WELFARE SOCIOLOGY

The course introduces the students to the key themes, concepts and theoretical perspectives of the sociology of welfare. It contributes to the acquisition of a basic sociological knowledge that shapes an understanding of the dynamics of contemporary societies. Thus, the course aims at providing basic knowledge useful for understanding welfare systems/regimes, giving attention to active labour market policies, local welfare and work-life balance policies as emerging trends in the Italian welfare state. The course has a strong applied focus and proposes the application of knowledge acquired during lectures to the system of policies and interventions in the Veneto region, aiming to enhance practical and operational understanding of phenomena.

At the end of the course the student
- knows the origin and evolution of the Welfare State
- knows the relationship between the evolution of social risks, social needs and the transformations of the Welfare State;
- knows how the public and private actors involved in the welfare regimes have changed over time;
- knows the conceptual and analytical tools for the study of the welfare regimes;
- knows the typologies of the welfare regimes and can apply them to recognise the types implemented in Europe;
- knows the emerging trajectories of European welfare systems from a Social Investment perspective;
- knows the tools of territorial planning and integrated interventions;
- They know how to design socio-educational interventions, in collaboration with the various professional figures and services;
- They know the Local Plans (Piani di Zona) and can apply their basic principles in local planning in relation to public and private organisations.

Students are recommended to be familiar with the basic concepts and theoretical approaches of sociology.

The course is organised in three parts.
The first part presents the origin and evolution of welfare systems in Europe from the end of the 19th century until the crisis of the late 20th century and the subsequent policies of austerity and social investment. In order to do so, a historical and comparative perspective is adopted fostering the understanding of the institutional and cultural reasons underlying the evolution of welfare systems and applying the theory of welfare regimes to explain national differences in institutional factors influencing welfare types.
The second part of the course analyses the transformations that have strained national welfare systems, due to increasing budgetary constraints and new social risks. The course pays particular attention to the European social investment agenda formed by a growing interest in human capital, active labour policies, childcare, work life balance and anti-poverty misures.
The third part of the course analyses, with a specific focus on the Italian context, local partnerships and the territorialisation of welfare. These confirm the growing importance of local welfare and have many implications not only in terms of social protection but also in terms of local democracy, where new forms of local actors' protagonism, public-private networks and citizens' participation are taking shape.
The topics of the three parts of the course will be directly applied by students, organised into working groups, to the following policy areas: active labor policies or work-life balance policies.

The textbook will be communicated by the professor before the start of classes through the course's Moodle space.

For attending students: production of an essay to present the results of the exercises conducted during the weeks of the course (maximum 24 points) + a written test based on 20 multiple-choice questions (maximum 10 points).
For non-attending students: Written exam based on 2 open-ended questions (maximum 24 points) and 20 multiple-choice questions (maximum 10 points).
Assessment criteria for the multiple-choice questions: The test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions, with three/four alternatives, of which only one is correct. 0.5 points are assigned for each correct answer, 0.2 points are deducted for each incorrect answer, and no points are deducted for unanswered questions. The maximum total score for the first part is 10 points.
Assessment criteria for the open-ended questions (non-attending students) or the essay (attending students): The exam consists of two questions / an essay presenting the results of the workshop and laboratory sessions. For each open-ended question, up to 12 points can be awarded, for a total of 24 points. The essay can receive a maximum of 24 points.
The evaluation criteria for each answer / for the essay are: a) appropriateness and richness of content; b) clarity of exposition and disciplinary terminology; c) ability to synthesize and completeness, including through exemplification.

The final assessment, in general, focuses on:
- Understanding of the main themes, concepts, theories, and empirical elements covered in the course;
- The ability to clearly articulate these key elements and the terms of historical and contemporary debates on economic processes;
- The ability to apply concepts and theories to concrete cases;
- The ability to critically address questions and problems.

The course will be based on lectures and workshops
During the plenary lessons, the main themes, concepts and theories will be introduced also with the use of powerpoint presentations and different documents (photos, videos, etc.). Here, the professor is available to answer general questions about the course content, study materials, examination methods, etc.
For the workshop/laboratory meetings, students will be organised into small groups and they will have to explore and apply concepts and present their main outputs in dialogue with the professor. The workshops are designed to aid understanding, stimulate critical analysis and discussion of contemporary issues and problems in the light of the theoretical and empirical contribution of sociology of welfare.

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