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Course Outline

SCS235 Social Justice, Welfare and the State

Course Coordinator:Raj Yadav (ryadav@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2023Semester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

UniSC Fraser Coast

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Debate about the appropriate role of the state in welfare has been heightened by contemporary neoliberal reforms, including privatisation, managerialism, competition policy and economic globalisation. These developments have impacted upon welfare provision, on economic policy and social equity and wellbeing. This course explores the domestic and international factors that have shaped the welfare system in Australia  with a strong focus on contemporary developments.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – 1 hour online learning materials and activities 1hr Week 1 13 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial 2hrs Week 1 13 times
Online
Learning materials – 1 hour online learning materials and activities 1hr Week 1 13 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online tutorial 2hrs Week 1 13 times

Course Topics

  • Concept of state, welfare, and justice
  • Discussion on Australian welfare policy
  • Comparison of Australian welfare state with others
  • Theories of welfare
  • Neoliberalism and welfare
  • Knowledge and skills in analysing welfare issues
  • Welfare, creativity, and innovation

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Critically understand and explain the Australian welfare issues and its comparison with others Knowledgeable
2 Critically assess and analyse neoliberal welfare discourse and its implications for contemporary and future debate Creative and critical thinker
3 Critically investigate Australian welfare policies and apply knowledge and skills to evaluate these Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
4 Critically and scholarly engage in learning about welfare and synthesise it to develop own unique, personal understanding Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

This course assumes students have completed at least one sociology or politics course

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Timely and detailed feedback is provided for each assessment. Feedback is provided both within text and general comments to build scholarly skills. Students are able to seek feedback through face-to-face discussion with the course coordinator. Tutorials will include extended discussion and review of the assessment task requirements and scope.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Quiz/zes Individual 20% 
Oral presentation
 Week 4 Online Test (Quiz)
All 2 Oral Group 40% 
15 minutes oral presentation followed by 5 minutes Q&A
 Week 9 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Report Individual 40% 
1500 words
 Week 13 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Basic conceptual understanding of state, welfare, and justice
Goal: 
The goal of this task is to test students’ knowledge and understanding of some basic concepts in welfare studies.
Product: Quiz/zes
Format: 
Students will undertake a multiple-choice quiz that will consist of 20 questions based on SCS235 readings and learning material. This quiz will be time-bound. That is, once the students commence the quiz, they must finish within three hours. The quiz will be available on Canvas in Week 4.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Correct identification of knowledge and understanding of basic concepts in welfare studies.
 1
All - Assessment Task 2:Critical analysis of an Australian welfare policy
Goal: 
This task intends to collectively engage students in assessing and investigating about welfare policies in Australia.
Product: Oral
Format: 
Students will choose an active welfare policy – either federal or state level – from Australia and will critically investigate about it considering: 

	What issue has been represented in the policy and how this has emerged historically? 
	What dominant ideologies and discourses underpin the policy?
	How the policy in its current form positively or negatively impacts its target population?
	How the current policy can be improved or transcended in the future?
	
Since this will be a group presentation, students will collaborate with group members intellectually and ethically; and meanwhile, they will strictly adhere to the following guidelines:

	A group will consist of a maximum of five members. 
	A group must present on the designated day of the presentation.
	Each group will have opportunity to present for 10 minutes and then respond to questions for 2-3 minutes
	Students will utilise creativity and effective communication skills in their presentation. They are not allowed to read their entire presentation. However, students can use presentation notes/cue cards.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Criteria 1: Ability to critically locate the main issue/s represented in the policy.
 1 3
2 
Criteria 2: Ability to outline and discuss dominant ideologies and discourses that underpin the policy.
 2 3
3 
Criteria 3: Ability to assess and analyse the impacts of policy on its target population.
 3
4 
Criteria 4: Ability to propose effective and practical recommendations to improve the policy.
 3 4
5 
Criteria 5: Ability to present effectively and creatively, as well as show interest to respond to the questions arising from the presentation.
 4
All - Assessment Task 3:Personal reflection on contemporary welfare studies and issues.
Goal: 
The main goal of this task is to assess students’ personal reflection on contemporary welfare studies and issues.
Product: Report
Format: 
Students will produce a 1500-word report reflecting on: 

	What have they learnt so far regarding welfare?
	How do they relate their learning to the real world of welfare discussion and practice?
	What potential challenges and ethical dilemma do they anticipate for themselves to work in the welfare sector in the future? How would they address such challenges and dilemma?
	How would they continue to engage in exploring and learning about welfare in the future? 

There is no one size-fits-all approach to write this reflective report. And hence, there is no specified format available for the students. Instead of drawing on any prescriptive format, students are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity, research about the current world of welfare discussion and practice, and critically assess their learning, and from their interplay produce a scholarly critical reflective report that make sense to those who are concerned about welfare study and practice.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Criteria 1: Ability to systematically assess their learning and synthesise it as a personal reflection.
 4
2 
Criteria 2: Ability to research and scholarly explore about the real world of welfare studies and practice and compare these against their learning.
 2 4
3 
Criteria 3: Ability to predict challenges and ethical dilemma for themselves to work in the welfare, as well as identify how to address these.
 4
4 
Criteria 4: Ability to build self-learning strategies to explore about welfare issues in the future.
 4

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Nil

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements


            

        


        

            

                
Assessment: Submission penalties

                
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: 
- 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

            

        


        

            

                
SafeUniSC

                

                    UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app.  For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.
                

            

            

                

                    The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma.  To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.
                

            

        


        

            

                
Study help

                

                    For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.
                

                

                    If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.
                

            

        


        

            

                
Wellbeing Services

                

                    Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.
                

                

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AccessAbility Services

                

                    Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.
                

                

                    To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.
                

            

        


        

            

                
Links to relevant University policy and procedures

                

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                    For more information, visit
                    https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
                

                

            

        


        

            

                
Student Charter

                

                    UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful.  The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
                

            

        


        

            

                
General Enquiries

                
    
                    
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