Unit Synopsis
Social work operates at the critical interface between social concerns and individual problems. Social workers must navigate this complex landscape by analysing and evaluating the policy context in which they work, guided by the AASW Code of Ethics (2020). This unit explores the historical, political and structural dimensions of social policy and policy-making in Australia and internationally. A significant focus will be examining the impact of historical and contemporary social policies on First Nations communities. You will critically examine key concepts and debates in contemporary social policy and alternative ideologies underpinning the allocation and distribution of resources, such as the welfare state and neoliberalism. Additionally, you will analyse the role of social workers in interpreting and implementing social policy decisions and develop skills essential for advocating for those adversely affected by policies and influencing the broader social policy environment.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 9 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Pre-requisites: SOWK29001 Ethical and Legal Issues in Practice SOWK28005 Social Work Field Education 1 Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Online discussion forum | 20% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 40% |
| 3. Project (applied) | 40% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
No previous feedback available
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Critically appraise the key concepts and processes influencing social policy and policy-making, including historical, political and structural factors and contemporary policy debates.
- Critically analyse contemporary social policies within various practice contexts, focusing on the impact of social policies on First Nations communities and evaluating their congruence with social work values, ethics and practice.
- Critically examine the role of social workers in interpreting and implementing social policy decisions and develop effective advocacy skills and methods to support those adversely affected by policy changes and influence the broader social policy landscape.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online discussion forum | • | • | |
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • |
| 3 - Project (applied) | • | ||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • |
| 2 - Communication | • | • | • |
| 4 - Research | • | • | • |
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | ||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | ||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |