74834 - Social and Welfare Policies

Learning outcomes

The course aims at introducing students to the most relevant conceptual and theoretical instruments for the study and analysis of social policies and welfare systems. By the end of the course students will be able to: - demonstrate an understanding of which are the historical roots of the European welfare systems; - demonstrate an understanding of the typologies of welfare regimes proposed in the scientific literature; - define and analyse relevant concepts as welfare regime; defamiliazation; decommodification; poverty; marginalisation; universalism; means tested etc.; - analyse pros and cons of specific social policies and the coherence of policy design with policy aims.

Course contents

The course is organized in two sections. The first aims at: introducing the basic conceptual instruments of social policy analysis; providing an understanding of the intellectual and historical roots of the welfare state, and why welfare states emerged in Europe; presenting the most relevant typologies of welfare regimes proposed in the literature. The second section focuses on the gender and generational perspective, the relation between migrations and welfare and the impact of the Great Recession on the European welfare systems characteristics and outcomes. 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory readings for students attending at least 80% of  face-to-face lessons

Key-concepts

- Arts W. & Gelissen J. Three worlds of welfare capitalism? A state-of-the-art report. Journal of European Social Policy, 12(2): 137-158.

- Esping-Andersen G. The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Polity Press. [Chapters 1, 2 and 3]

- Esping-Andersen G. The social foundations of postindustrial economies. OUP [Part I]

- Hemerijck A. Changing welfare states. OUP. [Chapters 2, 3 4 & 5]

Gender perspective

- Hakim K. (1995) Five feminist myths about women's employment, The British Journal of Sociology, 46(3): 429-455.

- Hakim K. (2008) Is gender equality legislation becoming counter productive?, Public Policy Research, September-November: 133-136.

- Lewis J. (1992) Gender and the development of welfare regimes. Journal of European Social Policy, 2(3): 159-173.

- Orloff, A.S. (1993) Gender and the social rights of citizenship. The comparative analysis of Gender Relations and Welfare States, American Sociological Review, 58(3), 303-328.

Generational perspective

- Arber S. & Attias-Donfut C. (2000) The myth of generational conflict. London: Routledge [only the paragraph “the meanings of generations” pp. 2-5]

- Albertini M. Ageing and family solidarity in Europe. Patterns and driving factors of intergenerational support. Policy Research Working Paper#7678, World Bank.

- Albertini M. & Kohli M. (2013) The generational contract in the family: An analysis of transfer regimes in Europe, European Sociological Review, 29(4): 828-840.

- Saraceno C. & Keck W. (2011) Towards an integrated approach for the analysis of gender equity in policies supporting paid work and care responsibilities. Demographic Research, 25(11).

Migrations and the welfare state

- Albertini M. & Semprebon M. (2018) A burden to the welfare state? Expectations of non-EU migrants on welfare support. Journal of European Social Policy, 28(5): 501-516.

- Barret A. & Maitre B. (2013) Immigrant welfare receipt across Europe. International Journal of Manpower, 34(1): 8-23.

- Borjas G.J. & Trejo S.J. (1990) Immigrant participation in the welfare system. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 44(2): 195-211.

- Mau S. & Burkhardt C. (2009) Migration and welfare state solidarity in Western Europe. Journal of European Social Policy, 19(3): 213-229.

- van Oorschot W. (2006) Making the difference in social Europe: Deservingness perceptions among citizens of European welfare states. Journal of European Social Policy, 16(1): 23-42.

Mandatory readings for students who fail to attend at least 80% of  face-to-face lessons

Key concepts & diversity of welfare systems

- Castles FG, Lewis J, Obinger H and Pierson C (eds.) (2010) The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. Oxford: Oxford University Press. The following parts: Part 2 “History”; Chapter 17 “Gender”; Part 5 “Policies”; Part 6 “Policy outcomes”; Part 7 “Worlds of Welfare”

- Pierson C, Castles FG Naumann IK (ed.) (2014) The Welfare State Reader. Cambridge: Polity Press. Part I “Approaches to welfare” and Part II “Welfare Regimes Under Threat”

- Arts W. & Gelissen J. Three worlds of welfare capitalism? A state-of-the-art report. Journal of European Social Policy, 12(2): 137-158.

- Esping-Andersen G. The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Polity Press. [Chapters 1, 2 and 3]

- Esping-Andersen G. The social foundations of postindustrial economies. OUP [Part I]

- Hemerijck A. Changing welfare states. OUP. [Chapters 2, 3 4 & 5]

Gender Perspective

- Hakim K. (1995) Five feminist myths about women's employment, The British Journal of Sociology, 46(3): 429-455.

- Hakim K. (2008) Is gender equality legislation becoming counter productive?, Public Policy Research, September-November: 133-136.

- Lewis J. (1992) Gender and the development of welfare regimes. Journal of European Social Policy, 2(3): 159-173.

- Orloff, A.S. (1993) Gender and the social rights of citizenship. The comparative analysis of Gender Relations and Welfare States, American Sociological Review, 58(3), 303-328.

Generational perspective

- Arber S. & Attias-Donfut C. (2000) The myth of generational conflict. London: Routledge [only the paragraph “the meanings of generations” pp. 2-5]

- Albertini M. Ageing and family solidarity in Europe. Patterns and driving factors of intergenerational support. Policy Research Working Paper#7678, World Bank.

- Saraceno C. & Keck W. (2011) Towards an integrated approach for the analysis of gender equity in policies supporting paid work and care responsibilities. Demographic Research, 25(11).

 

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lessons and periodic exercises, including student presentations. This course is also supported by a dedicated e-learning module available at  https://elearning-cds.unibo.it/

Assessment methods

For students attending at least 80% of  face-to-face lessons

50% multiple written exam(s) and take home exercises during the course  

50% one course paper with a maximum of 4,000 words must be written on a topic to be agreed in advance between the student and the course convener. The paper needs to be sent (by e.mail and in pdf format) within the first 4 weeks after the end of the course. Those students who fail to meet the deadline will have to take the exam as non attending students. 

For students who fail to attend at least 80% of  face-to-face lessons

The exam is administered exclusively in written form.

Teaching tools

This course is also supported by a dedicated e-learning module available at https://elearning-cds.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Marco Albertini