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Our Center

Muş Alparslan University Centre for Social Policies Research and Implementation was founded in 2013 to implement practices and research activities in social policy domains.

What is Social Policy?

Social policy is a set of decisions taken and practices implemented to achieve pre-determined social goals and objectives. The social policy encompasses decisions taken and practices implemented to ensure basic human rights such as security, nutrition, shelter, health, education, employment, equality and freedom.

Social policy, in a broad sense, is a humanitarian science that ensures the welfare of societies through social justice and equality, generates solutions for improvement by contributing to economic policies in a social sense and ensures social balance in this regard. As an academic discipline, social policy seeks to improve the welfare of societies and people’s quality of life by developing solutions to all problems pertaining to the social sphere.

When and Why Did “Social Policy” Emerge?

The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution were the events causing the emergence of social policy. Following these two events, which occurred at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century and had complementary effects, economic and political structures changed, ushering in a new stage in human history began. The industrial revolution, in particular, brought about radical changes in economic and social life, as well as the emergence of new social classes and strata. It was during this period that the capitalist social order, which still exists today, emerged.

The French Revolution supported the birth of economic liberalism by allowing freedom in production and trade. Since there is no state intervention in economic structures in this system, the market self-regulates, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, and thus social justice problems arise. People who used to produce agricultural products in rural areas became workers living in poor conditions in cities in the post-Industrial Revolution system. Inequalities between the working class and the employer class led to increased conflicts, struggles, and social unrest. It was determined that states should develop some policies to prevent the deterioration of the social order, and thus the domain of social policy was born.

In its course of history, the first goal of developing social policies was to protect the workers and the existing economic system by securing the human rights of the working class. However, in the process, social policies have expanded to include all issues concerning societal welfare and have reached their current comprehensive form.

Who Produces and Implements Social Policies?

The field of study of social policy is interventions made by the state as looking out for the public interest, and the state is the executor of public policies. The state determines, implements, and protects social policies. These policies, which are created and protected by public power, are implemented in our country by especially the Ministry of Family and Social Services in the central government, as well as other ministries, local governments, universities, non-governmental organizations, and other public-interest organizations.

In democratic societies where citizens contribute to public administration, citizens themselves can also contribute to the resolution of social issues.

Purpose of the Centre

The purpose of Muş Alparslan University Social Policies Research and Implementation Centre is to conduct scientific research and implementations at regional, national and international levels in the domains of social security, employment, health, social assistance, education and culture within the scope of social development goals, to support research and implementations in social spheres, to hold academic and social panels, seminars, conferences and similar meetings, to carry out educational activities, to develop projects, to cooperate with all relevant institutions and organizations and to provide consultancy services. While doing so, our primary goal is to improve the quality of life for all people living in our society regardless of language, gender, age, race and belief.

Stakeholders

As an academic discipline, social policy is an interdisciplinary domain that includes economics, sociology, psychology, history, geography, political science, law and philosophy. Academics from all of these fields are welcome to contribute to our research centre.

Our centre wishes to collaborate with all state institutions and organizations that produce and implement social policy, relevant units of universities, municipalities, NGOs working in the domain of social policy, European Union and United Nations institutions and other potential stakeholders.

Muş Alparslan University Social Policies Research and Implementation Centre is always eager to collaborate with the people of Muş, especially in producing solutions to the social problems of Muş province.

Please contact us at sospol@alparslan.edu.tr regarding your identifying a problem and solution suggestions.