B2708 - WELFARE E TERZO SETTORE

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide in-depth knowledge of the conceptual and analytical tools for analyzing and recognizing the forms and dynamics of governance of public services and the implications of participatory processes in the planning, management and evaluation phase, with a particular focus on the impact of digital technologies in the relationship between citizens and PPAA. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• know and critically analyse opportunities and risks related to the processes of involvement of citizens, private actors and the Third Sector, also through digital tools, in the planning, management and evaluation of public services

• know and be able to evaluate tools, methods and technologies of co-programming, co-management and co-assessment, emerging criticalities and contextual factors characterising social and institutional innovation processes.

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, as detailed in the following program. Lectures (16 hours) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline and to the analysis of the features and the changing dynamics of local welfare systems, by focusing on their evolution over time, their institutionalization process and their actors (i.e. public administrations, citizens, third sector organizations, movements, trade unions, informal groups, profit organizations). The main issues and challenges of the ongoing evolution of the Italian welfare will be presented and discussed.

Seminars (12 hours) aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. For the seminar section of the course, students will be divided in 2 groups. Students attend a total of 28 hours of classes. A special attention will be paid to the consequences of the processes of territorial re-articulation of social policies and to the main issues related to the multiplication of the social actors involved, the emerging logics in the field of local welfare and the platformization concerning welfare services.

Readings/Bibliography

• Ranci C., Pavolini E. (2015), Le politiche di welfare, il Mulino, cap. 2 e cap. 3.

• Bifulco, L. (2016). Social policies and public action. Routledge, cap. 3, cap. 5 e cap. 6.

• Gori, C. (2022). Le politiche del welfare sociale. Mondadori, cap. 1, cap. 8, cap. 9.

• Yuri Kazepov, Ruggero Cefalo, The territorial dimension of social policies, on "Parolechiave" 2/2020, pp. 85-99.

Letture consigliate:

• Saraceno, C. (2013). Il welfare. il Mulino.

• Longo, F., & Maino, F. (2022). Platform Welfare: Nuove logiche per innovare i servizi sociali. EGEA.

• Ascoli, U., & Pavolini, E. (Eds.). (2017). Volontariato e innovazione sociale oggi in Italia. Il Mulino.

 

Teaching methods

First part of the course (16 hours): lecture. Through traditional lectures, the course contents are presented and discussed. The first part of the course is aimed at knowledge acquisition (concepts, theories, tools/procedures, facts/events).

Second part of the course (12 hours): seminar. In the seminar part of the course, it is the interaction between students and with the lecturer that is explicitly stimulated. Hence the division into 2 groups of students, formed through the subdivision of the class that attended the lectures.

The students are encouraged to conduct a structured activity in the classroom to compare and verify the knowledge acquired by reading the indicated texts. They are therefore required to come to class having already read the assigned material and to elaborate on what they have learned.

In detail, the seminar lectures will be organized as follows:

- teacher-led discussion aimed at checking students' preparation with respect to the assigned readings (with grade)

- Structured classroom presentation and discussion on an individual basis by students of the assigned readings according to a fixed schedule (with grade)

- Introduction to the readings for the following week by the teacher

Each seminar group participates in only one weekly lecture. This gives the student adequate time to study the material, provided by the teacher, in preparation for the lecture.

Assessment methods

For attending students, at the end of the first part of the course (Lecture, frontal part) there will be a written test, in take-home format (40% of the final grade).

The following will be evaluated for the seminar part:

In-class participation and presentation in the seminar sessions (40% of the final grade);

An oral examination aimed at testing not only knowledge of the texts presented and discussed in the seminars, but also the ability to relate them to the concepts and issues that constitute the main focus of the course (20%).

Students who do NOT attend classes regularly will be assessed through a final written exam in take-home mode and an oral interview. The exam will consist of 3 questions and students will have to provide answers of approximately 1000 words each. Students are invited to contact the professor in time before the exam dates in order to receive the questions. The text with the answers must be sent at least one week before the date of the exam.

Criteria for evaluation of written tests

- discussion of concepts and theories, with reference to the debate in the literature;

- empirical examples that support the different arguments;

- Well-structured text: Introduction: brief overview of the topic, definition of the problem addressed, and description of how the essay will unfold; Central part of the paper: structured discussion of related phenomena and concepts and empirical illustrations; Brief conclusion summarizing the paper.

Learning Assessment Criteria:

18-21: elementary knowledge of topic, and/or not always correct, partial argumentation and reworking skills

22-25: satisfactory knowledge of topic, fairly sound argumentation and reworking skills

26-29: good or very good knowledge of the topic, good or very good argumentation and reworking skills

30: accurate knowledge of the topic, very good argumentation and reworking skills

30 and honors: precise knowledge of the topic, excellent argumentation and reworking skills, relevant personal reprocessing of knowledge.

Teaching tools

Slides and readings uploaded to virtual.unibo.it.

Meetings with experts and practitioners

Office hours

See the website of Nicola De Luigi