Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE SWB5006

 
TITLE Poverty, Social Exclusion and Risks to Children's Wellbeing

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Faculty for Social Wellbeing

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is based on a transdisciplinary approach to the conceptualisation, identification and measurement of poverty and social exclusion as related to children. Students will have the opportunity to discuss causes and consequences of child poverty and to evaluate and deliberate effective policies to reduce this phenomenon in line with EU and UN policies. Specific issues related to education, political and natural causes, family and socio-economic factors will be addressed.

Study-Unit Aims:

- Students will be introduced to the different manifestations of poverty and social exclusion, as well as their causes and consequences as related to children's wellbeing;
- Students will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the various ways in which poverty and social exclusion have been tackled, and how successful this has been seen to be in various countries and at EU and UN level;
- Students will be introduced to the link between literacy and poverty and its effect on children's Wellbeing.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Define poverty and social exclusion;
- Critique and explain the relationship between illiteracy, education, poverty and social capital;
- Critically discuss causes of poverty and social exclusion and their ramification on Children's wellbeing;
- Describe the efficacy of different policies used to tackle poverty and social exclusion, with a special focus on education and children's wellbeing with reference to poverty in Malta and in other selected countries.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Use, plan and conduct research to identify and assess poverty and social exclusion;
- Develop and critique appropriate policies for the reduction of child poverty and social exclusion;
- Promote inclusion through the identification and support of conducive discourse and communication as well as social and political action;
- Critique education policies in relation to inclusion and children's wellbeing.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

View reading list

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation SEM2 Yes 20%
Assignment SEM2 Yes 80%

 
LECTURER/S Josephine Ann Cutajar
Ruth Falzon
Sue Vella
Daniella Zerafa

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit