2006 Handbooks

Is the welfare state in decline because of an ageing population, tight budgets and the pressures of globalisation? Should welfare recipients be obliged to work for their benefits? Should the family provide for the elderly? Is Australia overly generous when it comes to social spending?

Few areas in sociology are as contentious and vital as the ongoing debates about who should get social support and how it should be delivered. This course offers students a detailed introduction to the history, design and institutions of social policy and welfare states. We look closely at the development of Australian social policy and consider how Australian policymakers are dealing problems like an ageing population, unemployment, poor families, and income inequality in a comparative context. We also consider how social policy in Australia and elsewhere is made, and how power and institutional dynamics shape policy outcomes. The course caters for students interested in policy practice and welfare state research alike.