The Australian welfare state and social policy

In this unit you will be introduced to the concept of the modern welfare state and its critics including the ideological positions of the major Australian political parties.  You will learn how to apply a critical lens to the examination of key theories and ideological perspectives in social policy, the link between social policy and the goals and actions of social work, the impact of social structure and social policy on welfare service users and the implementation of social policy interventions in everyday social work practice.  You will also have the opportunity to critically examine the role, strategies and effectiveness of advocacy groups in social policy debates and the link between local and global welfare trends.