Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LC Social Problems and Social Policy: Social Science in Action Part I
School	School of Social Policy
Department	Soc Policy, Sociology & Crimin
Module Code	08 33998
Module Lead	Harriet Clarke
Level	Certificate Level
Credits	10
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-11 hours Seminar-9 hours Guided independent study-80 hours Total: 100 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module explores the relationship between social science, social problems and social policy in contemporary society. The introductory part of the module explores the relationship between the development of the social sciences and political concerns about social issues. This introduction highlights that ‘social problems’ may be explained as arising through individual or social or more complex multi-level mechanisms, with distinct implications for social policy. Throughout the module students will explore the implications of understanding issues faced by individuals, families and communities as a predominantly private or a predominantly public concern. They will also consider why the label social problem has been attached to particular social phenomenon and not others. What role do different actors (e.g. media, campaigners, social scientists) have in defining social issues as a ‘social problem’. Is there a `social scientific’ rationale for such selections or have social problems been constructed and responded to because of other political, social and economic factors? What can be learnt from both historical and contemporary analyses of ‘social problems’ addressed through social science and social policy? Attention will also be given to the way in which social policies have been developed to ameliorate or resolve identified social problems. Following addressing social science and its relationship to identifying, explaining and responding to social problems the module will explore the relationship between social science, ‘social problems’ and social policy through a series of case studies on topics such as disability, crime, homelessness, ‘race’ and ethnicity, immigration, , and public health. In each of these case studies attention will be given to the historical background of the `problem,’ policy responses and contemporary trends. Content of the module will be reviewed so that contemporary policy issues are addressed to demonstrate ‘social science in action’: by this we are stressing that policy issues require constant learning as (i) social problems and social policy have a history, (ii) the context in which they are understood and responded to changes over time, and (iii) involves engaging with different social science contributions alongside non-academic ways of sense-making and policy-relevant action (e.g. from activists, professionals, providers and policy makers).
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Discuss the complex nature of a social problem; Recognise the significance of analysing problems in societies in individual and structural terms; Outline the historical development of specific social problems; Understand that social sciences have developed in relation to political and public concerns with specific ‘social problems’; Debate the contested nature of social policy (as a practice, and as a discipline); Appraise the social science and political rationales for social policy responses to social issues.
Assessment	33998-01 : Literature Review : Coursework (20%) 33998-02 : Group Presentation : Coursework (80%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1000 word literature review (20%) (Semester 1); Group Poster presentation (10 minutes), peer marked (80%, with 10% of marks coming from peer assessment) (semester 2) Reassessment: 1000 word literature review (20%); 1000 word written reflection of the group presentation (80%)
Other
Reading List