Syllabus
Název předmětu/Course title: Social Policy
Číslo předmětu v učebním plánu/Course number: JSM519, JSM727
Fakulta sociálních věd Univerzity Karlovy/ Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University
Školní rok/Academic year: 2023/2024
Webová stránka předmětu/The web page of the course Moodle: Social Policy (password will be shared during the first lecture)
Garantka kursu/Course leader:
Mgr. Ing. Olga Angelovská, Ph.D., olga.angelovska@fsv.cuni.cz [on sabbatical during the summer semester 2023/2024; course will be taught by Mirna Jusić]
Vyučující/Lectures:
Mgr. Ing. Olga Angelovská, Ph.D., olga.angelovska@fsv.cuni.cz
Mgr. Mirna Jusić, M.A., Ph.D. mirna.jusic@fsv.cuni.cz
Studijní obory/Study programs: master Veřejná a sociální politika (VSP), master program Public and Social Policy Studies (PSP)
Rozsah výuky/Scope of instruction: 0/2
Počet kreditů/Credits available: 8
Characteristic of the course:
This graduate course should improve the theoretical knowledge of students on social policy in the present, post-industrial world. The main perspective will be placed on the concept of “welfare state regimes or models” and their practical consequences in different social policy areas, such as employment policy, pensions, family and long-term care policies and redistributive policies. These policies will be analysed in the context of the European Union countries. Attention will also be placed on emerging welfare state regimes in the Central and Eastern Europe.
The course will be organised in the form of seminars, where students will actively work on topics covered in the recommended literature.
Main Objectives:
This course is designed to help students acquire knowledge about the greatest challenges facing the European welfare states nowadays. After the completion of this course, students should be able to:
- know theoretical concept of the welfare state (its history, functions, threats).
- know how welfare states in Europe cope with the most recent challenges of the dynamics of (post)industrial society.
- understand what the most important social problems and the policy implications in the present European states are.
- understand alternative options in social policy, analyze the links between the social, economic and political context, policy solutions, and impacts of the policies.
The schedule of the course:
Seminar group 1 - Tuesday 9.30-10.50
Seminar group 2 – Tuesday 11.00-12.20
Students can register either for the first or second seminar group.
Conditions of enrollment:
The course is compulsory for students of Czech and English Master’s degree programs in Public and Social Policy. Students of other programs, including ERASMUS students, may register and participate in the course.
Study obligations:
All students are obliged to: participate at least in 10 (out of 12) seminars, fulfil 10 evaluated tasks in Moodle dealing with a seminar topic (handouts, questions etc.), prepare group presentations on two topics as part of the seminars (presentation in teams) hand in final paper.
The attendance of the seminars (10) is compulsory.
Tasks – A student is supposed to be prepared for a seminar topic covered by recommended scientific article/articles and answer questions or fulfill the task available in Moodle. Such tasks will be evaluated with up to 4 points. They have to be uploaded to Moodle Sunday, end of the day, the latest.
Presentation - Students in groups will present two topics during the seminars 1)- cross-cutting area – financing, inequality and EU;
Financing: structuring of financing in three countries and discussing the reasons for differences between countries.
Inequality: looking at the level of income inequality in three countries and discussing the reasons for differences.
EU: looking at different instruments / mechanisms of policy-making at EU level and critically discussing them - for instance, the OMC or European Semester. 2) specific policy topic – Family policy, Pension policy Employment policy, LTC, Social assistance Students should focus on 3 countries for each topic. They should look at each public policy topic through the prism of the following dimensions: accessibility, generosity and stratification. They should compare the three countries along these dimensions..
Final paper - The essay should cover one of the fields of social policy from a WS perspective. The length of the essay is approx. 24 000 to 30 000 characters (with spaces without references).
FINAL EVALUATION:
Construction of students’ performance evaluation
Activity
Points (up to)
Tasks (10) 40
Presentation 20
Final paper 40
Total 100
Points (total)
Result 91-100
A
Excellent (výborně) 81-90
B 71-80
C
Very good (velmi dobře) 61-70
D 51-60
E
Good (dobře)
Less than 50
F
Fail (neprospěl)
Core reference resource (available in Moodle):
Béland D., Morgan K. J., Obinger H., Pierson Ch. (2022) The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. (2nd edition) Oxford University Press.
Esping-Andersen, G. (1990) The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Recommended articles available in Moodle for each topic.
Organization of the course: 20.2. Introductory Session Goals, functions, and instruments of contemporary welfare states. Original and new welfare state typologies. 27.2. Seminar 1 WS development in the late 80s and 90s and the new active WS 5.3. Seminar 2 WS financing 12.3. Seminar 3 WS and redistribution: income differences and inequalities 19.3. Seminar 4 WS and pension issues 26.3. Seminar 5 WS and unemployment 2.4. Seminar 6 WS and family policy 9.4. Seminar 7 WS and long-term care 16.4. Seminar 8 WS and social assistance 23.4. Seminar 9 Guest lecture on long-term care by professor Stefano Neri, PhD, University of Milano during seminar I + WS and the European Union (seminar II) 30.4. Seminar 10 WS and the European Union (seminar I) + guest lecture on long-term care by professor Stefano Neri, PhD, University of Milano during seminar II 7.5. Seminar 11 Emerging welfare states:Lessons from developing countries 21.5. Seminar 12 Future of the WS + Course reflections and wrap-up
No classes on 14 May (Rector's day)
Annotation
This graduate course should improve the theoretical knowledge of students on social policy in the present, post-industrial world. The main perspective will be placed on the concept of “welfare state regimes or models” and their practical consequences in different social policy areas, such as employment policy, pensions, family and long-term care policies and redistributive policies. These policies will be analysed in the context of the European Union countries.
Attention will also be placed on emerging welfare state regimes in the Central and Eastern Europe. The course will be organised in the form of seminars, where students will actively work on topics covered in the recommended literature.