This course has four modules, or foci. The first is to understand the categories of social welfare—populations, income, earnings, and assets— and some related concepts that play a very large role in shaping policy decisions: unemployment, inflation, and the minimum wage. The second deals with the central institution of social welfare—the labor market, which largely determines how many resources a person has. The labor market also establishes hierarchy, both through meritocracy and through categories of privilege. The third is poverty: the differing ways we define who is poor, and how effective U.S. anti-poverty efforts have been. The final module looks directly at federal decision making, the political organization of ideas, the structure of U.S. government, and the legislative process that shapes much of our social policy. This course addresses issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy.
Poverty & Population: How Demographics Shape Policy
This course is part of Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization
Instructor: John Robertson
Sponsored by PTT Global Chemical
8,299 already enrolled
(153 reviews)
What you'll learn
Understand the the US population: age, family structure, education and race/ethnicity to interpret where US social policy is being pushed.
Explain poverty & inequality in the US that results in differing levels of privilege, and opportunity to address the needs of those left behind
Describe the policy process – legislative, executive, judicial and voluntary – to act to improve US social policy
Honors: Report on research of practices on the ground in preparation for a professional policy analysis.
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There are 4 modules in this course
This module will remind the reader of basic social welfare concepts: population variables, earning, income, assets as well as inflation, unemployment and the minimum wage.
What's included
14 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
This module will probe the most important social welfare programs in moderns societies, the workplace and will evaluate who is advantaged and who is disadvantaged and why
What's included
9 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
In this module, the learner will differentiate the different measures of poverty, understand the significance of measuring poverty and question the place of various demographic groups in their relative poverty
What's included
10 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
In this module, the learner will review the US Government structure and process and explain how policies are formulated using the legislative structure.
What's included
14 videos1 reading1 assignment2 peer reviews
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Reviewed on Jan 16, 2022
I love this class. The instructor makes it easy to understand. Topics are so interesting!
Reviewed on May 27, 2023
It address the core of topics in poverty related to population. Thank you
Reviewed on Jul 7, 2021
Very well done. I gained solid base knowledge from this course.
Recommended if you're interested in Social Sciences
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