Module Descriptors

What is the aim of social policy? How is policy made and by whom? Why are so many different policy racticies aroud the world? What is the impact of social policy and why we should care? 

These are some of the questions that this module addresses. We explore the policy process (e.i policy making, implenetation, evaluation), the various actors (e.g. politicians, civil servats, interest groups, social movements) and levels (e.g. national, local, global) that influence policy, and the perspectives on policy evaluation (e.g. impact, outcome, process evaluation). We explore some of these issues in a cross-country comparative manner, by looking at spacific social policy areas (e.g. education, health, transport). We conclude the module by discussing the current challenges that social policy faces. 

This module builds on the L7 module: Development of Social Policy. The module will commence with a reminder and a summary of L7 module's main focus: the development of social policy in the UK. The contents of the module focuses on: 1) Development of social policy in the UK, 2) Perspectives in social policy: equality, social justice, social needs; 3) Comparative social policy: governance approaches; 4) The policy process: path dependency, convergence and divergence; 5)  Policy-making: interest groups and social mvements; 6) Policy implementation: top down and buttom-up approaches; 7) Policy evaluation: outcome, process and impact evaluaiton; 8 -10) Case studies e.g citizenship, austerity; 11) Future of Social Policy: current challenges.

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

L1. Understand the policy process, actors, perspectives, and mechanisms that influence policy formulation, policy-making and implementation.

L2. Critically evaluate policy sources and produce analyses on policy issues

L3. Critically apply key concepts and theories from the policy analysis literature to real world scenarios.

L4. Demonstrate policy analysis and policy writing skills including developing policy solutions and recommendations

The module will provide students with the necessary knowledge to understand social policy including:policy process (i.e. policy making, implementation, evaluation), the various actors (e.g. politicians, civil servants, interest groups, social movements) and level (e.g. national, local, global) that influence policy, and the perspectives on policy evaluation (e.g.impact, outcome, process evaluation)

By examining policy examples from a variety of international context, this module develops students understanding of influence of globalisation in social policy

Evaluating and developing a critical understanding of competing beliefs, ideas, concepts and issues relevant to the study of global society;

Evaluation of arguments, assessing competing perspectives, analysing concepts, critical thinking, comparing models.

Identifying key points, summarising and presenting arguments, written and verbal communication, drawing appropriately on IT sources to obtain and present material.

Taking responsibility for planning time and meeting deadlines for coursework
Exercising autonomy and individual learning through seminar and coursework preparation.

The following materials form essential underpinning for the module content and ultimately for the learning outcomes:

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time. Please refer to the Academic Engagement Procedure at the following link: Academic engagement procedure

Where a module has Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements these will be listed here:
All fulltime students (part-time and distant learning students should check with their programme leader for any queries) are required to attend all scheduled classes and participate with all delivered elements of the module as part of their engagement with their programme of study. Consideration will be given to students who have protection under the appropriate equality law. Please refer to UWS Regulations, Chapter 1, 1.64 – 1.67, available at the following link: http://www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/rights-and-regulations/regulatory-framework/

2.15

1. More than one assessment method can be used to assess individual learning outcomes.
2. Schools are responsible for determining student contact hours. Please refer to University Policy on contact hours (extract contained within section 10 of the Module Descriptor guidance note).
   This will normally be variable across Schools, dependent on Programmes &/or Professional requirements.