GSSA 2103 - Politics, Policy & Citizenship

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2015

The course examines social policy and citizenship in Australia from the perspective of the social sciences. It has a focus on the historical and contemporary constructions of Australian citizenship and how these constructions both impact upon and is shaped by social policy. A key focus will be the representation of contemporary public issues within a social policy framework drawing attention to the ways different knowledges of the social sciences understand public issues and how these issues are in turn constructed in policy. The course also examines emerging debates on the social, political and economic definitions and re-definitions of citizenship. Current debates in the broad areas of power relations, political and social rights and the future of welfare policy in an era of globalisation and economic uncertainty are examined. A selection of case studies drawing on current research will be used to provide a framework for understanding social policy and citizenship dimensions in Australian society. This course has an applied focus through which students study the policy process and develop policy analysis skills.

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Course Details

Course Code	GSSA 2103
Course	Politics, Policy & Citizenship
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of level 1 undergraduate study
Incompatible	GWSI 2016, GWSI 3016, GWSI 2103
Assessment	1000 word essay (20%), 2700 word research project (35%), group work activities, briefing paper and presentation (45%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Nadine Levy

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1	Understand social policy, critical reading and analytical writing
2	Locate, access and evaluate a range of resources available to support critical policy research and writing
3	Apply social policy to critical discussions relating to society on a local and global scale
4	Confidently engage with social policy in the real world
5	Demonstrate a critical approach to ethical issues in the context of public policy about contemporary issues and debates
6	Demonstrate productive and respectful engagement with their peers through structured group work
7	Prepare and deliver coherent and logically argued written texts

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1,2,3,4
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	2,3,5,7
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	1,3,5,7
Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication.	6,7
A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies.	2,5,
A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life.	3,4,5,6
A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community.	3,5
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

The course reader: Politics, Policy & Citizenship can be purchased at Image and Copy Centre

Online Learning

Additional materials will be made available on Myuni.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course integrates lectures, workshops and students’ independent and collaborative study to facilitate engaged learning in critical dialogue, problem-posing and the sociological imagination. Lectures will introduce new content in historical and contemporary contexts, highlighting the issues, policy responses and impacts on citizenship. Students will be required to read and comment on the texts in their writing and group work. Students will experience in practice the way policy is considered, critiqued and reformulated in a ‘work setting’. Students will be provided with opportunities to learn new skills in collaborative projects.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

1 x 1-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week	12 hours per semester
1 x 2-hour seminar (or equivalent) per week	24 hours per semester
5 hours reading per week	60 hours per semester
3 hours assignment preparation per week	36 hours per semester
2 hours research per week	24 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Introduction to the course & historical background to the field

Understanding social policy & citizenship

Institutional context of policy making

Understanding how social policy is made part 1: Values, language, concepts

Understanding how social policy is made part 2: Think tanks and ‘special interest’ groups

Historical context of Australian social policy

Policy in practice: Actors and Agents

International context for Australian social policy

Challenges for the 21st century – where is Australian social policy heading?

Structure of the report

Specific Course Requirements

Students are required to complete all assessment tasks to be eligible to pass the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
1000 word essay	Formative and Summative	20%	1, 4, 7
Group wok activities (inc papers & presentations)	Formative and Summative	45%	1-7
2700 word research project	Formative and Summative	35%	2, 3, 5, 6, 7

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are required to complete all assessment tasks to be eligible to pass this course.

Assessment Detail

The following principles of conduct for staff and students have been adopted by the Discipline of Gender Studies and Social Analysis.

Active and appropriate participation; based on preparation for the lectures and group work is required.

Valuing diversity of experiences and contribution of other students – listening attentively to the contributions of others, considering how you frame your own responses, especially if they are critical (comment on aspects of the argument and do not criticise the characteristics of the person), and employ self-critique (use the contributions of others to ask questions about your own perspectives and assumptions).

Submission

Your assignments in this course must be submitted online via the relevant MyUni course site.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator