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Study online with La Trobe University through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

Politics, Power and Public Policy

Drugs, Governance and Modern Society

Diversity at Work: Access, Equity and Policy

Law, Policy and Community

Economic Issues and Public Policy

This is the core subject for third year students undertaking a major in Crime Justice and Legal Studies. Using theories, methods and knowledge derived from the Criminology, Legal Studies and the Social Sciences, it examines the relationship between law, policy, social cohesion and change. You will explore how law and policy making processes frame and respond to emerging issues and social problems by focusing on case studies concerning vaccination, health, marriage, criminal law, multiculturalism, mutual obligation, work, the economy and welfare. By focusing on the development and implementation of policy, you will consider the tension between policy aims and their political, legal and social effects. After taking this subject, you will have a critical appreciation of the context, dynamics and outcomes of law and social policy, and will have honed your skills by formulating you own policy proposal.Please consider the subject pre-requisites before enrolling. This subject includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.

In this subject you will undertake research into current economic issues and apply economic concepts and frameworks to critically analyse problems and suggest appropriate public policy responses to them. You will learn how the forces of demand and supply coordinate the behaviour of individuals and businesses in the market and how government policy settings affect those market outcomes. You will study the decisions that businesses make in determining how much to produce and at what cost and analyse how the market structures and public policy settings affects firms’ choices. From an economy-wide perspective, you will investigate how to measure economic activity, inflation and unemployment, and you will examine the factors that influence these variables and the impacts on individuals, businesses and governments.

This level 3 (i.e. third year) subject focuses on the political dynamics of contemporary Australian public policy, examining the major forces driving policy in a range of different areas, and exploring what this reveals about power in Australia. The subject begins by introducing students to the major theoretical perspectives on power and policy-making, along with the historical and structural factors that shape government in Australia. It then focuses in depth on a selection of policy issues that have been central to the political agenda in recent years, including topics such as inequality, welfare policy, voluntary euthanasia, industrial relations, environmental policy and media regulation. The aim is to illuminate the power dynamics that are central to understanding politics in Australia, and to give students a deeper understanding of contemporary policy debates. This subject is particularly recommended for students who are planning a career in the media, in government, or in NGOs, and for students who wish to research an Australian topic in their Honours year. The teaching format involves a pre-recorded lecture each week along with a synchronous (i.e. &quot;live&quot;) tutorial at which attendance is recommended.

In this online, level two subject, students will acquire an understanding of the complexities surrounding drugs and drug use in contemporary Australia. The subject addresses: the classification and effects of licit and illicit substances; the development and nature of contemporary drug distribution networks; major approaches to regulating drugs and drug use; and the key debates and challenges involved in formulating policy and practice in this area. Specific topics we will explore include: alcohol and other drug consumption patterns among young people; pill testing debates; the rise of online illicit drug markets; drug court models; drug education; decriminalisation and legalisation efforts; ongoing tensions around how to regulate vaping; performance and image-enhancing drugs, and contemporary debates around harm reduction strategies (e.g. medically supervised injecting facilities). No pre-existing knowledge is required, but students will be urged to examine any assumptions or moral judgements they hold about the &#39;right&#39; way to approach the &#39;drug problem&#39;. A key theme in this subject is exploring how the framing of such problems - through various social, political, cultural, and economic lenses - shapes how we then respond to them, and that even well-intentioned policies can have unintended adverse outcomes.Please note this Winter Term subject is entirely asynchronous (meaning no live lectures or tutorials). Students must have completed a minimum of 60 credit points of Level 1 subjects to enrol.In 2024, this subject will commence on June 10 and the final assessment will likely be due around July 21. However, it is possible to submit this before the deadline and thus complete the subject slightly earlier.

In this block subject you will work to assess and analyse equity and diversity policies in their place of work or study, to identify where policy does not reflect practice, and to develop a set of recommendations for how to achieve and enact equitable and inclusive policy.We explore the contradictory processes through which social policy is developed along the axes and intersections of difference based on class, gender, sexuality, race, disability, and age. We consider the changing context of public policy, work, and new political struggles in both an international and national climate of economic, political, cultural, and environmental instability. This subject gives you the ability to critically and creatively analyse existing structures and systems, including settler colonialism and the heteropatriarchy, and to identify where and how institutions can be held to account based on their existing diversity and inclusion policies. It also gives students a practice-based experience of working collaboratively to enact positive change.This is a level 3 subject. Please consider the subject pre-requisites before enrolling. This subject includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.

La Trobe University Public policy Short courses | Open Universities Australia

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