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Social Justice, Welfare and Wellbeing

Code

SS256

Level

2

Credit rating

20

Pre-requisites

Normally level 1 social policy modules or equivalent

Type of module

Extensive over one semester

Aims
  • To provide knowledge of key theories and principles of Social Justice in relation to Welfare and Wellbeing
  • To provide an understanding of how theories and principles of Social Justice inform the formulation and implementation of Social Policies
  • To provide a critical tool for identifying, evaluating and responding to  social problems.

Learning outcomes/objectives

On successful completion of the module the student will:

  • Describe key theories and principles of social justice in relation to Welfare and Wellbeing
  • Critically evaluate key theories and principles of social justice for the formulation and implementation of social policies
  • Use key theories and principles of social justice as a critical tool for identifying, evaluating and responding to social problems

Content

Key Concepts running through the module:

Social justice; welfare; wellbeing; procedure; outcome; distribution; recognition; utility; autonomy; freedom; equality; entitlement; social contract; community; rights; needs; difference & diversity; care and interdependency; sustainability.

Introduction:

  • (a) Social Justice, Welfare and Wellbeing: Procedure; Outcome; Distribution and Recognition

Theories of justice, values and principles.
Values, Principles and Theories of Social Justice: guiding and shaping welfare and wellbeing

  • Freedom, welfare and wellbeing
  • Equality, welfare and wellbeing
  • Justice as utility: happiness, welfare and wellbeing
  • Justice as entitlement: procedure (processes) and residual welfare
  • Justice as contract: procedure & outcomes: welfare liberalism
  • Spheres of Justice and Communitarianism: community - not autonomy
  • Justice and Rights
  • Justice and needs
  • Difference, diversity and change
  • Care and interdependency: a relational theory of justice
  • Sustainability and Social Justice: ecological welfare and wellbeing.

The lectures will present the contents as described above applied to concrete examples of social policy, welfare and wellbeing.

The workshops will further examine and illustrate the principles and theories of social justice through their application to social policy issues such as the role of the state and the market, the distribution of services (health, education, etc) and social problems such as discrimination and environmental injustice.   

Teaching and learning strategies

200 hours of study time delivered through 36 hours direct teaching and 164 hours directed private study outlined in the module handbook. This includes 36 hours of teaching which are split into 12 x 1 hour lecture sessions (one hour session per week) and an associated 2 hour workshop per week.

In addition, students are expected to engage in 164 hours independent directed private study. This will include preparation for the workshop sessions and assessment tasks.

The workshop will make use of group work, case-study focused discussion, and opportunities to participate in a range of creative learning activities.

Formative assessment will be integrated into the small-group teaching sessions. Individual tutorials will be available to provide guidance on assignments.

The module will place a strong emphasis on reading, and support students in their independent study activity. The module handbook will provide a list of both essential readings and further reading/resources for the module as a whole.

In addition to this generic reading, students will also be required to carry out some topic-specific reading in the week preceding each teaching session. The essential and further reading for each week of the module will also be listed in the module handbook.

Learning support

Key texts for this module include:

  • Agyeman, J. 2005 Sustainable communities and the challenge of environmental justice, New York: New York University Press.
  • Baker, J. 2004 Equality: from theory to action, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Press.
  • Barnes, M. 2006 Caring and Social Justice, Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Clayton, M.G. & Williams, A. (ed.) 2004 Social Justice, Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Drake, R. 2001 The Principles of Social Policy, Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave.
  • Fitzpatrick, T. 2001 Welfare Theory: an introduction, Palgrave.
  • Foley, J. (ed.) 2004 Sustainability and social justice, London: IPPR.
  • Fraser, N. 1997 Justice Interruptus: Critical Reflections on the ‘Post-socialist’ Condition, London:Routledge.
  • Heywood, A. 1994 Political Ideas and Concepts, An Introduction, London: The Macmillan Press Ltd.
  • Kendall, L. & Harker, L. (eds.) 2002 From welfare to wellbeing: the future of social care, London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
  • Lavalette, M. and Pratt, A. (eds.) 2001 Social Policy, A Conceptual and Theoretical Introduction, 2nd edit, London: Sage Pub.
  • Lund, B. 2002 Understanding State Welfare, Social Justice or Social Exclusion?, London: Sage Pub.
  • Sen, A. 1985 'Wellbeing, Agency and Freedom: The Dewey Lectures 1984'; In The Journal of Philosophy, Vol.82:4.
  • Sen, A. 1999 Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press.
  • Spicker, P. 1995 Social Policy: themes and approaches, Harvester Wheatsheaf: Prentice Hall
  • Titmuss, R.M. 2001 Welfare and Wellbeing: Richard Titmuss’s contribution to social policy, edit by Pete Alcock, et al, Bristol: Policy Press.
  • A copy of the module handbook will be available for each student, as will access to Student Central

Assessment tasks

There are two forms of assessment in this module:

  • 1800 word essay which critically evaluates a theory or principle of social justice for the formulation and implementation of social policies (LO’s 1, 2) (40%)
  • 2500 word essay which uses theories or principles of social justice as a critical tool for identifying, evaluating and responding to a social problem (LO3) ( 60%).

Brief description of module content and/or aims (maximum 80 words)

This module aims to introduce students to key theories and principles of Social Justice in the formulation and implementation of social policies and to provide a critical tool for identifying, evaluating and responding to social problems.

Area examination board to which module relates

SASS Undergraduate

Module team/authors/coordinator

Paul Fox-Strangways (Module Coordinator) /Kepa Artaraz/Martin Kemp/Marian Barnes/Michael Cahill

Semester offered, where appropriate

2

Site where delivered

Falmer and Hastings

Date of first approval

February 2008

Date of approval of this version

February 2008

Version number

1

Course(s) for which module is acceptable and status in that course

Compulsory:
BA (Hons) Social Policy
BA (Hons) Politics and Social Policy;
BA (Hons) Sociology and Social Policy;
BA (Hons) Criminology and Social Policy.
BA (Hons) Applied Social Science (Hastings)
BA (Hons) Health and Social Care and Social Policy

Optional:
BA (Hons) Social Science
BA (Hons) Health and Social Care

School home

School of Applied Social Science

External examiner

Dr John Hudson from November 2004