Theoretical Perspectives in Social Policy |
ΚKΠ17 - Theoretical Perspectives in Social Policy Tutor: Andreas Feronas Semester: 6th Short Description: This course aims to familiarise students with the basic theories and concepts in social policy and the welfare state. It critically examines theoretical approaches such as Liberalism, Marxism, Social Democracy, neo-Liberalism, neo-Marxism, the "third way", post-modernism, etc., as well as approaches from the perspective of social movements, especially the feminist, antiracist and ecological ones. The core arguments developed in the course is that: (a) theories are often intertwined with ideological and political interpretations of the nature and role of social policy and the welfare state in modern societies and (b) knowledge of theories is a prerequisite for a better understanding of political processes and political dialogue that develops around these issues, as well as in the practical implementation of social policies. Aims: To enable students to:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students should be able:
Structure: 13 three-hour lectures. Assessment: Written examination. The students may improve their final grade by up to 2 points writing an essay of 1500 words max. Bibliography: Alcock, P., May, M. and Rowlingson, K. (eds.) (2008), The Student’s Companion to Social Policy, Oxford, Blacwell, UK. |