university which was recommended by my Polish coordinator. I read some information on the website which sounded very interesting"...>
“Social education” is the official translation of the Danish term “Socialpædagogik”. In this course, we will use the term “social pedagogy” as it indicates the fact that social pedagogical care work embraces much more than what is usually conceived by the term “social education”.
Social pedagogy provides a unifying concept of work with people in many formal or informal institutional settings. The social pedagogical approach in Denmark is closely linked to the development of the welfare state and can be understood as a process of nurturing the development of human beings.Social pedagogues work with people of all ages: newborns, kindergarten children, youths, old people, as well as physically or mentally disabled people.
The module in social pedagogy is based on the notion of the social pedagogue as an important participant in the inclusive process of people, i.e. children, young people, adults, who, in one way or another, are at risk of exclusion.
One aspect that will be of particular focus during the module in social pedagogy is the way pedagogues work towards cultivating personal creativity and towards enhancing the capacity for strong, easy relationships.
The module in social pedagogy alternates between creative subjects: drama, music, movement, arts and crafts as well as theoretical subjects like theories and methodologies of pedagogy, sociology and psychology, and practical work like fieldwork and field studies.The training enables the pedagogue to share in many aspects of people’s daily lives. Through participation in creative activities, the pedagogue develops the ability of seeing her/himself as a person in relationships with people with whom he or she is working. The creative subjects are, therefore, some of the key elements in the module in social pedagogy.
The philosophical approach and training of the pedagogue/social educator is based on a holistic approach to other people. The training of the pedagogue is based on a pedagogy of relationship, reflection and a practical pedagogy:Head - Heart - Hands