SCW3310 - Social Policy

Leader: Olga Bursian

Offered

Gippsland Second semester 2007 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2007 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit interrogates the processes and politics of social policy-making within the Welfare State. It reviews procedures and instruments used to formulate, fund, implement, evaluate, and revise social policy, and critically examines the impact of major policy decisions on the welfare of citizens.

Objectives

This unit enables students to:

1. Understand the relationship between social, economic and public policy.
2. Understand the processes and politics of social policy making.
3. Understand alternative theoretical frameworks for analyzing social policy.
4. Assess the costs and benefits of a policy decision.
5. Understand the methods used to challenge and influence policy agenda, choices and directions.

Assessment

Class presentation (20 minutes): 20%
Policy analysis (1500): 30%
Exam (2 hours): 50% Position paper (1000 words): 20%
Policy analysis (1500 words): 30%
Exam (2 hours): 50%

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar) per week

Prerequisites

Two of GSC2303, GSC2304, SCW2312

Prohibitions

SCW2310, GSC2310