196-003 Winners? Losers? Inequality in Australia

Admission into the Bachelor of Social Work for BSW students or for Bachelor of Arts students, 37.5 points of second/third-year arts subjects.

This subject examines the multiplier effect of advantage and disadvantage in the current neoliberal political economy. It starts by analysing how earning a living distributes privilege before moving on to look at the structuring of prestige and power and how this is experienced in everyday life through classism, sexism and racism. The second half of the subject focuses on inequality in Australia from a political perspective and examines practices designed to redress inequality. It looks at history of the welfare state and the ideal of building a common wealth to create equality of conditions. It concludes by looking at legislative and administrative actions to achieve equality of opportunity and what is entailed by affirmative action.

• have skills in reading and understanding policy documents and legislation;

• be aware of the competing interests that together shape such policies and documents;

• be able to link theory and practice;

• be able to organise issues and competing arguments into logical frameworks of presentation.

There will be two assignments of 2000 words each, worth 50% each (due mid semester and end of semester). A hurdle requirement of a minimum 75% attendance of tutorials applies.

A subject reader will be available from the Bookroom at the beginning of semester