This course is part of the Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization

John Robertson

Offered By

Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners SpecializationColumbia University

About this Course

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In all nations, social policy is a very large public investment.  Course 1 will explore the size, structure, and outcomes of U.S. social policy and compare this policy to those of similar developed countries.  The course will also probe the values this policy represents and the values debate regarding about how big our welfare state should be— in other words, how much of our education, housing, health, income support, and social services the government should supply and how much individuals should supply for themselves.  This course addresses issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy.
The course is part of a sequence in social policy that has an HONORS TRACK. This track will prepare the learner for masters-level work in policy, which involves reading the literature, writing concise summaries and probing critiques. Over the sequence the learner will develop a policy analysis that will create a foundation for professional policy analyst assignments.

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Course 1 of 5 in the

Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization

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Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

What you will learn

Describe the development of the welfare state across developed nations distinguishing choices made in education, health or pensions

Evaluate the structures of the US welfare state to explain US choices in education, health or pensions of those seeking aid.

Differentiate the public and private welfare state to interpret structures of education, health or pensions to those seeking services

Honors: Summarize and critique readings to professionally interpret them. Identify a topic to a professional memo.

Skills you will gain

- Distinguish the values inherent in each social policy initiative- Critique components of a social policy based on their effectiveness at meeting the goals stated in the initiative- Develop social welfare policy analysis and reform proposals- Differentiate alternative approaches to social policy problems- Formulate practice strategies to overcome the historic biases in social welfare programs

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 5 in the

Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.62/5 (8 Ratings)

John Robertson

Policy Lecturer

School of Social Work, Columbia University in New York City

6,214 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

Columbia University

For more than 250 years, Columbia has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds in pursuit of greater human understanding, pioneering new discoveries and service to society.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Social Policy and the Welfare State

In this module, you will develop an understanding of the domains, values, and expenditures of the U.S. welfare state.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 51 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

9 videos

Sequence video: Why Social Policy - alumni3m

Sequence Opening - Why study Social Policy with John Robertson?3m

Domains5m

Values5m

Expenditures6m

Welfare State6m

Module 1 Wrap Up40s

The Honors assignments9m

Policy Project: Introduction9m

1 reading

Reading 1: The Welfare State10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz: Module 1 Overview15m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Social Policy Structure

In this module, you will explore the domains of the US welfare state and differentiate the floor, platform and safety net components

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 41 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Introduction2m

Education4m

Healthcare7m

Social Insurance6m

Public Aid3m

Social Services5m

Platforms, Floors and Safety Nets by Professor Garfinkel2m

Housing4m

Module 2 Wrap Up2m

1 reading

Federal Benefits and Services for People with Low Income10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz: Module 2 Overview15m

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Comparing U.S. Social Policy with Europe: Investment & Effects

This module will compare US and comparable western nations in a country's approach to education, health care and income stability. The module will address the relative place of the US in the structure of it welfare state.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 43 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

Introduction5m

Education8m

Early Childhood by Professor Waldfogel6m

Healthcare9m

Income6m

Leader? Or Laggard? by Professor Garfinkel5m

Module 3 Wrap Up1m

2 readings

Dr. Heidi Allen's TEDMED talk on "the cost of being uninsured in America"10m

Welfare State Myths and Measurement10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz: Module 3 Overview15m

Week

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Does the Welfare State Enrich Us of Impoverish Us?

In this module, we will explain the size, structure and outcomes of US social policy when compared with comparable developed nations and to differentiate the conservative approaches to social welfare

6 hours to complete

13 videos (Total 79 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

13 videos

Politics and Policy3m

Size of the Welfare State5m

The Structure of the Welfare State9m

Floors, Platforms and Safety Nets3m

Outcomes7m

Fragile Families by Professor Garfinkel6m

Wealth & the Welfare State by Professor Garfinkel6m

Economic Conservatives5m

Social Conservatives4m

Liberalism & Social Democrats9m

Module 4 Wrap Up1m

Summary & Critique Description5m

Summary and Critique: How to Evaluate8m

1 reading

Understand the Hidden $1.1 Trillion Welfare System and How to Reform it20m

1 practice exercise

Quiz: Module 4 Overview15m

About the Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization

In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.

Teachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of these programs. Health and mental health programs, education, housing and income supports, pensions, criminal justice services, veterans’ programs, child protective services, and immigration services create a support system all Americans will draw upon. They also reveal Americans' ethics and values, indicating how we regard and care for our most vulnerable. This specialization will explore the size, structure, and outcomes of U.S. social policy by -comparing it with the approaches of other developed nations. -examining the history of our efforts and probing population effects that shape policy. -looking deeply into support for families in general, poor families, people with disabilities, and the elderly. -mapping out existing policies for housing, education, healthcare, immigration and child welfare. -addressing issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy. By the end of the course the learner will be at home working in, utilizing, and voting in the U.S. welfare system.

Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners

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