57849 - Labour Policies

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of labour market policies, revealing the main areas of intervention and the beneficiaries. A comparative analysis of the evolution of labour policy regimes will be undertaken with a focus on current demographic, social and economic challenges, taking into account the influence of politics on labour policies. On completion of the course, students will be able to:

- be familiar with the main areas of intervention of labour policies and their beneficiaries;

- be able to identify and compare different labour policy regimes;

- gain expertise in the definition and planning of active and passive labour market policies;

- recognize the current employment structure, the emerging risks and the related needs in terms of labour policies;

- interpret the influence of politics on labour market policies.

Course contents

The course focuses on labour market policies and adopts a comparative and interdisciplinary approach.

A first section is descriptive and provides information on labour market policies (definition, programmes, beneficiaries). A second one describes their historical evolution, presenting a variety of regimes in the international arena. A third dimension is explanatory and identifies the causal mechanisms of the institutional change in labour market policies.

The course will cover the following topics:

- Labour market policies: definition, and comparative aspects

- Labour policies: programmes and beneficiaries

- Labour market policies across Europe and the United States: from their origins to the 1990s

- Emerging labour policy regimes in the 2000s

Some specific topics will also be examined in depth:

- Politics and labour policies

- Labour policies and gender inequalities

- The implementation of labour policies: the street-level bureaucracy

Readings/Bibliography

Main book:

Rizza R., Scarano G. (2019), Nuovi modelli di politica del lavoro, Milano, Egea, Università Bocconi Editore

Partisanship and Labour market policies

Required reading:

- Vlandas T. [2013], "Mixing apples with oranges? Partisanship and active labour market policies in Europe", in Journal of European Social Policy, 23(1)

Labour market policies and gender inequalities

Required readings:

- Orloff A. [1993], “Gender and the social rights of citizenship: the comparative analysis of gender relations and welfare states”, in American Sociological Review, 58 (3)

- Mandel H., Semyonov M. [2006], “A welfare state paradox: state interventions and women’s employment opportunities in 22 countries”, in American Journal of Sociology, 111 (6).

- Korpi W. et al. [2013], Women’s opportunities under different family policies constellations: gender, class, and equality tradeoffs in western countries re-examined”, in Social Politics, 20 (1).

Street-level bureaucracy and labour market policies

Required reading:

- Paraciani R., Rizza R., [2021], “When the workplace is the home. Labour inspectors’ discretionary power in the field of domestic work: an institutional analysis”, in Journal of Public Policy, 41(1)

Teaching methods

Lectures will be alternated with group discussions and case studies to deepen the topics covered in class. Presentations will be conducted by students on the topics covered in class.

Assessment methods

The exam lasts 2 hours, during which no books, notes, or electronic media may be used. The written test consists of 3 questions, each referring to a topic covered in class and in the reference texts.

The purpose of the written exam is to assess the critical and methodological skills gained by the students and their ability to deal with the texts and topics addressed during the course. The complementary work carried out during the course will be assessed with specific reference to the students' presentations.

Teaching tools

Videos and papers not included in the texts but particularly significant for the topics covered in class. Slides and other teaching materials will be available to the students in electronic format on Virtuale. Username and password are reserved for students enrolled at the University of Bologna.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Rizza