Foundations of Social Policy (SOCI90011)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
March
Dr Aaron Hart: harta2@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Lyn Craig: lyn.craig@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
| Availability | March |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The subject introduces students to social policy and provides a foundation for future inquiry. The first half of the course introduces students to historical and contemporary welfare frameworks, concepts of social equity and theories of care. It also identifies different welfare approaches from the global north and south, and considers processes of policy making and reform. The second half of the course introduces innovative responses to complex disadvantage and exclusion that are more inclusive, deliberative and devolved. These models include social impact bonds, place-based approaches and co-design/co-production. The assessment tasks for this subject prepare students to contribute to social policy development and implementation by focusing on a chosen social policy topic and using critique, theoretical frameworks and persuasive advocacy techniques to develop social policy proposals.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who complete this subject should be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to situate contemporary welfare policies within historical and comparative contexts
- Demonstrate an ability to identify and apply stylistic and structural conventions for policy texts directed towards different audiences
- Demonstrate a solid and in-depth understanding of a chosen social policy topic
- Demonstrate an understanding of the different roles of various policy actors in creating policy change
- Demonstrate an ability to apply contemporary approaches to addressing complex social problems.
Generic skills
Students who complete this subject should be able to:
- Apply research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry
- Develop persuasive arguments on a given topic
- Communicate oral and written arguments and ideas effectively and articulately.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into one of the following: 706AA Master of Social Policy, MC-EMPA Executive Master of Public Administration
OR
Head of Program approval is required for enrolment by Community Access Program (CAP), Inbound Exchange/Study Abroad or Incoming Cross-institutional students.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Sociology at undergraduate level.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
A 10-minute oral presentation
| 3 Weeks from the start of the teaching period | 20% |
A policy review
| 1 Week after the end of teaching | 30% |
A policy submission
| 6 Weeks after the end of teaching | 50% |
| Hurdle requirement: 1. Attendance hurdle requirement: This subject has a minimum requirement of 80% attendance at tutorials, seminars, or workshops. There is an expectation that students attend lectures where offered. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
| Hurdle requirement: 2. Late Penalty and Assessment hurdle requirement: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at five per cent (5%) of the possible marks available for the assessment task per day or part thereof. All pieces of assessment must be submitted to pass the subject. Each submitted assessment must be complete, constitute a genuine attempt to address the requirements of the task and will not be accepted after 20 University business days from the original assessment due date without written approval. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- March
Coordinators Aaron Hart and Lyn Craig Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24 hours: Two 2-hour seminars per week for six weeks from the teaching start date. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 March 2025 to 11 April 2025 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2025 Census date 21 March 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 2 May 2025 Assessment period ends 23 May 2025 March contact information
Dr Aaron Hart: harta2@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Lyn Craig: lyn.craig@unimelb.edu.au
Time commitment details
170 Hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings will be provided online through the subject's LMS site prior to the commencement of semester.
Recommended texts and other resources
•Mark Considine, Enterprising states: The public management of welfare to work, Cambridge University Press, 2001.
•R,E Goodin (ed) The theory of institutional design, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
•Jan Kooiman (ed) Modern Governance: New Government-Society Interactions, Sage, 1993.
•Robert Putnam, Making Democracy work, Princeton University Press, 1993.
•Steven Smith and Michael Lipsky, Non-profits for Hire: The welfare state in the age of contracting, Camb. Mass., Harvard University Press, 1993 K. Walsh Public services and Market Mechanisms: Competition, Contracting and the new public management, Houndsmills, Macmillan, 1995
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Diploma in Environment Course Graduate Certificate in Environment Course Master of Social Policy Course Master of Environment Course Graduate Certificate in Arts (Advanced) - Links to additional information
Last updated: 4 March 2025