Undergraduate Course: Race, Power, and Social Policy (SCPL10043)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The overarching objective of this course is to examine why and how race matters for the study and practice of social policy, and understanding the global reconfigurations of power and inequality today. Drawing on a wide range of disciplinary and methodological approaches, this course maps key socio-economic and political transformations in the development of race as a modern idea, such as colonialism, racial capitalism, nationhood, and citizenship and border regimes. With case studies from both the global 'north and south', the course examines the legacies of these transformations on the relationship of race with social policy in contemporary multicultural societies. In the context of a growing anti-immigrant nationalism, far-right populism, austerity and welfare reforms, where access to resources have been increasingly restrictive, and conditional at a global level, this course offers students a platform to reflect and engage critically with the basic welfare question of 'who should get access to resources, when and why'. |
| Course description |
What is race, and racism? How does race interact with other social divisions, such as class, gender, legal status or nationality? How do these shape global systems of power and inequality, and inform key issues and interventions in social policy?
This course explores these questions through a historically informed and globally connected perspective drawing on critical and multidisciplinary approaches. It begins by examining the historical development of modern ideas of race, focusing on global transformations such as racial capitalism, European colonialism, and science. The course then examines the legacy of these developments in contemporary debates about citizenship, migration, borders, belonging and multiculturalism. It considers how ideas of race shape, and are shaped by, inequalities in key social policy domains, such as education, policing, criminal justice, settlement and housing, employment and health. Finally, the course assesses claims that we live in postracial times and their implications for the study and practice of social policy in present day.
The course examines case studies from different parts of the world to develop a globally informed understanding of racial inequalities as products of wider global and transnational forces. For instance, it considers colonial legacies in contemporary citizenship and welfare policies of both former colonising and colonised nations. The overarching objective of this course is to develop a 'tool-box' to address race as a systemic and structural issue with significant material and social consequences for racialised groups in contemporary, multicultural societies.
This course involves weekly two-hour seminars delivered across ten weeks. The first half of each session will introduce students to a key theme, issue or concept, followed by discussion. Where applicable, seminars will feature guest-lectures, and field trips. Regular attendance is necessary but not sufficient to constitute class participation. The success of this course depends on informed and engaged student participation. It is expected that you will complete readings before class and attend the seminar prepared for discussion. You are also encouraged to keep a weekly diary (in either electronic or hard copy form) to critically reflect on contemporary events related to race and social policy. This could be a trending topic on social media, a piece of academic writing, or a recent policy or political debate. Diary keeping is not required but it will help you to prepare for your essays, as well as to develop informed arguments in the field of race and social policy.
There are two written assignments for this course. A mid-semester reflective journal (30%) and a final essay due after the end of the course (60%).
In the first assignment, you'll examine how your understanding of the relationship of race and power with social policy have been shaped through your engagement with course readings and discussions. Your learning reflection should include not just statements of your learning and knowledge (i.e. 'this is what I learned'), but reflection on and analysis of them (i.e. 'this is why I find it interesting' or 'this is why it matters to me'). For instance, you should focus on: How do these ideas or points of learning fit in with your existing knowledge and understanding of these issues? How has your knowledge and understanding of these issues shifted or expanded through your engagement with course content, readings, and discussions? How has this understanding been shaped by your previous learning, experiences, and positionality?
In the final assignment, you will prepare a research project design on an aspect of race and social policy through a given social scientific approach. The project design should include a literature review, clear research questions, and a methodology section and timeline for research. This will help you to apply research skills to the topics of the course, and to think critically about the particular data you might elicit through a given disciplinary approach. More information on the project design will be provided in Week 1.
Class participation (on-going): Active participation in class discussions is important, both in terms of frequency and relevance. Classes may involve a range of individual and group exercises and discussions, some of which will require some preparation before class (this will be assigned the previous week). Guiding questions are also provided for each seminar to direct the reading and students should engage with these in preparation for class discussions.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Social Policy or closely related courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
90 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The breakdown of assessment for this course is as follows:
- 1,000 word essay (30%)
- 2,500 word research project design on an aspect of race and social policy (60%)
- Tutorial participation (10%) |
| Feedback |
Feedback for essays will be returned online within 15 working days of submission. This time is needed for marking, moderation and input of results. Where this is not possible, students shall be given clear expectations regarding the timing and methods of feedback.
Requirements regarding the content and structure of the assignments will be discussed in the first lecture of the course. Students will have the chance to discuss the feedback to their mid-term assignment, ask questions for the final assignment, as well as feedback on their essay outline for the project design. The day and time of this will be posted on Learn. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop a contextually situated and globally connected understanding of race as an organizing tool for social classification of world populations and systems of labor
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of key concepts such as 'race', racialisation and racism, and their connections to the state institutions and social policy
- Analyse the legacies of European colonialism, capitalism, and their racial logics on contemporary social policy in the UK and elsewhere
- Identify key socio-economic and political interests of classifying certain groups/individuals on racial and/or legal basis in contemporary society and social policy
- Think critically about the significance of claims to 'post-racial' society, and multiculturalism as policy and practice
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Reading List
Goldberg, D.T. (2002) The Racial State, Oxford: Blackwell.
Lentin, A. (2020) Why race still matters. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Midgley, J. and Piachaud, D. (2012) Colonialism and welfare: Social policy and the British imperial legacy. Kansas: Edward Elgar.
Shilliam, R. (2018). Race and the undeserving poor: From Abolition to Brexit. Agenda Publishing.
Tyler, I. (2021). Stigma: The machinery of inequality. Bloomsbury Publishing Zed Books
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Research and enquiry: Developing independent research project, navigating complexity and ambiguity, developing critical and analytical thinking, as well as racial literacy, and integrating theory to everyday
- Personal and intellectual autonomy: Developing self-awareness and critical reflection, independent learning and decision making, and ethics and social responsibility,
- Communication: Cross-cultural communication, written and verbal communication, influencing and negotiation skills, interpersonal skills
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Idil Akinci
Tel:
Email: Idil.Akinci@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Brodie Hamilton
Tel: (0131 6)51 3139
Email: Brodie.Hamilton@ed.ac.uk |
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