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Session2
Session2

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Introductory

Former School/College

Former School of Arts and Social Sciences

Unit aim

Introduces the fundamental issue of social policy in welfare practice. Issues of inequality and social policymaking, implementation and analysis are covered. Students are guided to critically analyse one specific social policy in its historical, political and social welfare context.

Unit content

Topic 1: Social Policy: An Introduction 
Topic 2: The Politics of Social Policy 
Topic 3: Researching Social Policy
Topic 4: Population Policy 
Topic 5: Social Security Policy 
Topic 6: Housing Policy
Topic 7: Health Policy
Topic 8: Education Policy
Topic 9: Community Services 
Topic 10: Welfare State or Post-Welfare State? 

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 identify some of the central issues in social policy development and analysis
2 explain how different philosophical perspectives on social responsibility shape the policy process
3 explain the relationship between social policy and the pursuit of social justice, as well as the impact of power relationships on gender, age, ethnicity, and socio-economic class
4 examine the influence of policies on the structure of Australian society, the wellbeing of Australians, and people's ability to respond to structurally-based impositions on their lives
5 describe how policies directly and indirectly impinge on practitioners in their workplaces
6 critically examine a specific area of social policy.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. identify some of the central issues in social policy development and analysis
    • GA4:
  2. explain how different philosophical perspectives on social responsibility shape the policy process
    • GA4:
  3. explain the relationship between social policy and the pursuit of social justice, as well as the impact of power relationships on gender, age, ethnicity, and socio-economic class
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. examine the influence of policies on the structure of Australian society, the wellbeing of Australians, and people's ability to respond to structurally-based impositions on their lives
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  5. describe how policies directly and indirectly impinge on practitioners in their workplaces
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  6. critically examine a specific area of social policy.
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:

Prescribed texts

  • McClelland, A & Smyth, P, 2014, Social Policy in Australia: Understanding for Action , 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria. ISBN: 9780195526868.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.