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SOCG236 Social Issues and Policy

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Incompatible SOCG104 Introduction to Social Issues and Policy
Teaching Organisation A variety of formats will be used, including lectures, workshops, seminars, film analysis, visual analysis, group work, and outside visits where appropriate.

The unit provides students with an informed understanding of the classical relationship between the social sciences and social policy development. It focuses on both the history of social policy development (with particular, although not exclusive, reference to Australia) and the nature, and challenges, of contemporary social policy. It foregrounds the ways in which social policies at the global, national, state and local levels are instrumental in shaping peoples lives. In so doing, it familiarises students with key concepts in the study of social policy and encourages them to identify the ideologies that underpin national and international social policies. The unit also introduces students to key themes, issues and debates in the study of social policy and welfare, including the impact of globalisation, new forms of governance, the nature of citizenship and social inclusion, environmental and economic sustainability, economic rationalism and (for some) the looming end of the welfare state. Throughout the unit, emphasis is given to ways in which social policies have the capacity to redistribute societal resources and enhance social solidarity and social justice, on the one hand, or perpetuate, and even exacerbate, existing social inequalities, on the other hand.

Students will be introduced to the policy-making process, the key players involved, and the intricate processes whereby issues are identified as social policy matters and social policy responses are developed. They will also be encouraged to think creatively about the types of social policy initiatives that might best assist individuals, groups and nation states as they deal with the changes and challenges of life in the 21st century.

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