Unit name | Domestic Violence: Research, Policy and Activism |
---|---|
Unit code | SPOLM5010 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. McCarry |
Open unit status | Open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School for Policy Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Domestic Violence: Research, Policy and Activism
Domestic violence policy and research perspectives are developing at a fast rate in the UK and globally. The Violence Against Women Research Group in SPS has a national and international standing in the field of domestic violence research and activism and the Group provides teaching at under-graduate and post-graduate levels and undertakes Masters and PhD level supervision. It would therefore be appropriate for the Group to design and deliver a specialist input on domestic violence and, where relevant, on others forms of violence against women, on the Graduate Programme in Policy Research. The aims of this Programme are to examine contemporary developments in policy research and to explore the links between policy and practice. Domestic and other forms of violence against women are currently the subjects of substantial policy development at both government and non-governmental levels and focused research activity and thus, it would be both appropriate and particularly timely to offer students the opportunity to examine such issues of social and public policy and research. The subject is an important one for Masters and other graduate students to study and the Unit will provide a flexible and comprehensive option, led by researchers with strong reputations in the field and with input from relevant activist practitioner organisations.
Aims:
On completion of the unit, students will:
Teaching will take place in 12 x 1.5 hour sessions. A speaker will lead the sessions (either from the academic staff: Melanie McCarry or Gill Hague) or from relevant organizations including voluntary and activist organizations such as Women’s Aid. However, participants will be expected to contribute in various ways to the group and though individual activities in order to make the unit a shared and co-operative endeavour. These inputs will vary between sessions. Because of the sensitive nature of this issue, there may be some personal discussion which may have an emotional impact. If participants have experienced domestic violence, there will be no expectation that they will have to disclose this.
Assessment is through the completion of a 3500-word essay. The essay should demonstrate that the student has a clear understanding of: relevant theoretical, practical and ‘political’ frameworks used to explain domestic violence, the epistemological, methodological and ethical problems associated with research in this field, the policy implications of domestic violence.