Please note: Information on this page relates to the 2010 academic year unless otherwise specified.
On this page:
- Overview
- Undergraduate Information
- Postgraduate Information
- How To Find Out More
- Related Subjects and Careers
- List of Courses
Overview
Social Policy at Victoria is the study of how and why social policy gets made, and how it works in the real world. At the heart of Social Policy is a focus on what is commonly referred to as peoples’ wellbeing or needs. Central to this are three broad questions: are we responsible for one another, as citizens, as taxpayers, as employees/employers, as family/whanau, or as members of an iwi or community? If we are responsible, what form should this take: financial support, protection, or care? And who should provide support or protection: the state, the market, the family, or charities?
The concern with wellbeing, and discussion on who is responsible for improving wellbeing, involves a number of areas of policy debate, including: poverty and social exclusion; changing populations and patterns of family life; health care reform; education policies; and housing and homelessness
Elements from Sociology, Political Science, Social History, Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Public Policy are used to explore a range of social issues and questions. In particular, there is constant interaction between the social trends studied by sociologists and the social policies discussed in this subject area. A course in Social Policy is appropriate for students from throughout the University because questions about how a society meets peoples’ needs are a prominent part of current public concern and debate.
Undergraduate Information
BA major requirements in Social Policy:
- SPOL 113 and one from SOSC 112, ECON 130, POLS 111
- 40 points from SPOL 200-399
- 40 points from SPOL 300-399
Postgraduate Information
Postgraduate Qualifications in Social Policy
How To Find Out More
You can order more information on this subject using our Request for Study Material form.
Victoria's Student Recruitment and Course Advice Office offers advice on courses and help with planning your degree.
Contact the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences' Student and Academic Services Office for information on admission, qualifications and courses, course advice and selection criteria, exemptions and prerequisites.
Social Policy courses are taught within the School of Social and Cultural Studies, School Office: Murphy 921, tel: 04-463 5317, email: address.
Related Subjects and Careers
Majoring in Social Policy, possibly in conjunction with majors in other Social Science subjects, Public Policy or Law, is a valuable basis for planning a career in social science research, policy analysis or professional work, e.g. psychology, social work, nursing and other health professions, teaching, management consultancy, and management and administration of social service organisations, including those in the private and voluntary sectors.
| Related Subjects | Careers |
|---|---|
|
Criminology |
Community organisations |
List of Courses
Please note: the list below shows undergraduate-level courses only. For a complete course listing, see the list of all Social Policy courses.
| 100 Level Social Policy Courses |
|---|
SPOL 113 – Social and Public Policy: Values and Change |
| 200 Level Social Policy Courses |
|---|
SPOL 203 – Special Topic: Comparative Welfare Regimes |
SPOL 208 – Ageing and Social Policy |
SPOL 209 – Social Policy and the Family |
SPOL 210 – Biculturalism: Process and Policy |
SPOL 214 – Special Topic: Knowledge, Power and Understanding |
SPOL 215 – Reproducing Gendered Bodies |
SPOL 217 – Special Topic: Sociology of Dying and Death |
SPOL 218 – Globalisation and its Discontents |
SPOL 219 – Ideology, Utopia, Power: Issues and Paradigms in Political Sociology |
| 300 Level Social Policy Courses |
|---|
SACS 301 – Methods in Social and Cultural Research |
SPOL 304 – Special Topic: Social Movements, Interest Groups, and Social Policy |
SPOL 306 – Social Inequality |
SPOL 307 – Special Topic: Law and Society |
SPOL 308 – Ageing and Social Policy |
SPOL 309 – Social Policy and the Family |
SPOL 314 – Sociology of Health and Illness |
SPOL 315 – Reproducing Gendered Bodies |
SPOL 317 – Population and Policy |
SPOL 318 – Social Movements and the State |