Social Policy for Development (SPD)

The Major in Social Policy for Development (SPD) offers an interdisciplinary, critical approach to the analysis of the problems of social reproduction and social provisioning – or of societal responses to social need – within a context of development and associated social and structural transformations. Emphasis is given to the question of how social policy can be used as a force for progressive transformation and for sustainable, equitable, gender-aware and socially-just development within a context of contemporary globalization and profound population transformations such as migration and urbanization.

The Major privileges a focus on some of the most pressing issues of the world today, such as persistent poverty, rising inequality, exclusion and discrimination, high levels of unemployment and insecure informal employment, persistent gender gaps, child labour, or the provisioning of comprehensive and, ideally, free and equitable social services to all members living within a society, including those living in the grey areas of statelessness, such as refugees, illegal migrants, and discriminated ethnic minorities. In addressing these issues, the major draws on the world-leading critical political economy tradition of development studies at ISS, together with extensive international experience among its staff and a strong commitment to the potential for achieving social justice and equity through social policy tools in development.

Four social policy related specializations are also proposed by the Major in order to allow participants to gain more in depth knowledge and research experience in a selection of sub-fields in which the ISS has strong expertise. The four proposed specializations are poverty studies, population and social development, children and youth studies, and work and employment, although students can also combine the core major training in social policy with other options from across the ISS.