Contemporary debates about the appropriate role of the state in the lives of its citizens form the focus of this subject. When, how and why did welfare states develop in western countries including Australia, and how can we understand these changes in the context of society and the state? A comparative approach is taken to topics such as poverty, social security (unemployment, disability, old age, etc) and the state's responsibilities in relation to society's vulnerable members (i.e. the homeless). The future of welfare states in an era of economic rationalism and globalisation is discussed. How is social policy formulated in Australian society? Who sets the agenda and in whose interests? This subject provides a framework for understanding these questions.

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