| Unit name | Housing and home: political economy, inequality and rights |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL30081 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Alex Marsh |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Housing is a core area of social policy. It is dealt with very differently in different countries. Addressing inadequate and unaffordable housing represents one of the biggest policy challenges of the twenty-first century. Housing – particularly inadequate housing – sits at the heart of a broad range of social and political issues. Housing is central to deliver in improved environmental sustainability, and housing markets are intimately intertwined with the success of local and national economies. Housing in important in shaping health, well-being and life chances, but housing is subject to substantial inequalities. The housing system reflects broader socio-economic inequalities, but it also compounds them.
Recent housing policy debate has increasingly been framed in terms of rights to adequate housing, while at the same time housing has returned to being highly politically contentious. Studying housing therefore allows us to explore a range of core concepts and issues in social and public policy.
This unit allows you to develop the theoretical and analytical skills you have developed through the programme in this core area of social policy. It is one of the range of optional units which give you the opportunity to do this, reflecting your particular interest within the discipline. You will utilise theoretical and analytical tools you have gained in the mandatory units of the previous two years to understand housing policy.
Unit aims:
On completion of the unit students will be able to:
The unit will be delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and online/asynchronous materials. The seminars will involve a significant element of groupwork.
Part 1: Two short blog posts of 375 words each (750 words, 25%)
This assessment covers ILOs 2,3 and 4.
Part 2: Essay (2250 words, 75%)
This assessment covers all ILOs 1-4.
Final year students are not usually given the opportunity to retake assessments, if they do need to submit in a reassessment period due to ECs, the reassessment would be the same as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL30081).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
