SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY ANALYSIS
COURSE OUTLINE
Intersession 2004 - Room 258 St. Paul's College
47:131 Tuesday & Thursday Evenings 7:00
PM - 9:30PM
Professor Denis BrackenOffice: 113 St. Paul's College
Phone: 474-9264E-mail: bracken@cc.umanitoba.ca
Web Site: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~bracken/131.html
Object of the course:
The General Calendar description of this course states;
Examination
of Social Welfare Policy as the end product of ideologies. Introduction
of elements of ideology and the comparison of competing ideological
systems.The
relationship of economic, political and ethical views of society and
their
manifestations in societal responses to human need and social
services....
The course assumes that in order to understand fully the nature and meaning of social programs, services and policies in a welfare system in which social workers practice, one must be familiar with the ideas, theories and values underpinning them both in their historic and contemporary forms.These ideas and values may often appear inconsistent and even contradictory.
The course will introduce an analytical framework useful in the analysis of social welfare policy.The lectures, readings and assignments will illustrate the use and meaning of these tools and frameworks with case examples to assist you in deciphering the intent, meaning and likely outcomes of policies and policy statements of political parties, professional associations, governments and/or individual theorists.
The course, therefore, offers methods of thinking and analysis rather than 'complete solutions' for the problems of need, human welfare and social justice.In the process of doing this the course will identify many of the main and secondary issues of social welfare, the competing viewpoints, and the unresolved problems.Much of what you learn in this course will be helpful to you in other courses offered as part of the BSW program of the Faculty of Social Work.
Some key questions and issues which the course will address:
1.
What do we mean by social welfare, social policy, and the Welfare State?
2.What is Ideology, its dimensions, its elements and its major varieties? How does ideology influence the development, content and direction of social policy? What are the historical precursors of the major world views today ?
3. What have been some of the main factors influencing Social Policy and the study of what has been called Social Administration?Have changes in social policy been the product of increasing humanitarianism and enlightenment or simply a new form of social control and population regulation?
4. What are the various theoretical models which have influenced the development of social welfare in Canada?What theoretical perspectives are currently in use to support and also to criticise the welfare state in Canada?Where does globalization fit in to these theoretical perspectives?
5.What is Social Justice? What are the implied roles for the social work profession in each of the social justice theories? How do we define need?Is there a consensus in Canada as to the causes, dimensions of, and the cures, remedies or interventions for the so-called 'problem of poverty'?What is happening to the gap between the rich and the poor today?What do we mean by individual and social needs? How is income distributed in Canada?
Some helpful information about grading in the Faculty of Social Work:
The following conversionscale is used in the Faculty of Social Work to determine final grades:
50
- <58 % = D79 - <86 % = B+
58
- <65 % = C86 - <93 % = A
65
- <72 % = C+>93%=
A+
Social Work students are required to have a minimum grade of C in all social work courses, including this one.Non social work students (e.g. University 1, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Human Ecology, etc.) are required to have a minimum grade of D to pass this course.If in doubt, check with your home Faculty.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
The University policy on Plagiarism and cheating is to be found in the 2004-2005 General Calendar on pages 26 & 27.Please read this and be sure that you are clear as to its terms and meaning.Note that "Plagiarism or any other form of cheating in examinations or term tests [or term papers] is subject to serious academic penalty".
Evaluation for this Course:
Students will be evaluated based on an in-class test, a written take-home assignment, and a final examination.Details on the test and assignment will be distributed by the second week of class.
1.
Class Test May 25th25%90min.
2.
Take-HomeDue June 22nd30%7
days
3.
Final Exam June
26th 45%3 hours
Other Information concerning grading and examinations.
There are no re-writes of examinations, tests or assignments in this course.It is suggested that students familiarize themselves by consulting the University Calendar with both the University regulations concerning Deferred Examinations and Supplemental Examinations.Students may also wish to consult with the Scholastic Progress Statement of the Faculty of Social Work with respect to Faculty policies on supplemental examinations and permission to repeat courses.
Office Hours:
I will be in my office at St. Paul's College on Tuesday & Thursday most evenings from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM for students from this class who need to meet with me.Other times are available by appointment.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Mullaly, RobertStructural Social Work (2nd edition) 1998 Oxford University Press
Bracken,
Denis &Readings
for Introduction to Social
Welfare Policy
47.131 Independent Study. Universityof
Manitoba, 2001.
Schedule of Readings & Course Topics
1.Introduction to social welfare, to social policy, to the discussion on values in social welfare, and the role of social welfare policy in the practice of social work.
2.Values, social justice, paradigms, and the study of social welfare policy. Readings: Chapters 1in Structural Social Workand Reading #1 & 2 in the book of Readings (Ideology & The Legacy of Malthus)) Universal vs. selective approaches to welfare
3.An overview of Canadian social welfare policy: historical and current developments
4.A Framework for Analysing the values & ideologies of Social Welfare Policy Readings: Chapter 2in Structural Social Work
5.The Theory of Human Need.An example: the Poverty Line. Reading #2 in the book of Readings (Concept of Social Need)