UnitLevel 5Undergraduate and Postgraduate

SWM5133 The Australian welfare state and social policy

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

SWM5133 The Australian welfare state and social policy is a level 5, 6-credit-point, undergraduate and postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. It isn't offered in 2022. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2022
Other periods
Caulfield
Assessment
Exam 60%
and 1 other task

This is the 2022 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Before SWM5133

No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.

After SWM5133

No unit lists SWM5133 as a prerequisite in the 2022 handbook.

Enrolment rules

Co-requisite: Must be enrolled in a Postgraduate course

Overview

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. 

Offerings in 2022

Teaching periodCampusMode
Term 3CaulfieldOn campus
Term 3CaulfieldBlock off

Assessment

  • Critical review of a social policy piece (2,000 words)
    40%
  • Critical examination of current social policy debate (3,000 words)Threshold hurdle
    60%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Critically evaluate the link between social work goals and values and social policy analysis and advocacy

  2. 2

    Explore to what extent the provision of formal social rights within developed welfare states enhances social justice for disadvantaged groups with a particular emphasis upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

  3. 3

    Apply an analytical framework to the evaluation of social policy that accounts for different theoretical and practical points of view

  4. 4

    Compare and contrast the way political parties deal with social policy issues, and evaluate the key trends and philosophies underlying the positions of major Australian political parties

  5. 5

    Appraise the impact of social structures and social policies on social welfare users

  6. 6

    Examine the impact of global welfare trends on local social policy debates

Workload and teaching

This unit uses a blended learning approach comprising 6 hours of teacher directed learning activities.  There will be weekly pre-class online learning activities to be completed prior to the on-campus teacher directed seminar, tutorials and structured simulations and concludes with teacher directed post class online learning activities.  In addition, it is expected that students will engage in up to 6 hours per week of self- directed learning activities.

Off-campus students participate in a residential workshop of which one day will be devoted to this unit.  In addition, they will be provided with up to 6 hours of teacher directed and prepared learning activities. Students will be expected to engage in up to 6 hours per week of self- directed learning activities. 

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Professor Philip Mendes
Chief Examiners
Professor Philip Mendes

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for SWM5133?

SWM5133 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is SWM5133 offered?

SWM5133 has no offerings listed in the 2022 handbook.

Does SWM5133 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational unit
Social Work
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Not available
Handbook years
2021202220232024202520262027