PUBLIC AND SOCIAL POLITICS

This course is included in the "attività formative di base" (basic educational activities) of the degree in Scienze della Società e del Servizio sociale. These activities provide students lens for understanding the main features and dynamics of contemporary societies. In particular, this course intends to provide these lens through a basic knowledge of the public policies analysis, which is a Political Science's subfield, and of its translation into the field of social policies.
The course has two main objectives: a) introducing students in the most important concepts of the analysis of public policies; b) highlighting, as for the Italian case, public action and social policies, particularly in the field of social assistance.
Course aims at providing students with both theoretical and practical tools for interpreting public policies. It also aims at providing students with the skills of recognizing the process through which the policy-making process develops (actors, governance, decision making, implementation, evaluation).

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students will know and will comprehend:
- the specific terminology of public policies and how it applies to the policy process;
- the main research issues and problems of the analysis of public process even in a diachronic perspective.
- the evolution of social policies since the genesis of welfare state until today (particularly the Italian case).

Applying knowledge and understanding
After the course students will be equipped to:
-correctly use the terminology of public policies in the actual policy-making processes which are analysed;
- simulate the the application of different approaches when they have to cope with a specific policy problem;
- recognize the different phases of the policy-process as regards social policies evolution.

Evaluating skills
Students will learn to develop basic hypothesis of evaluation of social policies (they learn how to build indicators) using the analysis of public policies' tools.

Communication skills
Students will reach skills related to:
- communicating the development of a public policy, its critical phases and crucial moments using a correct terminology:
- interacting with other students: discussing about the issues of the course.
- giving a presentation to the class about a work group (not mandatory)

Learning skills
Students will learn how to critically use textbooks (and their references) and other materials on uploaded on moodles: this is important for making connections among different approaches and different contexts.

Students should know the main issue of sociological thought (particularly one related to social policies). Moreover, they should have basic knowledge of the functioning of Italian state.

The course includes two parts or modules
Part I (approximately 30 hours): Public Policies: concepts and instruments”.
The main issues of this part are the following:
The concept of Public policy and the most relevant dimensions in order to analyse public, i.e. actors, resources, decision-making arena, policy tools.
The policy-making process: Agenda, Problem-setting, decision making, Implementation, Evaluation.
Policy and Politics: policy determines politics?

Part II (approximately 15 hours): Welfare regimes and social policies in Italy.
The main issues of this part are the following:
Introduction to the concept of welfare regime and analysis of its birth, expansion, crisis and recalibration.
Social Rights and Social Citizenship.
New social risks and new social policies: case studies.
Welfare at the local level and citizenship rights.
Social Assistance Policy in Italy including anti-poverty policies (minimum income)

Module/part I:
Bobbio L., Pomatto G. e Ravazzi S. (2017), Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti, Mondadori Università, Milano.

Module/part II:
Ferrera M. (a cura di), 2019 (Terza edizione), Le politiche sociali, cap.I e V.
One paper that will be uploaded on moodle at the beginning of the course (mid September)

Learning is evaluated through a written exam: 5 open questions with 15 lines for answering in 75 minutes. Three questions aim at evaluating knowledge about fundamental concepts of the course (included in the textbooks) and, through questions with a cross-cutting approach, they aim also at evaluating the actual understanding of these concepts. Two questions aim at evaluating the capacity of applying knowledge and understanding: students will analyse two case studies (public policies) and they have to highlight the policy tools, the indicatori for evaluating output and outcome of that policy, the target group and the possible definitions of the policy problem.

It is also possible to split the exam into two parts, one at the end of October and one between 21 and 23 December. Precise dates of the two intermediate exams will be communicated at the beginning of the course. The final mark will be a mean of the two exams. Details on the two iintermediate exams will be given at the beginning of the course and will be uploaded on moodle.

About 60% of the lessons are lectures: professor will explain the main topics and concepts of the course. About 40% of the lessons are devoted to: a) exercises on actual public policies problems and processes; b) students' presentations (small groups) on issues chosen with the professor. These presentations are also an effective way for improving the communication ability. It is compulsory to apply the moodle platform. Write me an email for the password of the moodle.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development