Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Purpose
This task will provide you with an opportunity to both develop and demonstrate your understanding
of the central concepts and themes associated with neoliberal approaches to governance, and
provide a pivotal point to integrate your understanding of recent developments of the western
welfare system.
For this assignment, you will prepare a mini-essay for each of the three topics below.
Each of your three mini-essays will each:
- be 750 words +/-10%;
- state the question in full at the top of the essay;
- include an introduction/body/conclusion
- have a very brief thesis statement in the introduction;
- use and explain the relevant key terms and concepts of the course;
- be based on sound academic research comprising at least four scholarly sources (you may use
a source for more than one mini-essay, but the cumulative total of sources must be a
minimum of 12 different ones);
- be properly referenced in Harvard style, including page numbers in in-text references;
- have its own reference list, directly following the relevant mini-essay (not included in word
count and not compiled in one list at the end of the three essays).
Marking criteria
The relevant key concepts/ideas are clearly and accurately explained;
Strong and accurate depth of understanding of the topic and arguments/premises for each
question is demonstrated;
Information and ideas are clearly expressed; written in appropriate academic writing style;
Research sources are well-chosen and used appropriately to evidence arguments
Format: correct in-text referencing/reference list format (alphabetical order Harvard style);
12 point font; 1.5 spacing; title page with student name/ID/tute time/date of submission
Conformity with word length.
The detailed marking criteria can be found below, and will be useful in the preparation of your
assignment. Keep in mind that how well you write your responses is a factor in how well you can
demonstrate your understanding.
TOPICS
Prepare a mini-essay for each of the three (3) topics below = 750 +/-10% words each
The mini-essays are likely to overlap to a small extent. You may change the order of the
questions (ensure you place the question directly above your mini-essays).
In choosing how to respond to each topic, be mindful of what you have said or plan to say in the
other mini-essays, to ensure you cover a wide range of issues and do not unduly repeat yourself
or leave significant gaps.
1. The historical foundations for the modern welfare state were grounded in the theoretical
and conceptual work of British thinkers William Beveridge, T H Marshall and Richard
Titmuss. None of these key thinkers was happy with the terminology of the welfare state
and saw it is as evoking images of the underserving poor receiving benefits from an
overbearing state. Explain the terms deserving and undeserving poor, and discuss the
problems of perceptions associated with this dichotomy.
2. The neoliberal state represents a phase involving changes to the way the state governs.
Explain the neoliberal approach to governing and its rationale.
4. Social Inclusion is a discourse that has arisen in order to attempt to make marginal
groups conform to dominant values, rather than change anything radically about
dominant society. Do you agree, or disagree? Why?
5. Racial policies of the welfare state in Australian history have been a major factor in the
continuation of racism in contemporary Australian society. Explain how early 20th century
welfare state policies excluded Indigenous Australians from the benefits of welfare
systems, and how this was justified. Illustrate your answer with examples of at least two
policies of social exclusion.
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