Course: Social Policy

« Back
Course title Social Policy
Course code USSV/ESPO
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Master
Year of study 2
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 6
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Mandys Jan, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Topics: Theory of Social Policy: Basic concepts used in social policy with a focus on poverty and social exclusion Theory of Social Policy: The definition and characteristics of social policy Theory of Social Policy: Context of social policy Theory of Social Policy: Welfare state Theory of Social Policy: Social administration Non-profit organization (Social services) Planning of social services in regional level Quality of life as an indicator in social policy Selected issues of social policy target groups I. (Families, Children) Selected issues of social policy target groups II. (Old People, Problem of racial/ ethnic inequality, Homelessness)

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Demonstration
  • Team project - 16 hours per semester
  • Individual project - 16 hours per semester
  • Preparation of a presentation (report) in a foreign language - 11 hours per semester
  • Home preparation for classes - 46 hours per semester
  • Preparation for a credit (assessment) - 13 hours per semester
  • Preparation for an exam - 26 hours per semester
  • Contact teaching - 48 hours per semester
  • Participation in an excursion - 4 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to acquire knowledge of the theories of social policy, its history and nature and its relationship to other segments of public policy (e. g. economic policy).
A student who has successfully completed the course can: describe the basic tenets of social policy in the context of other policies; correctly describe the functions of social policy and place the theoretical concepts in a current European context; distinguish between state and local social policy functions; define the nature of social services and understand the basics of regional planning; explain the concept of quality of life and work with it as a key indicator of social policy; identify the key determinants of the underlying problems of selected social policy target groups. A student who has successfully completed the course will be able to: describe, on the basis of specific data, the causes, determinants and essence of selected social problems; identify the basis for possible solutions and, in the light of his/her knowledge, propose the basic steps of the solution design; distinguish the actual need in the hierarchy of social policy with regard to the local situation; master non-trivial empirical procedures that enable him/her to gain an exact insight into the selected social problem. A student who has successfully completed the course is able to: Incorporate considerations of societal dimensions into problem solving; reason in the broader context of where social policy stands in the region of interest; coordinate and manage the work of team members; apply theoretical knowledge to the design of practical solutions.
Prerequisites
unspecified

Assessment methods and criteria
Written examination, Home assignment evaluation, Student performance assessment, Self project defence

Assignment: active participation in seminars, discussion of the presented issues and submission of the seminar paper. In addition to an individual presentation of the selected topic, students will solve a selected social problem in a group using a practical case. Exam: written.
Recommended literature
  • BALDOCK, J. Social policy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0199570843.
  • BURCH, H., A. Basic Social Policy and Planning. Strategies and Practice Methods. New York: Routledge, 2012.
  • COHEN, R., KENNEDY, P. M. Global Sociology. .
  • GREVE, B. The Routledge Handbook of the Welfare State. New York: Routledge, 2013. ISBN 978-0415682923.
  • HERRMANN, P., HERRENBRUECK, S. Changing Administration - Changing Society: Challenges for Current Social Policy (Applied Social Studies - Recent Developments, International and Comparative Perspectives Series). Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2006.
  • LOHMANN, R., LOHMAN, N. Social Administration. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2013.
  • MULLARD, M., SPICKER, P. Social Policy in a Chaining Society. New York: Routledge, 1998.
  • PHILLIPS, D. Quality of Life: Concept, Policy and Practice. New York: Routledge, 2006.
  • SHAW, S., DWYER, P. An Introduction to Social Policy. London. 2013.
  • SCHUBERT, K., HEGELICH, S., BAZANT, U. (ed.). The Handbook of European Welfare Systems. New York. 2009.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester