Undergraduate Course: Fundamentals 2: Social Policy (SCPL08008)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 0 |
| Home subject area | Social Policy |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The aim is to build upon Fundamentals 1 and to complement the two compulsory second-year courses in Social Policy European Social Policy (semester 1) and Social Policy Enquiry (semester 2).
Fundamentals 2 complements European Social Policy and Social Policy Enquiry by following the same structure of debates. In semester 1 (complementing European Social Policy), Fundamentals has, for example, sessions on comparing social policies across countries (in general), on finding information about policy debates and policy developments in other European countries, and on investigating policy making at EU level. In semester 2, Fundamentals follows the sequence of policy issues that is dealt with in Social Policy Enquiry, for example enabling drafts of blog entries to be discussed, and (as outlined below) different kinds of evidence to be explored. In each Fundamentals session, the focus is on developing skills appropriate to serious debate, embedding these skills in substantive discussion of actual current issues.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Full Year, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
0
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
0 )
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| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
-the skills of engaging in public debate in an evidence-based and rational manner;
-an understanding of the technological aspects of non-written forms of online debate;
-an understanding of how to use major sources of evidence relating to public policy.
The class will follow a small number of current, contentious topics in the news media. Working in small groups, the class as a whole will aim to construct a broad account of the development of the topic, each group concentrating on a small number of media outlets. As the evidence is collated, similarities and contrasts in the nature of the coverage will be analysed and discussed, with attention to such matters as the degree of bias, the use of objective evidence, the use of academic research, the distinction between fact and opinion, and the influence of the media coverage of the debate on how the policy responses emerged and changed. Access to newspaper data bases are included in this part of the course, e.g. Factiva, which is a good source of European press articles.
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Assessment Information
| In order to progress to third year, students have to pass the course. The criteria for a pass are: regular attendance at the weekly sessions; playing a full part in the working groups; taking part in the presentations by the groups in week 3 and week 10 of each semester. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Lindsay Paterson
Tel: (0131 6)51 6380
Email: Lindsay.Paterson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Louise Angus
Tel: (0131 6)50 3923
Email: L.Angus@ed.ac.uk |
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