Teaching Modeling in Social Welfare Policy Analysis

Abstract

Modeling is presented as teaching strategy for social policy analysis and development. Linkages are establish between policy theories, mainstream analytical frameworks and modeling as a prelude to an emerging technology of computer simulation in social policy development. A conceptual framwwork for policy modeling included four methodologies available to symbolically represent reality. The acquisition and utilization of knowledge and information from modeling was illustrated through structuring policy problems. Differences between mainstream social research and policy modeling established the importance of modeling as a strategy: theory/then/research. Modeling is viewed as an imperative in the face of highly complex human delivery systems, the over abundance of information and the increase practicality and applicability of laboratory experimentation in the human services.