Australian Social Policy (SWSP1013)

Course overview

This course provides a foundation for study of social policy and social administration. The course provides a critical introduction to historical developments and contemporary debates in Australian social policy. The course will introduce you to different ways of thinking about the means and ends of social welfare in Australian society. You will reflect on the contested concepts and principles that have informed social policy developments in Australia and other countries. Using a series of contemporary case studies you will develop knowledge and skills in analysing the politics of social policy. The knowledge base used for this course is drawn from political science, sociology, economics and social history.

This course provides a critical introduction to historical developments and contemporary debates in Australian social policy. The knowledge base used for this course is drawn from political science, sociology, economics and social history. Social policy covers a range of practice fields, including income support, employment, health, community services, education, child protection, housing provision, immigration, aged care and disability services.

The course will introduce you to different ways of thinking about the means and ends of social welfare in Australian society. You will reflect on the contested concepts and principles that have informed social policy developments in Australia and other countries. Investigating a series of contemporary areas of social policy, you will develop knowledge and skills in analysing social policies and the politics which underlie them.

ASWEAS Required Curriculum Content Areas covered in this course:The Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) program is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

The Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (2020) stipulates that accredited social work programs are required to include content that addresses the five core curriculum areas listed below. This course contains content in the following curriculum areas:

1.     Constructions of social work purpose, place, and practice: YES

2.     Power, oppression, and exploitation: YES

3.     The history and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: NO

4.     Culture, identity, and discrimination: YES

5.     Psychosocial health and wellbeing across the lifecycle: YES

Course requirements

Assumed background

There is no assumed background for this course. However, it is useful for students to be familiar with how Australia's system of government works. A helpful online resource is the "Parliamentary Education Office".

Students are encouraged to make use of any personal and professional insights and reflections on Australian social policy in class discussions.

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

POLY1000

Course contact

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

This course includes a 2-hour weekly lecture (online) and a 1-hour weekly tutorial (on campus). 

LECTURE: There is a 2-hour lecture scheduled every week in the teaching period. The lecture is a space where key concepts and ideas are examined and explained. The weekly lectures are delivered online. They will be a combination of online interactive workbooks, pre-recorded mini-lectures and 'live zoom' sessions (also recorded). Please check blackboard (announcements and learning resources folder) regularly so that you are aware of the lecture format for each week. Given the importance of the lecture content to your learning in this course, you are strongly encouraged to listen to the lecture recordings prior to attending tutorials.

TUTORIALS: The 1-hour weekly tutorials commence in week 2 and will be held face-to-face on campus. There are no online tutorials. The tutorials provide students with the opportunity to debate, process and relate key concepts covered in the lectures to contemporary examples from your everyday life. The tutorials should both enhance learning and be an enjoyable experience for all students. To this end, it is important that all participants display respect for the views of others. Attendance at the tutorials will help you to gain a more in-depth understanding of course themes and concepts. Further to this, the tutorial activities will help to prepare you for assessment tasks. 

Aims and outcomes

At the end of the course you should be able to:

•  Understand the main processes, institutions, historical context and frameworks of Australian social policy
• Undertake a critical reading of media discourse in social policy
• Situate Australian social policy within an international context
• Develop knowledge and skills in analysing the politics of social policy

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

In-class exam

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

25%

Due date

19/08/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L07

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

If you are unable to sit the exam on it's scheduled date due to medical reasons or exceptional circumstances, you may be eligible to apply for a deferred examination. Please note that SAPs are not sufficient documentation to defer exams. For an explanation of approved reasons for deferring exams and the process for applying, please see https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/deferring-exam .

Analysing social policy using WPR approach

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

35% Marked out of 100

Due date

20/09/2024 1:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05, L08

Task description

Submission guidelines

All courses require students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.

The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.

Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Analysing the impact of social policy

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40% Marked out of 100

Due date

4/11/2024 1:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

All courses require students to submit an electronic version of their assignment via Blackboard.

The anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is being used at UQ. The electronic version of your assignment will be submitted via Blackboard, using the Turnitin software. Work submitted will be subjected to a plagiarism detection process.

Please refer to ITS help if you experience difficulties in submitting your assessment in Blackboard or using Turnitin.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Applying for an extension

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved.

Information about applying for an extension can be found on my.UQ .

Extension guidelines

• Extension requests should be submitted prior to the assessment deadline.
• Extension requests must state the due date and the due time of the assessment.
• Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date may not be approved. Late requests must include evidence of the reasons for the late request.
• The extension granted should be in proportion to the period of illness or disruption caused by the exceptional circumstances and will typically be no more than the specified maximum extension length.
• Students on a Student Access Plan (SAP) with a clause on extension requests must still adhere to the extensions request policy outlined. Students need to attach the SAP and a note outlining their current situation with the online extension application. A maximum of 7 days will be granted on the basis of an SAP. An extension request beyond 7 days will require additional supporting information as this request will not be considered on the basis of the SAP, but rather additional events (whether they relate to the circumstances of the SAP or not).

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Grade X: No assessable work received.

All pieces of assessment must be submitted to be eligible to pass the course. 

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Penalty for Word Count Outside Required Length

Students can gain advantage through submitting written pieces that are longer than the specified word limit in the assessment instruction/criteria. For this reason, it is necessary to include deterrents to these practices to ensure fairness and equity. A word count that is within ±10% of the set length (word limit) is acceptable. A word count that is outside these 10% will be penalised through a reduction of 10% of the total mark available for the assessment.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

You can access the course reading list via the library reading list on the course Blackboard site.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.