Social Policy and Society in Contemporary Scotland

Description

Overview: Social Policy looks at how societies produce, and sometimes fail to produce, human wellbeing. Access to a secure income through work or social security; a good quality home; good educational opportunities; good health, and protection from crime are ideals that all societies aspire to, but often these are not the reality for everyone. Over seventy years after the development of comprehensive welfare states in many countries, they still experience social problems like poverty; economic gender, race and disability inequalities; hunger and malnutrition, and homelessness and ill health, and some of these appear to be getting worse, not better. The Social Policy and Society in Contemporary Scotland (L5117) module is an introduction to many of these issues, focusing on Scotland. We will examine: • What Social Policy is as an academic subject and why it is important, particularly in 2020, the year of Brexit and Coronavirus • The social divisions in Scottish society that impact on people’s life chances, including poverty; economic inequality, and class; ethnicity and gender inequalities • The political and policymaking context for social policy problem in Scotland, examining why political parties disagree over social policy and the impact of the Scottish Parliament on social policy since 1999. • Some of the key Scottish policy issues and policy responses in the key social policy areas of social security, education, health and housing. Syllabus: Social Divisions • Class, poverty and inequality • Gender, age and life-course • Race and migration • Social divisions in the time of COVID-19 Social Policy and Research Politics and Social Policy in Scotland • Setting the scene • The situation today • Devolution in Scotland Key Policy Issues and Social Policy • The UK social security system • Welfare reform and devolved social security • Sickness and health - Health policy • Education, attainment and inequality - Education policy • A Housing Crisis? - Housing policy Learning Outcomes: Obj 1: Enhance students' understanding of the subjective nature of 'social problems' Obj 2: Enhance students' knowledge and understanding of the factors associated with the identification and definition of different issues as 'problems' Obj 3: Enhance students' knowledge and understanding of the ways in which different actors shape the interpretation of 'social problems' Assessment: Students will be advised of the assessment structure at the beginning of the module.