Unit name | Social Policy and the Welfare State: Theoretical Perspectives |
---|---|
Unit code | SPOL10012 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | C/4 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Pemberton |
Open unit status | Open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School for Policy Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
To unit aims to introduce students to the major theories that have impacted upon social policy and welfare provision in the last fifty years. The unit will focus upon British social policy and where appropriate draw upon comparative illustrations. The unit introduces students to a number of phases in recent histrory that mark discrete ideological and theoretical stages: the 'golden age', the demise of the post war consensus, Thatcherism, the Third Way and so on. The unit will also introduce a number of critical perspectives, such as marxist, feminist, anti racist, and post-modern, that have sought to challenge these dominant modes of thought.
Aims:
The unit provides an introduction to the major theories which have shaped British social policy and the welfare state since 1945. The unit will highlight the socio-economic, political and historical contexts of these theories to highlight their relevance and impact upon the policy making process to the student. Moreover, the unit will introduce the student to a number of critical theoretical perspectives which have sought to challenge these dominant modes of thought.
Students will:
Lectures and seminars
Assessment will be against the programme criteria defined for the appropriate level.
Formative assessment: One essay up to 2500 words
Summative assessment : 3 hour unseen exam