Diploma in social science and counselling skills

"An Amazing Journey of Mind"

Information Pack

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I wish to congratulate you and all your staff members in providing access to a thoroughly relevant and life-changing programme of education.

- Alexander Woode
Ghana

I’ve found the course tremendously helpful in my writing. To have an understanding of how society works - or doesn’t work - and what makes people behave the way they do is invaluable, and it has definitely encouraged me to observe people in different ways.

- Terri Shoosmith
Ireland

The Dip Social Studies Programme was excellent, it was delivered with passion and warmness that changed my whole vision on diversity, culture and education. I highly recommended the programme.

- Juergen Erhmann
Germany

Employment Opportunities

For employment, the programme opens up many opportunities in the areas of working with NGOs, mentoring and teaching, social care, advocacy, counselling, immigrants/refugees/displaced, business leadership, multiculturalism training, diversity and working with peace education, gender violence, integration, radicalisation, inter-religious/ministry dialogue. It is of particular interest to those involved in: (or wishing to) child development, legal services, development, supervisory work, health care, policing, special needs, disability, politics and community involvement and adult education or training.

International Approach

You will graduate as a citizen of the world and join students from all over the world. In an increasingly global world it is essential to have a qualification that illustrates your willingness to participate in an education programme that instills diversity skills and an international outlook.

The ARLT Difference

Acclaimed Learning Environment

Our acclaimed international learning environment, interactive teaching and support is rarely found in the third level nor in online learning. Our approach is about you as a whole person, this means that your personal situation and needs are given priority. Hear from some of our previous students.

The Diploma Course

We are pleased to offer the Diploma in Social Studies & Counselling Skills through tutor assisted Distance and E-Learning in over 20 countries so that you can participate in a formal education process regardless of your location or personal commitments. The duration of this exciting course (supported with audio and video lectures and textbooks) is one academic year and students are allocated a personal tutor to assist them throughout the course. Personal direct help is also available by phone and email from our local student counsellors in several countries.

The ARLT Foundation's innovative distance learning system is student-centered and is well known for its inspirational academic methods which is unique in its personalised distance learning approach.

ARLT distance/e-learning system allows you to be located anywhere in the world and to join a growing network of people wishing to gain pertinent knowledge in a growing field of study for personal and professional development. The educational experience with ARLT Foundation has changed the lives of people around the globe.

Explore the topics..

Click for detail on each topic..

Cultures of the World

What is culture and how is my cultural heritage of importance? How does culture and upbringing affect my behaviour?
Practical skills will be developed, including how to cope with ethical dilemmas and build ideas for conflict resolution and negotiation.

The objective of this modules is to help build the capacity of the student to be respectful and empathetic of diversity and to enable leadership skills that can manoeuvre smoothly within different cultural contexts.
This module introduces you to the fascinating study of cultures of the world for effective interaction with culturally diverse people in the workplace; essential for good leadership in the 21st century and to enhance dialogue among people. The anthropological attitude and commitment to understanding and appreciating cultural diversity is explored. The concepts of ethnocentrism, cultural relativity, emic and etic aspects of culture are discussed, the dangers of extreme moral relativism and moral imperialism for peace are explored. The important requirement for this section is that students have concepts on culture, which they can apply to their own lives. Social behaviour in various situations is surveyed: interviews, emotional expression, conversational analysis etc. Cultures of the world give expression to the creativity of humankind and we analyse this creativity in terms of material objects and the non-material such as norms, values, symbols and language.

Family and Kinship

Who am I? How do I know? What are my basic values? How is human growth and potential restricted? How did I become the person I am? How do I learn to base my behaviour on my core values? What does family mean to me?

The primary requirement for this section is that students gain an understanding of family and kinship relations in western and other cultures in a value-free manner and examine the changing structure of the family in the developed world and in their own country. Be able to understand the importance of marriage, marriage forms and determinants of these forms. Major changes and challenges to patterns of family in the world are surveyed. The student is expected to be able to gain an understanding of their own family as a socially conditioned product and by considering the advantages and disadvantages of family forms develop the skill of objectivity. This subject includes variations in family organisation, marriage forms, love, family disorganisation, communication, functions of the family, dealing with family problems and the science of child rearing. Tuition will relate to counselling skills and problem solving.

Personality and Society

How do I understand personality, develop self-esteem, overcome shyness, ageism and maximize my potential for happiness throughout the life cycle?
How do I conquer negative emotions of anxiety and fear?

The primary requirement for this module is to be able to understand the process of socialisation throughout the life cycle and to gain an insight of human development theories. Lock and Rousseau’s differing philosophies on child rearing and education are compared with examples of how they are passed down to us today. The major perspectives are introduced:

trait theory
behaviourism and social learning,
developmental theory
symbolic interactionism,
the psychoanalytic view and
humanist theories

Particular attention is given to six influential theories of human development; Freud, Erikson, Bowlby and Ainsworth, Bandura, Piaget and Vygotsky. Socialisation in later life and cultural differences in the treatment of the elderly, the agents of socialisation and gender socialisation are explored.

An Introduction to Education

A life changing lecture in re-discovering the joy of learning and developing a passion. What is my philosophy of education? Why is it important to have a philosophy of education to develop your passion for learning and to be successful?

Students will reflect on the meaning of education either through art therapy, case studies of education or free association and develop their own philosophy on education from their personal experiences. A life changing in re-discovering the joy of learning and exploration.

‍By considering a number of case studies on educating children in very different ways from diverse communities and eras, for example, the character education of the former Soviet Union, a West African Bush school in the 1930s, and a modern day Maasai school in Kenya, students are expected to develop their own individual responses to the question: what is education? What should it achieve? By doing so students will gain an understanding how education systems are shaped by other institutions and social forces, be able to determine the values transmitted through a curriculum and most importantly develop their own personal philosophy on education to provide them with a tangible foundation to pursue lifelong learning not just for success in a particular test but for the tests that exist every single day of our lives in dealing with relationships, parenting , leisure pursuits, voting behaviour, mental health issues, and countless others. M Nussbaum’ s ideals for the cultivation of humanity in today’s world are explored as are the social division in education, multiple intelligences, Wright’s study of racism in the education system, the concept of habitus. Particular reference is given to the fundamental importance of education in preventing conflict and fostering a culture of peace in the world and mutual respect, the while primary level enrolment in developing regions has increased, the proportion of children out of school in conflict areas increased, greater attention is needed at higher levels, alongside non-formal education for youth in order to address root causes of conflict and fragility.

Culture, Language and Social Behaviour

Effective listening and communication skills will transform your life in every way.
How can I communicate more effectively? How do cognitive models, non-verbal communication and pervasive metaphors shape the way I think and ultimately my happiness?

How does my language use expand or restrict my thoughts and ideas? The primary focus on this module is to explore culture in greater detail and students will attempt to understand their identity by studying norm and values, cosmopolitanism and fundamentalism and culture and creativity. Theorists such as M. Csikszentmihalyi, R. Inglehart are introduced. On completion students should be able to acknowledge the influence of their own diverse cultural make-up and history, be able to analyse social interaction in everyday life; non-verbal communications and be familiar with Garfinkel ‘s analysis of conversation, Goffman’s dramaturgical model, Sapir/Whorf theory of linguistic relativity, and Lakoff and Johnson exploration of metaphor, and the importance of language in educational achievement through Bernstein’s work and critiques.

Social Problems and Counselling Skills

Transform your life and learn powerful skills which can be applied at work and home. Am I authentic, compassionate, empathetic? Learn to respond rather than react.

How do I develop my emotional intelligence for effectiveness at work, leadership and for parenting? Do I cognitively distort reality? How can I cope with stressful situations? This section has three major themes, the first theme is to consider sociological view as to why social problems, wars or other conflicts exist with an introduction to C Wright Mills’ sociological imagination and Durkheim’s study of suicide. We explore the criteria of social problems and common fallacies and introduce the unique sociological perspective on studying social problems, basic human needs to be met by the social worker, characteristics considered desirable in the social work or helping profession. The second theme is an exploration of issues related to counselling such as dealing with anxieties, being yourself, understanding silence, self-care and a clear insight of major themes in a standard introduction to counselling text book. The third theme is an overview of counselling theories and their rationale based on background, emotions, thinking and behaviour.

Deviance and Social Difficulties

Why do most of us—at least most of the time— obey the rules? Social workers come into contact with people whose behaviour may be described as deviant. This lecture considers how the study of deviance can bring some understanding of that behaviour and to the wider social context in which it takes place.

This section introduces the student to the study deviance and by examining a variety of theories the student gains an understanding how religion, science, popular culture, social class and values influence the definition of deviance. The history of demonism is traced form the Middle ages to contemporary examples. Biological and psychological theories are explored and contemporary arguments supporting racial hierarch theory. Among the work explored are E. Durkheim and R. Merton and the functions of deviance, the influence of subcultures on individual behaviour and ways that deviants navigate two cultures; deviant and normative are explored using Sykes and Matza’s five techniques of neutralisation, the idea that people are inherently motivated to deviate and the role of deterrence is discussed in relation to control theory, societal reactions to deviance as presented in the labelling theory and Marx’s dimension of dominant ideology and the and the problematic nature of social truth inherent in constructionism. Students explore the main sociological causes of criminal behaviour among serial killers and by drawing on their studies of previous modules on socialisation, culture, social behaviour, social problems and counselling students identify key aspect of the Channel programme (England and Wales 2012) to understand what puts an individual at risk of being radicalised and drawn into terrorism.

Rural and Urban Communities

This module should whet your appetite for the study of prehistory and anthropology. You will learn to look at your community with a whole new perspective
Photo: Stanley Ann Dunham (1942 –1995), the mother of Barack Obama, an American Anthropologist specialized in rural development

This section includes an introduction to prehistory and covers the origin of Human societies, provides a sketch of fossil evidence for the evolution of the hominids from Homo Habilis to our own species. We explore the nature of Homo Erectus’ tools, the origin and fate of the Neanderthals, the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture and institutions and the growth of cities. Theories of urbanism are introduced, the work of Durkheim, Weber, Tonnies and Chicago tradition and U Beck’s contemporary debate on “The Risk Society” are introduced. The necessity to think of community as a symbolic construction and to draw on the anthropological work on symbolism to describe how people identify with their community is emphasised. Also covered policies of urban renewal, urban decline and the economic, environmental and social challenges associated with rapid urban growth with reference to developing countries. Students are introduced to biographical research and using personal narrative to explore experiences of community.

Society and Social Change Social Stratification/ Globalisation

For most students this turns out to be a fascinating approach to understanding our world Alongside investigating issues such as: "Who gets more or less, and why?”, "Is inequality inevitable?"

You will also be dealing with issues such as: "How many social classes?" and "How do we determine social class?" and “the significance of social class today in relation to child development, leisure, health and education”. The first major theme is social stratification. In this section we draw attention to the unequal positions occupied by individuals in society and the basic elements in terms of property, wealth and access to material and cultural goods, and lifestyle choices. We consider the challenges to the traditional views on class and we look at the proposition that ‘Perhaps we are all middles class now.’ We look at who the poor are in the developed world and discuss global poverty and its effect on human development, issues of life expectancy, health and education. Population growth and an introduction to demography is introduced and possible consequence of speculation about future population levels are mapped out. Among the theorists introduced are Bourdieu and the theory of cultural reproduction, K. Davis and W. Moore and functionalism, Marx and constant class struggle, Weber’s multidimensional system of stratification, Wright’s combination of elements of Marx and Weber, and finally the views of Goldthorpe and Westegaard are considered. In the second major them globalisation the development of global trade from the time of Columbus to the emergence of an integrated global economy is sketched. The factors in the emergence of the global economy; collapse of the colonial empires, the development of free trade and new technologies are reviewed and some of the important effects of globalisation are discussed including rapid population growth, migration from rural areas to cities, form impoverished, war torn countries to wealthier countries, multinational cooperation’s and the domination of global business and media.

Economics, Work and Politics

This subject is intended to clear some of the mystery which seems to surround economic and political questions since some people appear to be afraid of the very words.

The major themes here is intended to clear some of the mystery which seem to surround economic questions to give a basic understanding of the economic process. It surveys the basic decisions of any economy and examines the relationship between power, politics and economics. The relationship between economy and government is illustrated by exploring the major political-economic systems of capitalism, socialism, communism and fascism as well as non-conventional ways of political engagement in social movements. The changing nature of work is explored, feminisation of work, the experience of unemployment, increased flexibility of work and the move toward more autonomy or insecure work with fewer prospects. Students are expected to draw up a desired career trajectory and to consider it in light of their studies of work and the economy.

Enrol Today

This fascinating study of human behaviour renowned for its success in bringing awareness & understanding of the social sciences and intercultural communication to many professions.

Diploma in Social Science and Counselling Skills

Cost of programme 540€ in European Union (incl. UK)

12 Month Course

6 Assignments

Personal Tutor

Home Study

Full Resource Site with Audio & Video Lectures, Interactive Quizzes

Student Counsellor Support by Phone and Email

Flexible Learning with Personalised Encouragement

Detailed feedback and personalised tuition with dialogue approach

End-of-study Report / Reference available *

Grants and Scholarships Available †

Limited Scholarships are available in certain developing countries. For more details, click here or contact us.

Hear from some of our past students

"The Dip Social Studies Programme was excellent, it was delivered with passion and warmness that changed my whole vision on diversity, culture and education. I highly recommended the programme."

Juergen Erhmann

Germany

"I wish to congratulate you and all your staff members in providing access to a thoroughly relevant and life-changing programme of education."

Alexander Woode

Ghana

"Many thanks for your assistance throughout the course. I must confess that I really appreciated advice and contributions. Despite the fact that I had a background in Social Sciences having graduated with honours in Educational Management and Political Science and with a masters degree in International Relations, I still benefitted immensely from the course. It stimulated my interest in Social Care."

Tayo Tewogbade, MSc, MEd. Hons.

"I’ve found the course tremendously helpful in my writing. To have an understanding of how society works - or doesn’t work - and what makes people behave the way they do is invaluable, and it has definitely encouraged me to observe people in different ways."

Terri Shoosmith

Ireland

"I applied to college to study Social Science and I was given a place on a degree course, I just want to thank you, as my tutor you have helped me progress in an area of writing essays etc and that was on my entrance exam, one of the essays was on culture of the world. I wouldn't have been accepted without your positive and excellent feedback. Thank you so much"

Trisha M.

"Dear Tutor, I’d like you to know this course has given me renewed self confidence, boosted my self esteem and hopes for the future. It has also been a source of great joy and happiness for both me and my wife when the results arrived."