Politics of the Welfare State (U03819)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 8 ? Acronym : SPS-1-SPWS1h

This half course, complementing Social Policy and Society, explores the politics and institutions of the welfare state. It begins with a look at the different aims of welfare, a brief history of the British welfare state, the policy process, and comparatively, at different models of welfare states. This is followed by a closer look at changing welfare agendas in employment and social security and health. We then focus on who pays for welfare, who provides it and who benefits from it. The course concludes with an examination of different ideologies of welfare.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Social Policy, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 1st year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
07/01/2008	12:10	13:00	Room G.08, William Robertson Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	12:10	13:00	Central
Lecture	Wednesday	12:10	13:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : Plus tutorials.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Politics of the Welfare State has the following main objectives:

1. to enable students to analyse the institutional and political factors which have shaped the development of the welfare state (in the UK and in other countries) in the past and are shaping it in the present;

2. to enable students to understand how the welfare state works, how it is delivered, how it is paid for and who benefits from it;

3. to enable students to identify the political arguments for and against recent developments in key policy areas (such as health policy, employment and social security policy, housing policy and criminal justice policy);

4. to facilitate the development of study skills appropriate to the subject matter, including interpretation of data.

Assessment Information

1 exercise of 500 words, and 1 essay of 1500 words; exercise = 10%, essay = 30%, degree exam = 60%; resit as for first sitting - if taken as second sitting overall mark will be capped at 50%.