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SP50279: Comparative public policy and social welfare: cross-national, European and global perspectives

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 1
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: OR 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Essay (OR 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: You must have familiarity with social policy, political science or sociology literature to first degree level to take this unit.
Description: Aims:
The aims of the teaching sessions are to:
* introduce and evaluate the theories explaining the dynamics of social policy development, and their variation;
* explain in detail how public policy affects social welfare in high income, middle income and lower income countries;
* explain how the European and global institutional contexts frame the production and distribution of social welfare;
* explain the key issues and questions arising from, and characteristics of, social policy in six social and public policy fields areas and how they are understood and addressed in different national, regional (EU) and international institutional domains;
* review and evaluate the theories explaining the causes, dynamics and consequences of welfare state reform.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit the students will have:
* sound knowledge and critical understanding of the main theoretical explanations of welfare state and public policy developments in a variety of countries, in Europe and globally;
* sound knowledge of the social, political and economic characteristics of a range of national regimes and how they affects the production and distribution of societal welfare;
* detailed knowledge of one policy area in at least two countries, including characteristics of policy development, pressures for change, and existing policy outcomes;
* sound knowledge and critical understanding of the main theories explaining the pressures for, causes and consequences of welfare state reform;
* critical understanding of the cross-national variation in definitions and measurement of policy objectives and outcomes.

Skills:
By the end of the unit, students will be able to:
* Apply and evaluate a range of theoretical explanations of welfare state development;
* Comparatively analyse and explain the historical and contemporary development of European welfare states, global social policy and the production of welfare in middle and lower income countries;
* Comparatively analyse and evaluate contemporary policy developments in at least two countries;
* Identify and analyse the causes and consequences of policy change, with reference to contemporary theoretical explanations of welfare state retrenchment and reform;
* Explain the significance of cross-national variation in the definition and measurement of policy problems, objectives and outcomes.

Content:
Part I - Theorising comparative public policy and the global production of welfare
1. Comparing the production societal welfare: states, markets, families
2. Comparing the politics and governance of social welfare (including policy learning and policy convergence)
3. Theorising the International and Global aspects of social welfare

Part II - Exploring Public Policy and Social Welfare across the World
4. Social welfare in high-income countries
5. Social welfare in middle income countries
6. Social Welfare in lower income countries
7. European Social policy
8. Global social policy

Part III - Comparing key social and public policies
9.Family - Retirement - Employment
10. Healthcare - Migration -Sustainable social policy & climate change

11. Conclusion.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

SP50279 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

SP50279 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • THPL-AFM16 : MA Contemporary European Studies: Politics, Policy and Society
  • THPL-AFM17 : MA Contemporary European Studies with Transatlantic Track (Euromasters)
Department of Social & Policy Sciences

SP50279 is available for Auditing on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.