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Social Policy and Social Change
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CHSUG2005 - Social Policy and Social Change
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20250200
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Course
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3.3
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2026-09-10
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2026-09-10
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Social Work, Community & Human Services
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Institute of Education, Arts & Community
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Social Work, Community & Human Services
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Undergraduate
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15
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.125
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090515
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Welfare Studies
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090515 - Welfare Studies
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<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/chsug2005">View unit fees</a>
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Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
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1
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<p>Political ideology permeates social policy which, when implemented, affects people’s well-being in their social context, including their access to services and resources. Identifying with the marginalised, and taking a stance against oppressive social structures and practices, this unit equips students to critically analyse and proactively challenge policies that disenfranchise, exclude or oppress social communities and people of diverse cultures, including First Nations people within the Australian context. The unit develops students’ awareness of policymaking and practice, and sharpens their ability to analyse, question and challenge policies relevant to practice within the human services.</p>
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<p>Topics may include:<br>
1. Social Policy: Introducing approaches and concepts:<br>
- What is social policy?<br>
- A Historical overview of the philosophical debates on the welfare state<br>
- Values, ideology and social policy (Agenda Setting with special emphasis on media)<br>
- An overview of welfare policy in Australia 1900s to 1970s.<br>
2. History of Australian Welfare State:<br>
- Overview of welfare policy in Australia: 1970s-1990s<br>
- Neo-liberalism and social policy: 1980s to date.<br>
3. Social Policy making processes, institutions and actions<br>
- Stages of policy-making<br>
- Policymaking and the implication for community services<br>
- Community services, individuals and the market.<br>
4. Social Policy Case Studies:<br>
Poverty and Welfare Policy<br>
Housing Policy<br>
Education Policy<br>
Health Policy<br>
Unemployment Policy<br>
Australian Policy Trends in an International Context</p>
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<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
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2027
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2026
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CHSUG2005 - Social Policy and Social Change
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Overview
Key information
Requisites
Learning outcomes
Assessment
FedTASK
Parent Region
Overview
Unit description
<p>Political ideology permeates social policy which, when implemented, affects people’s well-being in their social context, including their access to services and resources. Identifying with the marginalised, and taking a stance against oppressive social structures and practices, this unit equips students to critically analyse and proactively challenge policies that disenfranchise, exclude or oppress social communities and people of diverse cultures, including First Nations people within the Australian context. The unit develops students’ awareness of policymaking and practice, and sharpens their ability to analyse, question and challenge policies relevant to practice within the human services.</p>
Unit content
<p>Topics may include:<br> 1. Social Policy: Introducing approaches and concepts:<br> - What is social policy?<br> - A Historical overview of the philosophical debates on the welfare state<br> - Values, ideology and social policy (Agenda Setting with special emphasis on media)<br> - An overview of welfare policy in Australia 1900s to 1970s.<br> 2. History of Australian Welfare State:<br> - Overview of welfare policy in Australia: 1970s-1990s<br> - Neo-liberalism and social policy: 1980s to date.<br> 3. Social Policy making processes, institutions and actions<br> - Stages of policy-making<br> - Policymaking and the implication for community services<br> - Community services, individuals and the market.<br> 4. Social Policy Case Studies:<br> Poverty and Welfare Policy<br> Housing Policy<br> Education Policy<br> Health Policy<br> Unemployment Policy<br> Australian Policy Trends in an International Context</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Discipline:
Social Work, Community & Human Services
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090515 - Welfare Studies
Offering:
<p><strong>Semester 2</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Ballarat (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Gippsland (Blended)</p><p>Gippsland - Churchill (On Campus)</p><p>On-line Learning</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/chsug2005">View unit fees</a>
Requisites
Prerequisite
<p>must have completed 1 of "ATSGC1362" / "<a href="/ords/r/curriculum/catalogue/course?p6_code=BSWUG1001" target="_blank">BSWUG1001</a>" / "CHSUG1001" / "<a href="/ords/r/curriculum/catalogue/course?p6_code=CHSUG1002" target="_blank">CHSUG1002</a>" / "<a href="/ords/r/curriculum/catalogue/course?p6_code=SOSCI1002" target="_blank">SOSCI1002</a>" / "WELRO1001" / "WELSI1003"</p>
Corequisite
None
Exclusion
<p>must not have completed 1 of "ATSGC3851" / "<a href="/ords/r/curriculum/catalogue/course?p6_code=BSWUG2005" target="_blank">BSWUG2005</a>" / "WELSI2103"</p>
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
<p>On successful completion of this unit, students are expected to gain the following [K]nowledge, [S]kills and [A]pplication of knowledge & skills</p>
Learning Outcomes
Ref
Outcome
K1
<p>Identify and place in historical context the major themes which have contributed to the development of the Australian Welfare state.</p>
K2
<p>Critically review different discourses which underpin debates about social policy in Australia.</p>
K3
<p>Examine contemporary issues and debates in a number of policy areas.</p>
K4
<p>Critically review the policy-making process in Australia and be able to identify key stakeholders and actors in the policy making process.</p>
K5
<p>Analyse implications of specific areas of social policy for the community and human services field.</p>
S1
<p>Locate policy documentation and critique policies using a variety of sources.</p>
S2
<p>Analyse the policy framework that underpins social policy.</p>
S3
<p>Evaluate the implications for service users and the Human Services field generally of specific areas of social policy.</p>
S4
<p>Debate the relative merits of social policy from a clearly identified value base.</p>
A1
<p>Develop capacity to analyse social policy rhetoric, and identify underlying values.</p>
A2
<p>Demonstrate knowledge of the stages of the policy cycle, and capacity to identify how and when the different stages are utilised in relation to existing policies.</p>
A3
<p>Locate and research information about diverse social policies, and apply it to analysis of policies.</p>
Assessment
Learning Tasks and Assessment
Ref
Learning task
Assessment type
Weighting
Learning outcomes assessed
1
<p>Identify relevant and credible literature related to social policy debates, and summarise and critically evaluate this literature</p>
<p>Annotated Bibliography</p>
<p>15-25%</p>
K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2
2
<p>Analyse and critique different issues relevant to contemporary social policy (e.g. Indigenous policy, health policy, welfare policy etc.)</p>
<p>Essay</p>
<p>25-40%</p>
K1, K3, K5, S3, A3
3
<p>Develop and debate a position on the impact of the policy making process on social policies in Australia</p>
<p>Case study based policy submission</p>
<p>35-50%</p>
K1, K3, K4, K5, S2, S3, S4, A2
Supplementary assessment available:
Yes
Supplementary assessment information:
<p>Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.</p>
FedTASK
FedTASK
Description of FedTASK outcome
Level
FedTASK 1: Interpersonal
The ability to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK 2: Leadership
The ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK 3: Critical Thinking and Creativity
The ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using imagination to create new ideas.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK 4: Digital Literacy
The ability to work fluently across a range of tools and applications to achieve a range of skills.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK 5: Sustainable and Ethical Mindset
The ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions.
<p>Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines</p>
FedTASK
<p>Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FedTASKs (<strong>T</strong>ransferable <strong>A</strong>ttributes <strong>S</strong>kills and <strong>K</strong>nowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key, transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and co-operative learning opportunities.</p>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Discipline:
Social Work, Community & Human Services
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090515 - Welfare Studies
Offering:
<p><strong>Semester 2</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Berwick (On Campus)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Ballarat (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Gippsland (Blended)</p><p>Gippsland - Churchill (On Campus)</p><p>On-line Learning</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/chsug2005">View unit fees</a>
Additional information
Add Info Static Text
Internal reference: CHSUG2005 - U3.3