INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY

This specific class falls under the core educational activities forseen within the Bachelor degree in Science in Society and Social Work aimed at providing students with the keys to understanding the characteristics and dynamics of contemporary societies. Although most of the basic notions relating to the nature of the public policies, the structures of power and the regulatory architectures able to produce and support them are supposed to be already part of the curriculum of the students, all this will be briefly summarized in the first part of the course, in order to proceed A) in the knowledge of the spheres in which public policies normally unfold; B) in the in-depth study of certain keys to interpretation that are sometimes overshadowed in the policy making process (e.g. the impact on people in terms of inclusion, gender equality, non-discrimination); finally C) in the in-depth study of a specific field of public policies, i.e. welfare policies linked to HEALTH, of which the methodological part of the analysis with case studies/examples/testimonies will also be taken into consideration.

At the end of the course, students are required to A) have familiarized themselves with the general concept of "public policy" and related terminologies, with reference also to the policy cycle (agenda setting, formulation, decision-making, implementation, evaluation); B) have a clear notion of a policy making process in which the need to consider the impact on the people through the lenses gender and with an intersectional anti-discrimination perspective

The prerequisites needed to tackle this 30-hour module are, in addition to the basic knowledge related to the mechanisms of policy production at the theoretical level certainly acquired in other courses and at the three-year level, concern the ability and the personal disposition to broaden and enrich the normal parameters and patterns of policy analysis acquired so far in favor of other scenarios by using new (inclusive, feminist, intersectional) glasses to read the different contexts.

List of topics
1. public policy: concepts, theories and methods (in brief)
2. architecture of decision-making arenas: who decides? where is it decided? (Lowi, Dahl, Wildawski, Lindblom)
3. policy/politics - relationship between the role of politics and policy production (importance of the local level)
4. public policy as a "network" of decisions and actions aimed at value allocation (Easton's approach)
5. the policy cycle (social demand/expectation/public intervention).
6. What about social impact? how is it measured? ask the right questions/know the context/know the data - how/where (general characters and feminist analysis perspective) -
7. Innovative measurement/evaluation tools: indices and indicators from a gender perspective
8. At the local level: social policies related to health, welfare and reproductive rights. case studies, examples, testimonies

Bobbio L., Pomatto G. e Ravazzi S. (2017), Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti, Mondadori Università, Milano. Capitoli: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
Giorgi C e Pavan L. (2020), Storia dello stato sociale in Italia, Il mulino (capitoli scelti saranno caricati su moodle)
Regonini G. (1985), Le politiche sociali in Italia: metodi di analisi, Rivista italiana di scienza politica, 15 (3), 335-377. DOI:10.1017/S0048840200003348
Capano M. (1993), Le tipologie delle politiche pubbliche: una strada senza uscita?, Italian Political Science Review , 23, III, 549 – 588, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0048840200022486
Nadini M.e Saraceno C. (2011), Conciliare famiglia e lavoro. Vecchi e nuovi patti tra sessi e generazioni, Bologna, Il Mulino

Witten paper with an oral presentation

Students' knowledge will be checked through a written paper on a topic chosen by the student*to be presented orally (specifics in the moodle page). The same mode applies to attending and non-attending students. However, non-attending students are recommended to show up at the “ricevimento” or contact me by email to arrange the syllabus. Examples of term papers will be provided during the course and uploaded on the moodle page.

class-tought lesson with testimonies and guests when possibile. Debate in class will be encouraged

Italian

Both attending and non-attending students are reminded that it is essential to consult the moodle page of the course, where lecture materials and readings related to each topic will be uploaded from time to time.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development