SOCIOL 103 : New Zealand Social Policy and Social Justice

Arts

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Provides an overview of key contemporary social policy issues within the context of globalising economic processes and continuing gendered and racialised divisions. Discusses the way in which debates around social policy are constructed and the implications this has for social justice. Case studies may include food and health, technology, indigeneity and children.

Course Overview

Why do politicians promote certain policies and not others?  How do these policy choices reflect their differing values and views on social justice?  What policy alternatives emerge from less commonly known values and views? 

This course helps to answer these questions. The first section of the course introduces key concepts and theoretical perspectives crucial to the study of social policy. This sets the scene for a series of case studies - growing inequality, child poverty, children: our future and ethnic diversity - focusing on current social policy challenges in New Zealand and elsewhere. The course will conclude with a brief consideration of the current reality and future potential for social policy to facilitate social justice. 

We hope the course will give you  a better idea of not only how policy matters because it affects all of our lives but also of how we can influence  policy to achieve social justice.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of of concepts and categories central to contemporary debates in social policy and political sociology; (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.3)
  2. Critically evaluate different theoretical or value viewpoints about both policy ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’, demonstrating understanding that social policy issues are always complex and contested (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2)
  3. Analyse contemporary social policy issues using critical thinking skills (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 6.1 and 6.3)
  4. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about contemporary social policy issues in New Zealand within a broad theoretical context; (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 6.1 and 6.3)
  5. Develop specific research skills appropriate to a policy-focused course. These include: gathering and synthesising concepts and ideas from a wide range of academic and other relevant sources; analysing data (including in tables and graphs) using critical thinking skills; assessing and summarising alternative ways of thinking about policy problems. (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 20% Individual Test
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 1-2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the test and exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2023.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

There will be a free, electronic course reader available through Canvas.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

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Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

All work submitted for this course will be run through Turnitin.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Course kaupapa (guiding principles)
Whanaungatanga - Whakapapa is a conceptual orientation whereby we acknowledge the intergenerational interconnectedness of all things. Flowing from our understanding of whakapapa we acknowledge the importance of building and maintaining relationships, care for each other, and working collectively.

Mana - The combination of our power and ability to act as well as a measure of our social standing. Our actions should acknowledge and enhance the mana of ourselves and others. There are consequences for actions that fail to do so.

Rangatiratanga - In full acknowledgement of our interconnectedness we also maintain our independence as learners and our responsibility to act as rangatira (leaders) of our learning process. Good leadership also takes account of the needs, abilities, and mana of the group.

Class responsibilities
It is the duty of everybody in the classroom to uphold the individual and collective mana of the group. Our actions, including speech, should acknowledge and enhance the mana of ourselves and others. There are consequences for actions that fail to do so. Actions that diminish the mana of others include any practice which aims at bullying, excluding, marginalizing, harassing, discriminating against, rendering insecure, exploiting, criminalizing, terrorizing, or harbouring exterminatory fantasies against an identity group of people imagined as sharing a common determining feature. Speech or actions that are, for example, knowingly racist, sexist, ableist, ageist, homophobic or transphobic are completely unacceptable in the classroom.

While free speech is a fundamental right in a democracy and we encourage respectful debate and discussion of diverse ideas, an abstract idea of free speech in general cannot and must not be used as a cover for specific instances of hateful speech or discrimination. Students in the course are expected to respect all other students and staff. If you witness hate speech or discrimination you are encouraged to raise this with the lecturer, your tutor or the University Proctor.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 28/10/2022 07:05 a.m.