The Factors Shaping the Development of Social Policy and the Welfare State

The Factors Shaping the Development of Social Policy and the Welfare State

SCHOOL / School of Health and Social Welfare
DEPARTMENT / Social Work
LEVEL OF STUDIES / Undergraduate
COURSE CODE / YK10Γ2 / SEMESTER OF STUDIES / 1
COURSE TITLE / SOCIAL POLICY
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
/ HOURS PER WEEK / CREDITS
Lectures / 3
Total / 3 / 5
TYPE OF COURSE / Compulsory
PREREQUISITE COURSE / None apply
TEACHING LANGUAGE / Greek
OFFERED TO ERASMUS STUDENTS / No
ONLINE COURSE PAGE (URL) /
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The purpose of this course is the study of social policy as an academic discipline and as various forms of social action aimed at promoting well-being. The aim is to introduce students to political, economic and ideological influences in social policy development, and how social policy responds to social problems. Central concept of the course is the Welfare State and the analysis of different models of welfare states.
By the end of the course students should be able to understand and critically analyze:
  • The key social policy concepts and in particular the notion of social rights and their protection.
  • The methodology used by social policy for the analysis of social issues and the ways of intervention.
  • The factors shaping the development of social policy and the welfare state.
  • The development of the Greek welfare state and its contemporary characteristics.
  • How the economic, ideological and political environment interact with social policy.
  • The role of the state in providing social services and in covering social needs, as well as the contribution of the private sector.
  • The main theoretical perspectives in social policy.

GENERAL SKILLS
  • Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information by the use of the necessary technologies
  • Independent work
  • Critical thinking and self-criticism
  • Development of free, creative and inductive thinking

CONTENT OF THE COURSE
  • Social policy and social work.
  • Approaches and methods of social policy.
  • Analysis of key social policy concepts: social needs, social problems, social rights, equality, social justice, social services, effectiveness, efficiency.
  • Critical analysis of the principal theoretical approaches of social policy.
  • Definition of the ‘welfare state’ and differences from the previous systems of social protection. Contemporary models of welfare states.
  • Paying for welfare: the financing of social policies.
  • Poverty and social exclusion: specific issues for social policy.
  • Provision of social services: the state, the private sector, the voluntary sector and the informal networks of care.
  • Features of the Greek welfare state.
  • Examples of social policy sectors in the Greek welfare state: social security, employment.

TEACHING and LEARNING METHODS – EVALUATION
DELIVERY METHODS
/ In vivo.
USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
/
  • Support of learning process through the asynchronous platform e-class
  • Use of power point during lectures.
  • Use of video/DVD during lectures.
  • Email, Skype (communication with students)

WAYS OF TEACHING /
  • Lectures
  • Reading

STUDENTS’ EVALUATION / There are two ways of assessment and the student can choose one of them:
I. Midterm written test (40%) and final written examination (60%).
II. Final written test (100%).
In both types of examination questions are a combination of multiple choice and/or short analysis on a theme. The student is evaluated on the acquired knowledge and its critical thinking.
RECOMMENDED LITERATURE
For full details please refer to the reading list in e-class.
  • Dikaios, K. (ed) (2010).History of Social Policy (Istoria Koinonikis Politis).Athens: Gutenberg [in Greek].
  • Igglezakis, Ι. (2005). A socially just welfare state (Koinoniko kratos dikaiou). Athens: Sakoulas [in Greek].
  • Lewis G., Gewirtz S., Clarke J. (eds) (2007). Rethinking social policy (Koinoniki politiki:mia alli prosegissi). Athens: Gutenberg [in Greek].
  • Matsagganis, M. (2004).Social solidarity and its contradictions (I koinoniki allilegii kai oi antifaseis tis). Athens: Kritiki [in Greek].
  • Matsagganis, M. (2011). Social policy in hard times (I koinoniki politi se dyskolous kairous). Athens: Kritiki [in Greek].
  • Spicker, P. (2000). The welfare state: a general welfare theory (To kratos pronoias: mia geniki theoria pronoias).Athens: Dionikos [in Greek].

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