Principles of Social Policy

On-campus & remote (online) learning available. Students participate in interactive, real-time classes. 2026 class dates: Apr 7,9,14,16 & May 4,11 This course aims to provide an introduction to the main principles of social policy in a comparative context as a foundation for further studies in the social policy area. It discusses the parameters of social policy and how social policy intersects with other aspects of government policy, such as labour policy, taxation policy and health policy. It analyses varying models of social welfare provision and social protection as well as fundamental policy issues, such as the merits of targeting versus universality, horizontal versus vertical equity, and rights-based versus discretionary entitlements. The course then considers social protection in the context of key groups of potential beneficiaries, including people who are unemployed, children and families, retirees, and indigenous peoples. The course emphasis is on a comparative approach, comparing Australian social policy with that of other OECD countries and of other countries in the Asia and Pacific region.