1 Defining and Doing Social Policy
Defining Social Policy
- Why is it important?
- Importance of taking into account social justice and environmental justice imperatives
- Inclusions and exclusions in what is considered “social policy”
How is social policy developed and implemented?
Policy Process and Development
Stages in the development of social policy
Political-economic contexts
Windows of opportunity in social policy development
Social policy as a response to human needs
-
- Are there “universal” human needs?
- ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ understandings of human need
Human needs and the capability approach
Social policy actors
-
- Political leaders
- Bureaucracy and the public service
- Non-governmental and community organizations
- Social policy advocates
- communities of those receiving social programs and benefits
- progressive social movements
- Social workers’ points of contact and realms of practice in the social policy arena
Roles of different orders of government in the Canadian context
- The inherent right to self-determination and self-government of Indigenous peoples, and the relationship between Indigenous and Canadian law
- Nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous Nations and the Crown (in the right of the Government of Canada) as embodied in Treaties
- Constitutional division of powers and jurisdictions (federal / provincial-territorial / municipal) under the Constitution Act, 1982
- Provincial jurisdiction and provincial / territorial variations in social policy and programs
- Responsibility of all levels of government to eliminate colonialism in social policy and social provision
- Decolonized models for collective support and social provision consistent with the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination and self-government, and the recognition of the responsibilities of colonial and settler governments for past and current harms.
- Equitable fiscal and human resourcing of Indigenous education, health and social programs based on settler-colonial responsibility for reparations and reconciliation.
Canadian social policy and other countries as comparators
- Welfare state typologies
- Is there a distinct ‘international’ level of social policy? (e.g. the United Nations’ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
Social Policy Toolkit – the Canadian Association for Social Work Education
How to Write a Social Policy Brief Policy brief outline
There are many ways to structure a policy brief. Here is one example:
Keep your brief readable. Use:
- clear headings
- bullet points
- white space
- charts/tables
- graphics
Title
- Make it catchy and informative
Executive summary [2-3 paragraphs]
- State the specific issue addressed in the brief
- Identify significant policy failures that require change
- Clearly describe the proposed action
- Make the summary memorable and effective to entice readers
Problem statement [4-5 points]
- Explain why the current policy is failing and what impact this has on the situation
- Include who the stakeholders are who will be affected by a new or changed policy
- Convince readers that, in light of research and evidence, a change is called for
Policy options
- Identify alternatives and the arguments for or against them
- Include the evaluation criteria you used to make your recommendation
- State the impact on various stakeholders
- Indicate the policy option(s) you recommend and provide explanations for the choice
Recommendations
- Articulate the policy related steps required to implement the chosen or feasible option(s)
- Identify who would need to execute
- If the assignment does not require a conclusion, end with a paragraph re-emphasizing the importance of the policy change and the preferred option(s)
Conclusion (optional)
[This section is not always required, so check your assignment guidelines or ask your professor]
- If required, emphasize the importance of the policy change and the preferred option(s)
Sources consulted / Sources recommended
- List the key sources you relied on as you prepared the brief and/or a list of other readings
Your name, the course name and number, and other publication details
- Follow the assignment’s instructions for how this information should appear on or with the brief
**************
Credit: Policy brief outline (part of the Assignment Planner series). University of Waterloo Library and University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre. September 2019.
Influencing Social Policy
This is a US-based “non-profit organization for social work educators, students, and practitioners with a passion for policy”. Its goal is “to prepare and motivate social workers to play an active role in shaping the social policies that impact our clients and communities.”
You can visit the website at this LINK
*****************************************************************************
RESOURCES
Hartley Dean – What is Social Policy? (4:12)
What is the Welfare State? A Sociological Restatement (1 hour 27 minutes)
Speakers: Professor David Garland, Professor Nicola Lacey
Chair: Professor Craig Calhoun
10 November 2014
Indigenous law: an introduction (6:41)
Policy Analysis Frameworks
Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis 101
https://bccampus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Hankivsky-Intersectionality101-2014.pdf
- – Comprehensive guide to IBPA
Canadian Policy Issues: Historical and Contemporary
RISE Up! A Digital Archive of Feminist Activism
https://riseupfeministarchive.ca
- – A digital archive of artifacts and resources detailing the work of feminist movements in Canada in relation to a number of policy issues, including labour, abortion, violence against women, the role of Black women in feminist activism in Canada. Websites also includes a range of teaching resources, including assignments and lesson plans.
Graphic History Collective
https://graphichistorycollective.com
- – Volunteer, activist art collective that produce posters, comics, and books on various issues related to social movements, labour, and social justice in Canada. Great resources to learn about Canadian political and everyday history in a new and engaging way, as well as free downloadable posters, and opportunities to contribute to various projects.
The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/ca
- – Independent, global platform for the publication of accessible op-ed articles written by the academic and research community on a range of policy topics, including COVID-19, arts, Business and economy, culture and society, education, environment and energy, health, politics, and science and tech. Podcasts are also available.
Policy Options
https://policyoptions.irpp.org
- – Digital magazine of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. A platform for academics and others to publish research-informed, accessible op-ed articles on a range of policy topics, including democracy, economy, education, environment, global affairs, health, immigration, Indigenous issues, law, media and culture, national security, policymaking, politics, science and tech, and social policy. Podcast episodes and events are also listed.
Policymaking in Canada: Actors, Processes, and Institutions
Learn About Parliament
https://learn.parl.ca/sites/Learn/default/en_CA
How does a Bill Become Law?
https://sencanada.ca/media/367008/com_wksht_sengage_how-a-bill-becomes-law_e.pdf
- – Provides detailed breakdown of how a bill becomes law in Canada, including short videos, links, and review questions.
Theories of the Policy Process
- Problem Definition
Carol Bacchi’s Research Blog
- – Bacchi’s What’s the Problem Represented to be? approach to policy analysis was an important development in thinking through how policy problems come to be articulated from a feminist and poststructuralist approach. Bacchi uses her blog and website more generally to regularly engage with other scholars using her work, clarify concepts, respond to questions that have arisen, and as space to develop out new theoretical directions.
- – Applications of the WPR approach can be found in, for example:
- o Stephanie Paterson (2010) ‘Resistors,’ ‘Helpless Victims,’ and ‘Willing Participants’: The Construction of Women’s Resistance in Canadian Anti-Violence Policy, Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 17:2, 159-184, DOI: 1093/sp/jxq001
- o Kendra L. Nixon(2011) Children’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Alberta, Canada: The Construction of a Policy Problem, Journal of Policy Practice, 10:4, 268-287, DOI: 1080/15588742.2011.605828
- o Suzanne Huot, Andrea Bobadilla, Antoine Bailliard, Debbie Laliberte Rudman (2015) Constructing undesirables: A critical discourse analysis of ‘othering’ within the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, 54:2, 131-143, https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12210
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Conditions and Problems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I3wIx0v4LU&t=10s
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of policy problems, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 6).
- Agenda Setting
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Groups and Power in Agenda Setting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1jUuUdhAIY&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=25
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of groups and power in agenda setting, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 6).
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Agenda Setting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zXdpkgGR6M&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=23
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of agenda setting, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 6).
- Formulation
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Policies and policy types
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25mnVY-aZHY&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=6
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of policy types, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 7).
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Policies design and tools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROkAB11ERr4&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=4
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of policy design and tools, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 7)
- Decision-Making
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Decision-making
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zXdpkgGR6M&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=23
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of decision-making, with an emphasis on rational decision-making, as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 8).
- Implementation
Interview with Michael Lipsky (Street-level bureaucracy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB1pRaKDobA
- Evaluation, Policy Learning, and Policy Failure
Dr. Thomas Birkland: Policy learning and policy failure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxL3ZFBSASw&list=PLCrwMDL-Tu7DTVLLmvl4GtZshk-T_5xno&index=3
- – Public Policy scholar, Dr. Birkland, provides an overview of policy learning and policy failure as a complement to his Introduction to the Policy Process book (Chapter 10).
Indigenous Social Policy Resources
Indigenous Content Syllabus: A Resource for Political Science Instructors in Canada
https://cpsa-acsp.ca/syllabus/
- – Put together by the Canadian Political Science Reconciliation Committee as a guide for instructors and students looking for resources on Indigenous policy and politics in Canada.