| Unit name | Theorising Social Welfare |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20059 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Burrows |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This is a period in which the provision of social welfare is subject to immense social and economic pressures. A seemingly endless period of retrenchment and austerity poses risks to the sustainability of key welfare services. Additionally the demographic timebomb and the migration crisis in Europe raise major questions about the viability of social welfare provision. In these contexts the unit will ask what is the future for social welfare?
The unit examines the big questions about social welfare’s current developments and future prospects. The ‘state’ in this case implies the economic conditions and the political and institutional environments in which welfare operates. It will explore the relevance of key theoretical contributions to the understanding of welfare origins, trajectories and futures. It will examine the contributions of Marxism, Varieties of Capitalism, Social Reproduction Theory, and The New Political Economy of Welfare, with a particular focus on the contributions of Polanyi, Foucault, Thelen and Schmidt. In looking at the current period it will exam welfare in crisis and welfare retrenchment and resilience and will consider recent debates about labour market change, social differentiation and dualism. The institutional environment will be examined in the decommodification and recommodifcation of welfare and a review of international experience will explore the varieties of liberalisation.
The unit aims to:
Familiarise students with the theoretical literature on social reproduction and the current literature on welfare trajectories.
Familiarise students with an understanding of the variable impacts of the economic crisis
Facilitate an understanding of the impact of fiscal and demographic (age and migration) pressures on welfare services
Facilitate an understanding of the debates around social differentiation and dualism and their relevance for social welfare provision
On successful completion of the unit students
Teaching for this unit will be delivered through blended leaning involving a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions across the teaching block. Taught content will inlcude self-paced activities such as narrated slides and other teaching materials, as well as activities to be undertaken individually, in small groups, or peer-to-peer. Live sessions will be scheduled and might include discussion, presentations, and clarification of learning with the tutor and other studnets. A weekly office hour will be scheduled and responses to any online discussion spaces and activities provided.
Critical review (1000 words) (25%)
Essay (2000 words) (75%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL20059).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
