New course proposals

The following new course proposals have been submitted to the Faculty Senate office for review and approval and are listed here for faculty review and comment. Comments on any new course proposal should be submitted to Ernest May, secretary of the Faculty Senate, at senate@senate.umass.edu.

PUBP&ADM 633, “Political Economy of Public Policy,” 3 credits. Instructor: Michael Ash. The course uses the methods of political economy to analyze public policy, with an emphasis on contested policies. Our approach will examine class and other conflicts in framing public policy debates. We will give particular attention to competing economic theories and to the role of expertise in conflicts over public policy. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify the intellectual origins of alternative economic critiques of policy and to apply this method to policies of interest. Topics may include: the welfare state and poverty; macroeconomic policy; social insurance; deregulation and competition; labor markets and policy; environment; and globalization and trade. Prerequisites: None.

PUBP&ADM 636, “Qualitative Research Methods,” 3 credits. Instructor: Krista Harper. A hands-on introduction to qualitative methods for policy research. Students design a qualitative research project, conduct field work, analyze qualitative data, and write up findings. Students learn key concepts, research design, methodological strategies, and the ethics of applied qualitative research. Prerequisites: None. Cross-listed with ANTHRO 775.

PUBP&ADM 651, “Social Inequalities, Technology and Public Policy,” 3 credits. Instructor: Martha Fuentes- Bautista. This course is designed as a graduate-level introduction to major issues of ICT policy for students of various fields with an interest in policymaking and policy analysis. Primary objectives of this course are to: 1) identify different conceptualizations of social inequalities, and their implications for current understandings of the relation between ICT and social gaps; 2) survey salient conflicts and dilemmas of contemporary ICT policy debates; 3) critically assess academic and policy research on ICT inequalities; and 4) formulate significant questions and propose analytical frameworks for examining ICT policy. Prerequisites: None.

PUBP&ADM 653, “Family Policy,” 3 credits. Instructor: Nancy Folbre. This course explores interdisciplinary approaches to family policy addressing issues such as public spending on child care and elder care, divorce and child support legislation, and work/family balance. Prerequisites: None.

PUBP&ADM 654, “Gender and Social Policy,” 3 credits. Instructor: Joya Misra. Seminar emphasizing the intersection of the family, the economy, and the state through the lens of social policies such as employment, poverty, and reproductive policies. Prerequisites: None.

November 1, 2009.

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