Transforming society: politics, economics and social policy

Britain is undergoing rapid social change, for example, in relation to the effects of Brexit, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. This course explores politics, economics and social policy to explain recent social transformations. Topics covered will include socio-economic theories of change. A review will be provided of the policy successes and failures of Thatcherism, New Labour and the Coalition government which, to varying degrees, altered Britain. The efficacy of developments in social policy including Brexit, the government’s response to the pandemic, levelling up and measures to tackle the cost-of-living crisis will also be explored. This is a 10-session course and must be taken with W310Pm02 in Week 3.

Aims

This course aims to:

• promote an understanding of the interconnection of economic theories, political ideologies and social policy as mechanisms for transforming society
• define social policy, consider the complexity of the policy making process and examine how the effectiveness of specific social policy initiatives is to be judged
• explore and critically evaluate examples of the social policy agendas of the Thatcher/Major, New Labour and Coalition government (2010-2015) considering the economic underpinnings of policy and the successes and failures of specific policy initiatives
• critically reflect on recent developments in social policy including Brexit, the former Conservative government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its policy of levelling up and its response to the cost-of-living crisis 

Course content

The UK is undergoing rapid social and economic change, for example, in relation to the effects of austerity, the growth of populism, Brexit, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. This course introduces you to the intersection of politics, economics and social policy to explain recent social transformations in the UK. Topics covered will include an introduction to economic theories, including Keynesianism and monetarism, and an analysis of the intersection of economic theories and political ideologies as a route to understanding how governments make social policy and, potentially, transform society. Subsequently, you will explore the meaning of social policy, the details of the policy making process and how the effectiveness of specific policy reforms might be evaluated. How are implemented policy initiatives to be judged in terms of success and/or failure?

A critical review will be provided of Thatcherism, New Labour and the Coalition government (2010-2015) in terms of their social policy aims, successes and failures which, to varying degrees, altered social and economic life in the UK. You will also examine austerity, why Britain voted to leave the European Union (Brexit), how Britain left the EU and the former government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The course then provides a critical discussion of the former Conservative government’s levelling up programme and its response to the cost-of-living crisis to examine the potential of social policy for transforming society. Throughout the course, you will reflect on both the intended and unintended consequences of governments’ social policies as mechanisms for changing society. You will also consider the utility and limitations of social science for understanding social change.

What to expect on this course

The course will be taught using highly interactive seminar-style sessions, which draw on your knowledge and experience to illustrate key ideas in relation to politics, economics and social policy. PowerPoint presentations will be used to guide sessions. Class discussion and interaction will be encouraged. Individual and group learning activities will be used to promote engagement in the teaching sessions. The course is supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which contains copies of teaching materials and appropriate readings.

Course sessions

1. Economic theories, political ideologies and social policy
   This session provides you with an introduction to the course. It will also define key terms used throughout the course, examine the basic assumption of Keynesian and monetarist economics, and explore dominant political ideologies in the UK. You will consider the intersection of economics and politics to understand how and why governments make social policy.
2. Social policy: Making social policy and changing society?
   In this session you will review competing definitions of the social policy making process. In addition, you will evaluate various models of the social policy making process and consider how social scientists have tried to evaluate the effectiveness of various governments’ social policy reforms.
3. Thatcherism: Monetarism, neoliberalism and social policy
   This session begins with a review of the biography of Margaret Thatcher and explores the electoral success of the Conservatives (1979-1992). You will also be introduced to the defining elements of Thatcherism. Additionally, you will consider those economic beliefs guiding social policy reform. Changes in family law and education policy will be examined to illustrate key debates. Finally, the session will reflect on the successes and failures of key reforms in Thatcher’s Britain.
4. New Labour: Policy aims, successes and failures
   This session begins with a review of the biography of Tony Blair and considers factors promoting the electoral success of New Labour (1997-2010). You will consider the defining elements of the New Labour project including its commitment to neo-liberalism, ethical socialism and communitarianism. The session provides an overview of New Labour’s key economic policies and its major social policy initiatives. It concludes by examining the successes and failures of New Labour’s social policy agenda.
5. The Coalition: Policy aims, successes and failures
   In this session, you will consider the 2010 general election campaign and its results. The formation of the Coalition government will be explored as will the biographies of David Cameron and Nick Clegg. You will review the economic and ideological position of the Coalition and its key social policy initiatives. The successes, failures and social consequences of these initiatives are then analysed drawing on appropriate research evidence.
6. Recent developments in social policy 1: Austerity and Brexit
   This session defines austerity and explores it as a potential cause of Brexit. The political events leading up to the EU Exit Referendum (2016) are examined, the result is reviewed, and you will consider who voted leave and why. You will then explore how the UK left the EU, for example the Brexit withdrawal agreement/treaty, and the potential costs and benefits of Brexit will be considered (the so-called Brexit balance sheet).
7. Recent developments in social policy 2: Health inequalities and the COVID-19 pandemic
   In this session, the social policy response of the former UK government to the COVID-19 pandemic will be examined including: lockdowns; stay at home orders; social distancing rules; self-isolation; shielding; working from home; and furlough. Drawing on research into health inequalities, you will explore evidence related to which social groups were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The successes and failures of the response to COVID-19 will be assessed against this evidence.
8. Recent developments in social policy 3: Could ‘Levelling up the United Kingdom’ have remedied social inequality?
   This session defines the levelling up policy of the former Conservative government (2019-2024), explores its ideological associations and considers the measures proposed to tackle geographic disparities. The implementation and costs of levelling up are analysed as are the successes and limitations of the initiative. In addition, you will reflect on the decision of the recently elected Labour government (2024) to abandon levelling up as a social policy.
9. Recent developments in social policy 4: The cost-of-living crisis in the UK – Who is suffering and what can be done?
   The cost of living has increased sharply in the UK since 2021. Inflation reached 11.1% in October 2022, a 41-year high, whilst salaries and benefits were not keeping pace with prices. In this session, you will explore the parameters, causes and consequences of the cost-of-living crisis asking, ‘Who is suffering and what can be done?’ It is argued a more radical approach to social policy and economic redistribution is needed to tackle the crisis.   
10. Transforming society? Summary, discussion and evaluation
    This final session reviews and evaluates the various strands of the course. It considers the potential merits and limitations of social policy research as a means of understanding social change in the UK (and elsewhere). It also offers some concluding remarks about the interrelationship of biography, social policy and history as the basis of understanding contemporary social life.

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, you will gain a greater understanding of the subject and you should be able to:

• differentiate and explain the main features of Keynesianism and monetarism, and understand the link between economic theory, political ideology and social policy
• define social policy, understand the social policy making process and evaluate methods used to assess the effectiveness of specific social policy initiatives
• critically evaluate the economic foundations and examples of the social policies of the Thatcher/Major, New Labour and Coalition (2010-2015) governments
• draw on historical evidence and emerging sources of data to reflect on: the efficacy of Brexit; the former government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; its policy of levelling up; and its response to the cost-of-living crisis

Required reading

Alcock, C, Daly, G and Griggs, E, Introducing Social Policy (London: Routledge, Second Edition, 2013)
Chapter 1 Introduction - what is social policy?, Chapter 5 Making policy and Chapter 10 Ideology, the state and welfare in Britain.
eBook ISBN: 9781315834337

Lupton, Ruth et al, Labour’s Social Policy Record: Policy, Spending and Outcomes 1997- 2010 (2013) 

http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/spcc/rr01.pdf

Lupton, Ruth et al, The Coalition’s Social Policy Record: Policy, Spending and Outcomes 2010-2015 (2015) 

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/RR04.pdf