Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
SP50075 Comparative European social policy |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: ES100 |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: The aims of the teaching sessions are to:
* introduce and evaluate the theories explaining the dynamics of social policy development, and their variation. * explain in detail the social, political and economic development and characteristics of western European welfare states, and two Eastern European welfare states. * explain the key issues and questions arising from, and characteristics of, social policy in five areas and how they are understood and addressed in different European welfare states. * review and evaluate the theories explaining the causes, dynamics and consequences of welfare state reform. * explain how social policy objectives and outcomes can be defined and described, and how they vary between policy areas, programmes and countries. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit the students will have: * sound knowledge and critical understanding of the main theoretical explanations of welfare state development in Europe; * sound knowledge of the social, political and economic characteristics of a range of European welfare states; * detailed knowledge of one policy area in at least two countries, including characteristics of policy development, pressures for change, and existing policy outcomes; * sound knowledge and critical understanding of the main theories explaining the pressures for, causes and consequences of welfare state reform; * critical understanding of the cross-national variation in definitions and measurement of policy objectives and outcomes. Skills: By the end of the unit, students will be able to: * Apply and evaluate a range of theoretical explanations of welfare state development. * Comparatively analyse and explain the historical and contemporary development of European welfare states. * Comparatively analyse and evaluate contemporary policy developments in at least two countries. * Identify and analyse the causes and consequences of policy change, with reference to contemporary theoretical explanations of welfare state retrenchment and reform. * Explain the significance of cross-national variation in the definition and measurement of policy problems, objectives and outcomes. Content: Why study comparative social policy? Theories of social policy development: industrialisation, power resources, state theories, regime theories. Case studies of social policy development in selected countries. Cross-national comparisons of selected social policies. Theories and comparative studies of welfare state reform and retrenchment.Policy convergence and policy learning. |