THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Social Policy

Undergraduate Course: Governing The Social (SCPL10023)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course introduces students to a series of critical approaches to social policy and governance such as post-structuralist, feminist, critical political economy, anti-racist, or advocacy-oriented perspectives. It aims at developing students' capacity to provide a holistic analysis of the politics and policies surrounding social issues in modern societies in the light of global socio-economic changes, highlighting potential contradictions in how state intervention empowers as well as coerces citizens, creates opportunities as well as situations of exploitation, enhances social cohesion as well as deepens social cleavages, and how in turn citizens, social movements and organisations shape, subvert or resist social policies. The goal of the course is to enhance students' ability for critical and independent thinking about contemporary policy concerns.
Course description 1. Social policy, social order and the good society: Towards a new governance of the social?
2. Governing through the family; the social investment state: turning children into citizen-workers of the future? Do parents need educating?
3. Changing relations between the state and the market; turning citizens into consumers; health reform and health markets, nudging and individual responsibility
4. State welfare, power and empowerment: globalization, global social justice movement and social inequality; women's movements and gender equality
5. Social agendas for the future - dominant and alternative global players (WTO, OECD, EU, Attack, Social Forum etc.)
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  30
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Book review: 20%, 700-800 words
Policy brief (group assignment): 20%, 1500 words
Essay (final assessment): 60%, 2500 words

Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. an understanding of a series of critical theoretical approaches to the study of social policy and governance in modern societies.
  2. the ability to apply certain theoretical perspectives to a variety of policy issues
  3. enhanced ability to critically assess current policy issues with respect to political processes and social outcomes
  4. developed their skills in a range of cross-cutting and transferable skills' areas, including: critically analysing evidence and using this to develop and support a line of argument; presenting information visually and orally; engaging in group discussion; cooperating in team work and team assessment; commenting on public debates; communicating with different audiences; searching for academic literature and writing an extended essay.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Keywordscritical perspectives,social policy,governance
Contacts
Course organiserDr Ingela Naumann
Tel: (0131 6)51 3869
Email: ingela.naumann@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Veronica Silvestre
Tel: (0131 6)51 337
Email: Veronica.Silvestre@ed.ac.uk
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