APSY 8620 Child and Family Social Policy

Examines a range of social issues relevant to children and families and the social policies directed at such issues. Discusses policy creation, implementation and evaluation, and considers the roles of advocacy, research and politics. Addresses how current social policies impact children and families and compares U.S. policies to those in other industrialized countries. Likely topics include poverty, economic redistribution, work/family balance, early childhood education, educational reform, and other issues. The seminar aims to help students think critically about the political and empirical issues involved in assessing social issues and developing and evaluating social policies.