Social Enterprise and Community Development – BA

The module will provide the participant with the knowledge and skills which will enable the participant to develop, plan, implement and manage community-based projects and organisations.

This module considers community education in both local and global settings. It explores in some depth conceptual models of community education and their implications for practice at both the local and global levels. This module draws on theoretical models and practice examples. The module also includes a critical overview of the contemporary political, cultural and gendered context of community education.

In this module, the student is introduced to the main sociological theories of social change and to the current debates on globalisation. The impact of globalisation on conventional forms of solidarity in local communities is explored and the implication for community work practice is looked at. Students are introduced to the varying interpretations of the Celtic tiger phenomenon, to the development policies which informed its emergence and to the factors that contributed to its demise. Contesting definitions of ‘development’ are explored, thus allowing the student to reflect on the ‘development’ principles that inform their community work practice.

This module is designed to assist students with preparation for professional and personal work-based development and well-being. There will be a particular emphasis on career, personal development and well-being in the modern workplace.

This module aims to develop the students’ business modelling and entrepreneurial skills to support effective startup and enterprise development. A key focus of the module will be on an enterprise’s capacity to adapt to its increasingly competitive environment and to identify opportunities for improvement which may lead to competitive advantage(s). It will also introduce the student to current practices underpinning organisational learning, which will enable an enterprise’s idea generation through effective resource management. In addition, the student will be enabled to critically analyse the mechanisms and supports available to potential entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. This module will provide the student with the specialised knowledge, skills and competences required to manage and scale a business.

This module introduces the students to the basic principles of company law and the regulatory environment for community organisations. It gives the students an understanding of the manner in which company law is regulated, administered and enforced in practice. Contemporary developments in company law and the regulatory environment will be investigated from a practical perspective.

To provide the student with the opportunity to integrate the learning, knowledge, skills and competences gained in the various modules on the programme in a work-based setting, and to prepare and submit a capstone project which demonstrates the learner’s judgement and understanding of the interrelationship of the knowledge areas covered on the programme.