WELFARE SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL POLICIES IN EUROPE

The course provides students with the knowledge and analytical skills to understand the current transformations of welfare systems and social policies from a European comparative perspective.
In doing so, the course contribute to an advanced understanding of social policy paradigms in Europe, as well as to the analysis of the impact of new social risks and of related social, political and economic transformations.

At the end of the course the students:
- Have knowledge of the dynamics of emergence, expansion and crisis/transformations of European Welfare states since the late 1800s.
- Are aware and can discuss the factors at the basis of the rise, expansion and transformation of welfare states
- Can place the Italian welfare system in a European context and perspective
- Have knowledge of the main transformations, since the 1990s, affecting European welfare state (and namely the Southern-European ones) and are able to analyze and discuss their socio-demographic, economic and political components
- Can critically analyse specific policies and their dynamics by placing them in a wider context and by using the analytical tools acquired during the course.

No specific pre-conditions

The course provides a historical and comparative perspective on welfare systems in general and a focus on care policies and practices (in the field of child- and eldercare). The accent will be on:
- The rise, development and transformation of the European welfare states
- The theories of the welfare state dynamics
- The concepts of welfare system and welfare regime with related theories
- The paradigm change of social policies – from social protection to social investment, its origin and consequences
- Care policies and practices in Europe and Italy

The course is structured in such a way as to guide students in the:
- rielaboration of concepts and notions
- analysis of existing policies and policy proposals or case studies
- elaboration of an individual paper.
Therefore, attendance is highly recommended.

Students are kindly asked to register with Moodle before the beginning of the course to learn about the organisation of the course and the foreseen activities.

The course literature will be communicated before the beginning of the course on the Moodle page of the course.

The assessment for all students is based on:
- written exam (30% of final grade)
- individual paper (40% of final grade)
- presentation and discussion of a policy/policy proposal or a case study (30% of the final grade)

Students are kindly asked to look at the Moodle page of the course to learn about the organisation and deadlines of the assessment.
Concerning grading (how the marks will be awarded):
Scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and ability to apply understanding concerning the examination materials;
- sufficient originality and accuracy of the individual paper;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of language specific social policies.

Scores in band 23-26 will be awarded in the presence of:
- fair knowledge and ability to apply understanding concerning the examination materials;
- discrete originality and accuracy of the individual paper;
- fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of language specific to social policies.

Scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or excellent knowledge and ability to apply understanding concerning examination materials
- good or excellent originality and accuracy of the individual paper;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially concerning the use of language specific to social policy.
Honours will be awarded for knowledge and ability to apply understanding concerning the syllabus, judgement and communication skills programme, judgement and communication skills, excellent.

During each session the main topics are introduced and students are asked to critically discuss the relevant course literature, to present one’s own work and to give feedback on the work of fellow students.
Before each session students are asked to read the relevant literature and to prepare home assignments. Home assignments are meant as tools to develop analytical skills, to support the writing of an individual paper and the analysis of casa studies.
For more details, please see the Moodle page fo the course.

Attendance is highly recommended.

English

Attending the course is highly recommended.

Attendance consists of:
- being present at 80% of classes.
- actively participating in classe (reading the assigned literature and preparing at home, participating in discussions and exercises in class)
- performing the assigned presentations.

Non-attending students are kindly asked to contact the teacher in order to be informed on how to prepare the final examination.

The main language of the course is English. However, students are allowed to give their presentations and submit their papers in Italian.

All course information and communication will happen through the Moodle platform. Students are kindly asked to contact the teacher and ask for a Moodle password before the start of the course.

written and oral

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