| CODE | SWP2505 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Social Policy Seminars | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit is intended to help students achieve synthesis and integration among themes within and across study units, bringing together what they have learnt through the academic curriculum of previous study-units facilitate in-depth exploration of key themes and issues in social policy. The unit will be delivered in a seminar format and will be based on participatory methods and collaborative discussion aimed to foster critical thinking, analytical skills and a nuanced understanding of contemporary social policy issues. It will make use of, case studies, policy scenarios, guided reading and academic articles that are relevant to the local social and policy context. Students are expected to prepare assigned readings beforehand and are encouraged to actively engage with the material, share their perspectives, and respond to each others’ ideas. Students will also be encouraged to propose themes which are of interest to them. Study-unit Aims: - Engage students with social policy as a dynamic and actual lived experience; - Provide students with a venue for critical reflection in a safe setting; - Reinforce the notion that learning is both an active and reflective process; - Expand their knowledge of the social policy sector through critically analysing various social policy themes, exploring the underlying factors and implications; - Develop an interdisciplinary perspective by integrating insights from sociology, economics, politics, and other relevant disciplines to comprehend the complexity of social policy challenges; - Cultivate effective verbal and written communication skills through active participation in seminars, group discussions, and presentation sessions; - Help them reflect critically on the evidence-base of social policy and how research is utilised in social policy; Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Contextualise social policy issues within broader socio-economic and political contexts, recognising the interconnectedness of various factors; - Discuss various policy issues issuesthrough engagement with seminal works and contemporary - Reflect on ethical questions and dilemmas that may arise in the social policy field. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Deconstruct complex social policy issues, considering multiple perspectives and potential solutions; - Articulate informed opinions, engage in constructive debates, and present coherent arguments; - Utilise case-studies as a tool to critically analyse information and develop a thorough assessment leading to well thought out solutions; - Critically appraise academic research and apply findings to policy situations in the local context; - Cultivate collaborative skills through active participation in group discussions, fostering an inclusive and respectful learning environment. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Readings will be provided around the various themes and issues addressed during this study-unit. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Andreana Dibben |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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