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1 PPG1005H the Social Context of Policy-Making Winter 2017

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1 PPG1005H the Social Context of Policy-Making Winter 2017 PPG1005H The Social Context of Policy-Making Winter 2017 December 9, 2016 DRAFT Instructor: Section 1: Ito Peng Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 256/58 Time and Place of Class Thursdays, 10 am - 1 pm, University College Room 330 Office Hours By appointment: [email protected] Phone: 416-946-5902 Course Objectives: This course explores how public policies and policy processes need to be evaluated in light of the social context in which they are developed. We examine how social, economic, demographic, political and cultural and ideational factors shape and influence social and economic policies, and how these policies change and continue as these factors and contexts change over time. We also will also examine theoretical and ethical principles underpinning public policies. A related goal of this course is to help students learn how to use evidence and empirical research to answer highly contested issues in policy circles and in public life. We will pursue these objectives by introducing students to major trends and social changes in Canada and in the world, assessing these trends and issues from a comparative perspective, reflecting on their normative implications, and examining alternative policy responses to these developments. Readings: Most of the assigned readings can be downloaded directly from the Blackboard. Many journal articles not uploaded onto the Blackboard are available through the University’s library website. For articles that are not readily available through the University’s library website, we have embedded links to the readings in the course outline. Course Organization: Students who are assigned to lead class discussion will start the class with presentation and discussion for the first hour of the class, followed by a short break. All the students are to read the materials assigned for each class and come prepared to discuss. In the second half of the class I will give a lecture to summarize key ideas and raise new ideas on the topic. 1 In addition to the first and last meetings, we have ten regular classes. Classes are normally held at 10 am – 1pm in UC 330. Joint classes will be held in UC 330. There will be 6 occasions when we will hold a joint class. Course Assignments and Marking Scheme: 1. Attendance and Class Participation (10%) Students are expected to attend class lecture and discussion every week, having completed the assigned readings for the week, and prepared to actively participate in discussion of the topic of the week. Required readings should be completed before the class. If you cannot attend class, please email me prior to the class meeting for an excused absence. Please do not come to class if you are feeling ill. If you miss more than one class in a row, please bring me a doctor’s note. 2. Small Group Discussion Assignment (20%) Teams of two to three students will be responsible for leading discussion section during one week of the semester. They will be expected to provide a response presentation to the readings and lead class discussion to engage students around policy options and possible strategic responses to the issues raised in the readings. Class discussion: Classes will start promptly at 10 minutes after the hour. We will devote the first two hours to student presentation and discussions led by discussion leaders. Discussion leaders should meet to plan this part of the class. You should prepare a one- page outline that identifies the key findings and conclusions contained in the readings and highlights any debates in the literature over trends or causal factors. You should also design a class exercise to engage students around key topics. These may include possible policy options and strategies which respond to the week’s readings. The instructor will be happy to provide guidance or suggestions. Your outline should be submitted to the instructors by Monday (12:00 noon) of the week you are presenting, for their comments. You should keep your initial presentation to 15-20 minutes in total. In the last hour of the class I will give a lecture on the week’s topic. Please note that the lectures are not replacements for readings, but rather supplements to the readings. Sometimes lectures might provide overviews on the topics covered for the week, while some other times, they may focus on a particular issue related to the readings. 3. Critical Response Paper or Briefing Note (20%) You will be responsible for completing a Critical Response Note or Briefing Note during the term. This paper/note engages the assigned readings for the week as well as additional research to identify the main trends and policy issues which emerge, the key challenges and considerations and the major public policy options. It should be between 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced, and in 12-pt font. It must be handed in at the beginning of lecture on Thursday. Absolutely no late papers accepted. You are expected to bring up insights from your critical response paper/briefing note during class discussion. You 2 cannot submit a critical response paper/briefing note for the week that you have been assigned to complete Small Group Discussion Assignment. 4. Policy Research Paper (15% Introduction + 35% the Final Research Paper = 50%) You will focus on one of the topics covered in this course and develop a full policy research paper. This means you will develop your own research question based on the topic you choose, and undertake research and analysis to answer your question and to present policy options. The research paper will be submitted and marked in two stages: 1) Introduction – due on Thursday, February 16, 2017; and 2) Final Research Paper – due on Friday, April 7, 2017. Your papers will be graded on: 1) quality and thoroughness of analysis; 2) incorporation of research from academic and other sources; and 3) clarity and organization of presentation; timely completion of each part of the exercise. 4. 1. Introduction (15%) 1) Introduction Typically, students begin with a research topic that interests her/him. Some of the topics we will consider this semester include: the earnings of new immigrants to Canada, barriers to post- secondary education, changes in the labour market structures and conditions, demography and family. We will also examine family income inequality, transnational migration, and housing. The first step you will have to make is to move from your research topic to formulating a research question. Some research questions are purely descriptive: they are about matters of fact. For example: “I want to know whether the gender gap in earnings is rising or falling.” Descriptive research questions are valuable if the answer to the question is highly contested and/or the existing research gives contradictory answers. Other research questions concern issues of how or why. For example: “I want to know whether rising female education levels has led to a decline in the gender earnings gap”. In either case, the research question should identify the debates in the literature on this question – it should be contested or there is no reason to do research on the topic. The second part of an introduction to a research paper involves a statement of the research problem. Why should we be interested in the answer to the question? This should link the research question to the policy debate. How do the debates about evidence influence the policy response? Why do we need to know the answer? Policy Research problems usually involve some claim that is in dispute in the “real world” (e.g. a policy-maker wants to know whether not some program or policy is having the intended effect). The introduction should be about 2 to 3 pages in length, plus bibliography. 4. 2. Final Research Paper (35%) The final research paper will have three components: 1) introduction (2-3 pages); 2) body 3 (answering the question) (6-7 pages); and 3) conclusion and policy discussion (1-2 pages). In addition to the introduction, which you have submitted and revised, you will add the body and conclusion to finalize your research paper. 2) Answering the question This section is the core of your paper. It should be 6-7 pages in length. Your task here is to review the most significant research that bears on your question and to assess it for theoretical coherence and empirical rigor. What are the alternative possible answers to your question? Which answers appear to be the most plausible based on your assessment of the research? What disputes and sources of uncertainty remain? To get a sense of what this sort of paper might look like take a look at recent issues of the Annual Review of Sociology for exemplars. 3) Conclusion and Policy Discussion In this section you should link your research findings with a policy discussion. You should discuss how your findings might influence which policy options or strategies should be implemented. You may argue for a particular policy response which reflects or is consistent with your research findings, but you should also recognize or acknowledge alternate approaches which flow from a different understanding of the evidence. This section should be 1 – 2 pages. Writing Skills: The quality of your writing will have a big impact on your grade. You’ve heard a lot this year about the importance of quantitative skills. Writing skills (clarity, logic, parsimony, organization) are even more important. If you can’t write a good two- page memo in the public policy world, you’re toast. Missed deadlines: You must complete each assignment as scheduled. The only exception is when a student meets conditions that will be accepted by the University as meeting conditions for missed exams.
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