Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Development (International Program)

Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University

1. Philosophy, Significance and Objectives
   • Philosophy

The program aims to create graduates who have a well understanding of social policy and development to prepare them to work as social welfare or services practitioner under a particular principle, regulation and culture, especially at the regional level. Therefore, the program focuses on a value of the respect of human dignity and diversity not only at national level but also at regional and global level. Graduates are expected to become social thinkers who are able to engage in social problems and solution in a holistic way, social entrepreneur who understand well social protection, employee in international organizations who practices, social justice and respect of human dignity and good citizen of the globe.

• Significance

The Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat university recognized the changing world context and emerging complex problems. Thus, the faculty decided to create Bachelor of Arts in Social Policy and Development program in relations to the current situation. The course content is designed to cover not only classical but also modern approaches, theories and practices in social policy,  such as policy formulation from social context, social policy research, social entrepreneurship and innovation, disaster management and social practices. These contents would become a fundamental knowledge for students’ future work both at government and private sector at domestic and international level and their further studies as well.

• Objectives
  1. To prepare graduates with knowledge, good attitude, skills especially communication and relationship building skills and ethical accountability to be able to effectively work in social policy and development, and social welfare at national and international level.
  2. To prepare graduates with ability to systematically and creatively analyze social problems and manage social services.
  3. To prepare graduates who have fundamental research skills and creativity to appropriately

develop their own work

2. Curriculum structure
   • General Education courses 30   credits

Part 1: 21 credits

Students are to take course in social science, and humanities as follows.

Course Group and Code

Course Name               Credits

(Lecture-Practice-Self-studying)

Social Science 2 courses are compulsory 6 credits

Humanities 1 course is compulsory 3 credits

TU102    Social Life Skills                   3 (3-0-6)

Science and Mathematics 1 course is compulsory 3 credits

TU103    Life and Sustainability Language 3 courses are compulsory 9 credits

Part 2 : 9 credits

Students are to take the following courses.

2.3 Free elective courses   6   Credits

Students are able to select free elective courses from other international programs either in Thammasat university or in other universities in Thailand or abroad that have an agreement with Thammasat university.

Students are not able to select general courses with the code beginning with “TU” and all fundamental courses on science and mathematics.

3. 3. Study Plan

SPD Course Descriptions

TU100 Civic Engagement

Instillation of social conscience and awareness of one’s role and duties as a good global citizen. This is done through a variety of methods such as lectures, discussion of various case studies and field study outings. Students are required to organize a campaign to raise awareness or bring about change in an area of their interest.

TU101 Thailand, ASEAN, and the World

Study of significant phenomena around the world, in the ASEAN region and in Thailand in terms of their political, economic and sociocultural dimensions. This is done through approaches, theories and principles of social science research via discussion and raising examples of situations or people of interest. The purpose of this is to create a perspective of diversity, to understand the complexity of global interrelationships, to build a global mindset and to be able to challenge old paradigms and open up a new, broader worldview.

TU102 Social Life Skills

Holistic health care, addressing the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, which is considered. Important skills for success in leading a happy life in society. Students learn to develop their ability in physical health care to manage stress, build emotional security, understand themselves and adapt to psychological, emotional and social problems. Students also learn to understand the meaning of aesthetics, experiencing and appreciating the relationship between art and humanity in different fields, namely visual arts, music, performing arts and architecture.

TU103 Life and Sustainability

Integrated study of science, mathematics and other scientific disciplines related to nature, the built environment, economy and society, leading towards sustainable development. The course also looks at lifestyle adaptation to enable prevention, mitigation and adaptation, as well as suitably building sustainability in global dynamics, both physically and socially.

TU104 Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

Development of critical thinking through questioning, analytical, synthetic and evaluation skills. Students learn how to read without necessarily accepting all the information presented in the text, but rather consider the content in depth, taking into account the objectives, perspectives, assumptions, bias and supporting evidence, as well as logic or strategies leading to the author’s conclusion. The purpose is to

apply these methods to students’ own persuasive writing based on information researched from various sources, using effective presentation techniques.

TU105 Communication Skills in English

Development of English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, focusing on the ability to hold a conversation in exchanging opinions, as well as reading comprehension of academic texts from various disciplines related to students’ field of study.

TU106 Creativity and Communication

Creative thought processes, with critical thinking as an important part, as well as communication of these thoughts that lead to suitable results in social, cultural and environmental contexts, at personal, organizational and social levels.

TU113 Fundamentals of Philosophy and Religions

Analysis of social and economic development in national and global contexts using social science methods. The course stresses the influence of culture and institutions on social and economic systems.

SPD111 Academic Writing

Academic writing introduces basic formats in research writing, word and phrasal usages, content arrangement, synthesis and analysis for communication and publication.

SO201 Introduction to Sociology

Social behavior and social relationships. Overview of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and methods in sociology; characteristics of basic social units e.g. social relations, groups, organizations, institutions, society; their patterns of interrelations and processes of change; develop an analytical and critical attitude toward social phenomena.

PY211 General Psychology

Study history and methodology of psychology, biological foundation of behavior, human development, motivation, perception, learning, cognition, personality, social behavior, and abnormal behavior.

PO211 Introduction to Political Science

Students will be introduced to the study of the nature and principals in political science as a discipline and its relationship to other social sciences. The course will also explore important theories, principal of power and how it relates to the relationship between state and individual, political institutions, government, political power, political processes, and international community.

LA100 Introduction to Law and Legal System

This course is intended to explore the development and sources of law, types and classification of law, the enactment, amendment and repeal of law, the relationship between law and other social phenomena, legal systems, rights duties, general principles of civil law as provided in the Civil and Commercial Code, Book I, to the extent not covered by LA 101.

EC210 Introductory Economics

Fundamental economic concepts of market mechanisms, resource allocation, and supply and demand of goods and services in relation to price determination, production of enterprises, and personal or household consumption.

SPD201 Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Knowledge and understanding of empirically-based theories of human development and social functioning at the individual, family, small group, community, organizational, and societal levels with application in explaining complex interactions between individuals and social environment.

SPD202 Social Change and Social Problems

Evidence-based analysis of the dynamics of social change; factors contributing to social integration or social problems; proactive and reactive measures to respond to social problems; and case studies of the dynamics of social change and social problems in Thailand and other countries.

SPD203 Social Research Methods for Social Policy and Development

Concepts of both qualitative and quantitative methods in social research are introduced by covering the types of research method, research question, research design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and research ethics. Students have the chance to learn the processes of social science research: identification of a research problem, review of literature, variables, research designs, hypotheses, sampling, research instruments and data collection, data analysis by appropriate descriptive or inferential statistics, and preparing a research report.

SPD204 Poverty and Rural-Urban Development

The course takes off discussing the concepts development and underdevelopment and the growing disparity between national regions and between urban-rural areas. The different faces of poverty and inequality will be presented, including income and non-income poverty, chronic poverty and multi- dimensional poverty. This will lead to the study of strategies to eradicate/alleviate poverty in rural areas: regional development plans, land reforms and changing organization of production and division of labour,

development of rural infrastructure and the provision of health and education. The course will also analyze anti-development attitudes and cultural implications of economic development, such as the loss of traditional rural life.

SPD205 Evidence - Based Social Policy

This course focuses on preparing students to engage in evidence-based social policy, providing the skills needed to critically evaluate new information that is available from research findings and professional consensus statements. Furthermore, the course provides skills for integrating this new information into the students own, personalized approach to practice. This course helps students examine their ideas and values related to making a difference, teaches them to think critically about the meaning and methods of changing the world, and challenges them to integrate thoughtful evidence with their values and beliefs about doing good in the world. The course will consider a variety of social problems, and investigate and critique various contemporary evidence-based approaches to creating change to improve social problems.

SPD206 Business and Social Development

This course focuses on key characteristics of business and entrepreneurial approaches, covering basic business functions like operation, marketing, finance, accounting, management information system, and human resource management. These functions provide a solid foundation for doing a business plan for social development.

SPD207 Social Policy Theories and Practice

An introduction to social policy as a field of study. The course aims to link theory to the understanding of social policy in practice. It aims to provide critical awareness of social policy in its social context. Lectures will reflect upon problems and issues surrounding welfare mode and delivery, as well as the role of the state and the market in social services and social administration. Students will also have the chance to develop a social policy memo.

SPD208 Gender and Social Diversity

Gender, race, class, and culture in the western world in comparison with those in the ASEAN region and Thai society; roles and status of people in particular of underprivileged. The course will introduce the concept of gender and discuss it within the framework of development. Also look at how sexuality and gender have been constructed over time and how different strategies women and sexual minorities have employed in order to improve their position in society. The course also covers various aspects of social diversity, including discussions of disability, ethnicity, and how cultural and social distinctions groups fare in an increasingly global multicultural society. This includes a sociological and cultural analysis of various

groups and the relationship between them, their economic and political status and influence in the Thai society.

SPD209 Welfare Economics

Welfare economic theory with understanding of utility maximization and modes of the free market, market failures and public and private interventions, the political economy focusing on policy-making and stakeholders’ interest, the design and consequences of various economic policy instruments, with concentration on income redistribution, efficiency of resource allocation, and social security.

SPD310 Analysis and Evaluation of Development and Welfare Programs

The project cycle and problems in each step; appraisals of social welfare alternatives; monitoring tools; and evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of social welfare programs with an emphasis on social and economic analytical methods and assessment.

SPD311 Globalization and International Development Paradigms

Historical review of significant mainstream and alternative development paradigms; international social and economic contexts influencing particular development paradigms; empirical evidences of development impact upon quality of life of marginalized groups; and the development theories of contemporary thinkers.

SPD312 Comparative Welfare States

Cross national comparisons of differences and similarities among leading welfare regimes including a focus on social expenditures, approaches to welfare provision and management, effectiveness of the welfare states, and social, economic, and political considerations that shape social policies.

SPD313 Socio-Political Economies of Global Communities

Understanding of social and political aspects of economic dynamics and functioning as influenced by globalized forces. A study of how economies are integrating and disintegrating amidst social and political changes that take place in the global communities.

SPD314 Welfare Policies and Development in ASEAN Countries

Comparative studies of the social policy components and administration in ASEAN member countries, covering topics including education, public health, housing, employment, taxation, social capital, civil society, social security, and people’s social or welfare rights as part of national and ASEAN citizenships.

SPD315 International Organizations and Human Rights Frameworks

Internaitonal organizations concerning social welfare, including intergovernmental bodies and private organizations under UN system, ASEAN and others, study international legal frameworks relating to social welfare focusing on international laws and treaties.

SPD316 Social Protection

Southeast ASEAN countries have developed increasingly complex social protection initiatives and systems. This course will review the overall policy design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of social protections systems in the region. It will discuss both the wider context of social protection interventions and the technicalities of their design and their implementation – including targeting, financing, monitoring and evaluation. Lessons learnt from other countries in the region and elsewhere will also be included.

SPD317 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

This course will discuss the theories and approaches to conflict resolution based on case studies from specific countries. It will also include review of the approaches and methodology of negotiations and mediation as part of conflict resolution initiatives. Relevant international, regional and national conventions and policy frameworks that have been developed for conflict resolution will also be included in this course.

SPD318 Communication for Social Changes

A basic grounding in contemporary mass communication theories and models that lead to effective planning and designing of communication materials used for social change and, behavior change theories and techniques for strategic change, application of knowledge through applied research project and integrate communication concepts to on-going projects.

SPD319 Civil Society Management and Development

Nature and analysis of organizations of the civil society sector; motivations to work emphasizing non-fiscal incentives; laws concerning non-profit organizations; fund raising and management of human resources and other components in a development and social welfare organization.

SPD339 Internship

The internship platform for undergraduate students, which aims to provide opportunities for students to apply theories of Social Policy and Development in the workplace. Students’ internship placements are spread across international nongovernmental organizations, ministries located in Bangkok, and private sector businesses that work in social issues such as corporate social responsibilities (CSR). The course runs during the summer session and covers approximately eight weeks.

SPD416 Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation

A study of social entrepreneurs in addressing societal problems. A study of different case studies to showcase variation in social enterprise models and social impact assessment. Students are encouraged to present ideas on social enterprise, and conduct projects related to social enterprise and social innovation.

SPD418 Seminar

A combination of applying theories of Social Policy and Development to practical work experiences and vice versa. Students have the chance to learn from internship experiences as underlining work-integrated learning. Discussion entails best practices as well as problem solving skills and constructive approaches to work-related scenarios.

SPD419 Development and Social Welfare Project

Students in the senior year are given the platform to conduct a major project or research under the banner of development and social welfare. Students will have to engage in research methodologies and synthesize cumulative knowledge in development and social welfare.

SPD440 Transnational Corporations and Labor Welfare

International labor migration, displacement, and investments caused by globalization; evidence of cross- country labor migration and activities carried out by multinational corporations; impact of transnational corporations on the national social, economic, and political developments of nation states; and issues of workers’ rights and quality of life of both foreign labor and local workers in multinational enterprises. Investigation of international declarations, conventions, and protocols as well as national legislation pertinent to welfare rights of transnational labor, displaced persons, and local workers in multinational corporations; multi-layered citizenship and transnational social policies; and applicable theories in welfare provision for human resource development in a multi-national corporation.

SPD441 Disaster Management and Social Intervention

Major disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, fire, terrorism, nuclear accidents; socio- economic impact of disasters on the well-being of people and communities; analysis of hazards and risks; and roles and responsibilities of state and private agencies in responding to disasters and recovery work.Early protection by social welfare measures such as social insurance, disaster education, and financial planning; emergency center management with a focus on welfare provision; and rehabilitation programs for disaster victims and their communities after the incident.

SPD442 Migration and the Changing Society

This course introduces methods to analyze international and internal migration. The focus in on economic migrants, including trafficked people, and refugees. The causes of people movement and its consequences for the migrants and refugees and the recipient society are drawn up. Government policies on immigrants are examined from the viewpoint of advancing the economy, national security, satisfying public sentiment and obligations to international treaties. Comparisons between policies on immigrants in Southeast Asia and in Europe and North America will be.

SPD443 Social Gerontology

A study of the demography of population aging, aging process, particularly as it relates to psychological and sociological age changes. Theories of aging, attitudes toward aging and the impact that the increasing number of elderly has on society will be examined. This course will identify and trace the history and development of major social policies and programs that affect older persons.

SPD444 Globalization and Child Right

A study of social structure appropriate for the needs of children and their families, including services available at the local and national levels. Issues of child welfare and family services will be touched upon, including changing roles and functions of modern families specifically influenced by globalization; strengths and problems in transnational families; and issues challenging the strengths of a family institution, such as marriage tourisms, marriage and citizenship acquisition, and custody disputes across borders.

SPD445 Public Health and Social Well-Being

This course will review public health policies and laws in selected countries in the Southeast Asia region as it has evolved overtime and assess the programmes, services, capacity and its impact on public health and social wellbeing. Special focus will be placed on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Other topics to be included will comprise of Health Information Systems, Adolescent-friendly Health Services, Health Monitoring, Health and Environment, etc.

SPD446 Special Topic in Social Policy and Development

Introduction to selected topic in Social Policy and Development. Lecture by top practitioners and academics in the field will offer a series of lectures covering topics of present concerns. Some of the most

common problems in social policy and development will be discussed.