Academic Year/course:
2023/24
274 - Degree in Social Work
26104 - Introduction to Social Policy
Syllabus Information
Academic year:
2023/24
Subject:
26104 - Introduction to Social Policy
Faculty / School:
108 - Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y del Trabajo
Degree:
274 - Degree in Social Work
ECTS:
6.0
Year:
1
Semester:
First semester
Subject type:
Basic Education
Module:
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1. General information
The subject is oriented to the understanding of the social-political protection system as a whole. The fundamental concepts of social policy and its evolution in relation to Social Work are introduced and studied at, from an integral vision of public and social policies, welfare systems and social services.
It is aligned with the following SDGs: Goal 1 - End poverty; Goal 5 - Gender equality; Goal 8 - Decent work and economic growth; Goal 10 - Reducing inequalities; and Goal 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions.
2. Learning results
1. Is able to explain the basis on which the State has come to assume responsibility in its functions in social policies.
2. It understands in a systemic way the articulation of the State, the market and civil society, as well as the role of each of these agents in the provision of welfare.
3. Knows what welfare and social protection systems are and what they consist of, understanding the fundamental differences between neoliberalism and social democracy.
4. Analyzes and contextualizes some differences in form and substance through which social work has evolved from its origins to the possibilities offered at the present time. At the same time, it recognizes that the values of have been consistent since the beginning of the profession: respect for human dignity and providing the means for social integration.
5. Expresses, explains and argues with sense in the academic work knowing some of the main authors and reference manuals, learning to situate the university way the resources of the Internet.
6. Acquire basic and fundamental knowledge. Learn to analyze and comprehensively understand social policies within the social system, distinguishing the positions and consequences of the State, market andcivil society, as well as the different trends or aspects in which they may manifest themselves.
7. They begin to consider how he should position himself as a future social worker in relation to the institutions where the resources come from and to the potential users with whom they will intervene.
3. Syllabus
The subject is organized under the following headings:
INTRODUCTION: Contextualization of the subject in the undergraduate studies of Social Work: Social Policy and Social Work.
Fundamentals of the subject within the module and discovery of the components of social policy. Social Policy and the social work. (First guidelines to perform the different works)
THEMATIC BLOCK I: Fundamentals and components of social policy.
DIDACTIC UNIT 1. Introduction to the fundamentals and concepts of Social Policy: What is Social Policy? Other issues key: State, market, citizenship, ideologies, social justice?
THEMATIC BLOCK II: History of the welfare state: the process of reform and social change
DIDACTIC UNIT 2. Historical background of social policy. The cultural matrix of Modernity and the composition of the modern State . The Industrial Revolution and its effects: British liberalism, German idealism and French republican dogmatism . The need for social reform: who and how to start it. The transition to state interventionism.
Ideological positions and their relation to the origins of the Welfare States.
THEMATIC BLOCK III: Origins, development and crisis of the welfare state
DIDACTIC UNIT 3. The birth of the Welfare State: the Bismarckian keys. The crash of 1929 and the recognition of the regulatory function of the State. The different models of state typologies, depending on the development of welfare systems.
DIDACTIC UNIT 4. First crisis of the Welfare State and alternative ways. Neoliberalism and social democracy at debate. From the welfare state to the welfare society: the Welfare Mix and social policies
DIDACTIC UNIT 5. Social Policy and Welfare State in Spain. The origins of the Welfare State in Spain: The mapping of insurance and social services: from social assistance to the welfare state. Brief note on the new social needs and policies seen from the European Union horizons. Rationale, underlying values and trends of social policies
4. Academic activities
The activities will be built dynamically and according to the development of the learning process. Basically will consist of:
- Search for information on specific study topics
- Analysis and critique of previously selected readings
- Projection of multimedia materials related to the subject of study and critique of their contents
- Oral presentations, discussions and group work on different readings.
5. Assessment system
There are two modalities: Continuous assessment and Global assessment.
Those who opt for continuous assessment will have to attend classes regularly and will take several written tests of a theoretical-practical type along the subject according to the syllabus of the subject, together with a final exercise. This will serve to to contrast the assimilation of concepts, capacity of relation and synthesis, as well as clarity and argumentative coherence.
Inaddition, they will prepare and present the exercises or papers required in class to contrast his/her ability to search for information and analysis and interpretation of the different texts and readings in relation to the corresponding theoretical part. The final grade will be based on the following percentages: Mastery of the theoretical part 50%. Dynamic Activities 30%. supervisedactivity 20%.
Those who opt for a single assessment will have to take an oral or written test on the contents of the subject (80%) and, if they pass it, the oral defense of a paper (20%) equivalent to the previous ones.