SA429      Half Unit
Understanding Social (Dis)advantage

This information is for the 2014/15 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Hartley Dean OLD2.30

Availability

This course is available on the MPA in European Public and Economic Policy, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy, MPA in Public and Social Policy, MSc in City Design and Social Science, MSc in Criminal Justice Policy, MSc in Gender, Policy and Inequalities, MSc in Health, Population and Society, MSc in Social Policy (European and Comparative Social Policy), MSc in Social Policy (Research) and MSc in Social Policy (Social Policy and Planning). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

This course focuses on the emergence of a range of concepts key to social policy relating to selective cumulative advantage and disadvantage in society and their use in developing and industrialized countries; concepts that supersede or complement classic concepts of poverty, such as social exclusion, capability deprivation, social immobility, social/cultural capital deficiency. Topics addressed on the course may include - changes in inequality and their causes; the theoretical and empirical issues provoked by the 'underclass' debate; family change and disadvantage; long term unemployment and welfare-to-work; area segregation, housing and 'welfare ghettos'; ethnic division; disability; employment; education; crime; social exclusion and citizenship.

Teaching

10 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the LT. 2 hours of seminars in the ST.

Indicative reading

Basic reading list for the course includes: H Dean & L Platt (eds), Social Advantage and Disadvantage, OUP, forthcoming (NOTE: for the 2014/15 session drafts of key chapters will be available to students on Moodle); R Lister (Ed), Charles Murray and the Underclass: the developing debate, IEA, 1996; D Held and A Kaya (Eds), Global Inequality, Polity, 2007; J Hills et al (Eds), Understanding Social Exclusion, OUP, 2002; D. Dorling, Injustice: Why social inequality matters, The Policy Press, 2010; G Payne (ed.) (2013) Social Divisions (3/e), Palgrave Macmillan, 2013; L Platt, Understanding Inequalities, Polity, 2011; T Ridge & S Wright (eds), Understanding Inequality, Poverty and Wealth, The Policy Press, 2008.  

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.

Student performance results

(2010/11 - 2012/13 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 7.1
Merit 70.9
Pass 18.9
Fail 3.1

Teachers' comment

Please note that this course has some new teachers for the 2014/15 academic year. The course was also suspended in 2013/14, so the data displayed does not include any 2013/14 data.

Key facts

Department: Social Policy

Total students 2013/14: Unavailable

Average class size 2013/14: Unavailable

Controlled access 2013/14: No

Lecture capture used 2013/14: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Specialist skills

Course survey results

(2010/11 - 2012/13 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 81.7%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

2

Materials (Q2.3)

1.8

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.8

Lectures (Q2.5)

1.7

Integration (Q2.6)

1.9

Contact (Q2.7)

1.8

Feedback (Q2.8)

2.1

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

81.9%

Maybe

13.9%

No

4.2%