Social Issues and Policy Responses

The course will provide participants with the opportunity to examine pressing contemporary social issues and how policies have responded to these. This module is structured around four core themes. It begins by examining key concepts which lay a foundation for thinking about social issues in a welfare context (Theme 1). It identifies key sociological and political dimensions of such core concepts as 'need', 'poverty', 'social in/exclusion', 'inequality', among others. It also frames the context of social issues by examining the role of the state, family, market and civil society/community within welfare and policy. Having established an initial conceptual basis, we then explore a selective range of significant contemporary themes and policy issues that focus on the subjects of gender, children and families. The three themes that follow are: gender, equality, rights and policy (Theme 2); child protection, rights and policy (Theme 3); and family, children, social support and policy (Theme 4). The policy responses ? Irish and International - to the welfare issues explored reflect distinctive yet similar principles and approaches, which are framed in the context of social work, equality and human rights, family support and community development. Through these themes/cases the module provides a range of perspectives on some of the pressing public issues of welfare and what these mean for the provision of welfare for citizens in contemporary times.