| Unit name | Researching Health and Social Care |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOLM5004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lart |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The field of health and social care has long been characterised by diversity in the disciplines and epistemologies it contains. The key occupational groups within the field differ in the ways they perceive the purposes of policy, the means to achieve policy objectives and the most appropriate ways of evaluating policy and establishing truths. Current policies promote on the one hand, evidence based policy and practice, and on the other an increased role for both users of services and the wider public in decisionmaking about policy. The Researching Health and Social Care unit reflects this diversity and includes sessions on different ‘voices’ within the field, and the consequences of this diversity for policy research. There is an emphasis on the use of practical examples of policy research to illustrate the unit’s themes.
On completion of the unit, the student should be able to:
Lectures, seminar discussions, groups exercises.
4000 word essay requiring students to demonstrate the achievement of the unit learning outcomes in relation to a particular topic covered in the unit.
