| CODE | SWP5134 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Comparative Social Policy | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit develops the knowledge and skills needed for comparative study of welfare states. The first half of the study-unit will involve a thorough introduction to social policy in the EU, with attention paid to the institutions of the EU and their aims and processes and current policy priorities and processes in this policy domain; and the key funding instruments. The development and typologies of the welfare state are presented and discussed, with particular attention paid to EU member states. This requires an advanced comparative examination of the key principles, concepts and institutions of social policy, as well as modes of finance and delivery. Welfare regime theory will be utilised as a way of classifying and explaining differences. The study-unit will also explore the tension between the restructuring of welfare states under the influence of globalisation and the international financial crisis on the one hand, and the safeguarding of welfare provision on the other, including the role of the European Social Model in this regard. Attention will be paid to methodological issues in the comparative study of social policy. This study-unit will focus on the areas of employment and social security as key areas in the development of European social policy. Study-unit Aims: To foster a contextualised understanding of social policy as exercised in various countries as a way of enhancing analysis and practice. The study-unit aims to enable students to identify and analyse the major concepts, theoretical approaches and issues in social policy and welfare state development in selected EU member states. It also aims to enable students to analyse and compare areas of social policy that are central to the development of the European Union, drawing on both empirical data and theoretical literature for this purpose. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast the ideas and institutions in any given area of social policy in three countries; - Define the purposes of the various EU institutions as well as the policy priorities and processes in the various policy domains falling under the area of European social policy. - Through reading and class discussion, demonstrate a critical appreciation of the similarities and differences between welfare regimes in Europe, the US, East Asia and beyond; - Through research and class discussion, demonstrate their ability to identify and analyse the causes and consequences of policy change, with reference to contemporary theoretical explanations of welfare state retrenchment and reform. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate research capability and creativity in examining path dependence and recent reforms in any single social policy area across at least three countries; - In class workshops, demonstrate their ability to critically analyse the Maltese welfare state in the context of welfare regime theory; - In drafting a comparative research plan, demonstrate their understanding of the methodological and ethical requirements of comparative social policy, and of the major data sources for comparative research. - Apply their comparative knowledge to particular major areas and issues, such as tackling the challenges of international financial crises, social security, employment and long-term social and health care. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Hill, Michael (2006). Social Policy in the modern world: a comparative text. UK, Wiley-Blackwell. Cousins, Mel (2005). European Welfare States: Comparative Perspectives. UK, Sage. Kennett, Patricia (2001). Comparative Social Policy: Theory and Research. UK, Open University Press. Supplementary Readings: Clasen, Jochen (1999). Comparative Social Policy: Concepts, theories and methods. UK, Wiley-Blackman. Van Oorschot, W., Opielka, M. and Pfau-Effinger, B. (eds). (2013). Culture And Welfare State: Values and Social Policy in Comparative Perspective. UK, Edward Elgar. Hemerijk, Anton (2013). Changing Welfare States. US, Oxford University Press. Kennett, Patricia (ed.) (2013). A Handbook of Comparative Social Policy. UK, Edward Elgar. Mau, Stefan and Verwiebe Roland (2010). European Societies: Mapping Structure and Change. UK, Policy Press. Cantillon, Bea and Vandenbroucke Frank (eds) (2013). Reconciling Work and Poverty Reduction: How Successful Are European Welfare States? US, Oxford University Press. Schubert, Klaus; Hegelich, Simon and Bazant, Ursula (2013). The Handbook of European Welfare Systems. UK, Routledge. Russell, James W. (2010). Double Standard: Social Policy in Europe and the United States. US, Rowman & Littlefield. Rhodes, Martin (ed.) (1997). Southern European Welfare States: Between crisis and reform. UK, Routledge. Katrougalos, George and Lazaridis, Gabriella (2002). Southern European Welfare States: Problems, Challenges and Prospects. UK, Palgrave Macmillan. Schubert K, Kuhlmann J & de Villota P. (ed.) (2016). Challenges to European Welfare Systems. Heidelberg: Springer. Martinelli F, Anttonen A & Mäzke M (ed.) (forthcoming, 2016) Social services disrupted. Implications and challenges for a crisis-ridden Europe. Cheltenham: Elgar. Deusdad Ayala B & Pace C (guest editors) (2016). Journal of Social Service Research. 2016, VOL. 42, NO. 2, 1 Special Issue on, ‘Facing the challenges to the development of long-term care for older people in Europe’. Barcevicius, E., Weishaupt, T. and Zeitlin, J. (eds). (2014). Assessing the Open Method of Coordination: Institutional Design and National Influence of EU Social Policy Coordination. UK, Palgrave Macmillan. Hantrais, Linda (2007). Social Policy in the European Union (3rd ed.). UK, Palgrave Macmillan. Russell, James W. (2010). Double Standard: Social Policy in Europe and the United States. US, Rowman & Littlefield. Cohen, Gary; Ansell, Ben; Gingrich, Jane; and Cox, Robert (2011). Social Policy in Smaller European Union States. US, Berghahn Books. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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