Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Social entrepreneurship in the social policy curriculum

Gunn, R., Durkin, C., Singh, G. and Brown, J. (2007) Social entrepreneurship in the social policy curriculum. Paper presented to: Social Policy Association Conference, Birmingham University, 23 -25 July 2007. (Unpublished)

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Abstract: There has been a recent focus on the need for higher education to better prepare its students for the transition to the workplace. This paper describes the development of a module that aims to introduce social policy undergraduate students to the core skills required to develop and manage a welfare organisation. The specific areas addressed were, the setting up, managing and funding a welfare organisation and how skills such as community profiling, social entrepreneurship, business planning and human resource development can be used to achieve these tasks. The paper explores the political and educational context which inspired this initiative and the theoretical basis for the approach used. A particular focus is placed on the entrepreneurial aspects of the development. It moves on to describe the delivery of the module to the first cohort of students and includes their assessment of the learning and an evaluation of how they performed the assessment task. The paper then evaluates the place of this type of approach in higher education and offers proposals for its subsequent development based on the authors experience so far. The paper will be of interest to students, academics and practitioners in the field of contemporary welfare delivery who are interested in entrepreneurship and skills training.
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV40 Social service. Social work. Charity organization and practice
H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory > HB615 Entrepreneurship. Risk and uncertainty. Property
Creators: Gunn, Robert, Durkin, Chris, Singh, G and Brown, J
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society > Social Work
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > China and Emerging Economies Centre
Research Centres > China and Emerging Economies Centre

University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Group > Social Enterprise Research Group
Faculties > Faculty of Health & Society > Applied Social Studies & Sociology
Research Institutes > Institute for Social Innovation and Impact
Date: 23 July 2007
Event Title: Social Policy Association Conference
Event Dates: 23 -25 July 2007
Event Location: Birmingham University
Event Type: Conference
Language: English
Status: Unpublished
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/655

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