Poverty and Policy in a Global Context

Module Details for Poverty and Policy in a Global Context (Part 1MT)

Module Code

SOU33122

ECTS weighting

5 ECTS

Semester/term taught

Term 2

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Discuss how sociologists have analyzed the economic and social changes associated with Ireland’s social and economic development;
• Critically analyze changing patterns of migration, identity, work and lifestyle in terms of the key structural changes in Irish society;
• Discuss the extent to which social and cultural change in Ireland is driven by processes of globalization

• Nolan, B, O’Connell, P.J and Whelan, C.T (2000) Bust to Boom? The Irish Experience of Growth and Inequality. Institute of Public Administration.
• Fahey, T, Russell, H. and Whelan, C.T. (Eds.) (2008) Quality of Life in Ireland: Social Impact of Economic Boom, Springer

Module Content

For much of the 20th Century, Ireland lagged behind other states in Northern Europe in terms of economic development and average standard of living. Yet in the last decade of the century Ireland’s economic fortunes changed dramatically with the advent of the ‘Celtic Tiger’. Ireland experienced rapid economic, social and cultural change over a short period of time that continues to unfold. Rapid population and demographic change and liberalization of social attitudes and values have all contributed to this change. Such changes have reinvigorated debates about what it means to be Irish, the values, lifestyles and identities associated with such changes and the institutional practices, occupational structures and the political priorities evident in Irish society. Yet there are continuities that can be traced back in Irish history that underpin and also help explain the dynamics of Irish society. This module utilizes theories of social change to explore what type of society Ireland is. It critically evaluates theories of development that have been used by academics and experts in Ireland to explain Ireland’s conversion from a ‘late modernizer’ to a ‘knowledge society’. Finally, it locates Ireland’s societal change in the context of Europe and globally. 

Assessment Details

Group presentations (20%)
End-of-term essay (80%)