VPLb1102 Social Policy

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Tomáš Sirovátka, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Ondřej Hora, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. Markéta Horáková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Tomáš Sirovátka, CSc.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 90 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/90, only registered: 0/90
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is: (1) to equip students with basic knowledge of the objectives, functions, principles, tools, and effects of social policy, its social and economic conditions, and current problems and solutions adopted in the Czech Republic and abroad, ( 2) lead students to understand the processes of social policy formation, to understand the role of various subjects in the process of its creation, to understand its versatile effects, and to learn the principles of social policy analysis, and (3) to create prerequisites for finding socially and economically appropriate solutions to social problems.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will: (1) understand the goals and functions of social policy; (2) understand the link between the goals and tools of social policy; (3) understand the link between the use of tools and the effects of social policy; (4) be able to analyze the use of tools social policies from the mentioned points of view; and (5) they will be able to propose appropriate solutions.
Syllabus
  • 1) Social processes and social policy, the emergence of the welfare state and its basic functions
  • 2) Principles and objectives of social policy
  • 3) The welfare state, its types, and its stages of development
  • 4) Social policy as a socio-political process
  • 5) Effects of social policy
  • 6) Social risks and social security
  • 7) Social assistance
  • 8) Prevention of social problems: social insurance
  • 9) Prevention of social problems: Employment and labor market policy
  • 10) Social development and human capital: health policy
  • 11) Social development and human capital: educational policy
  • 12) Social development and human capital: family policy
  • 13) Social development and human capital: housing policy
  • 14) European standards and institutions, documents
Literature
    required literature
  • Sirovátka T. (ed.) Česká sociální politika na prahu 21. století. Efektivnost, selhávání, legitimita. Brno: Masarykova univerzita 2000
  • Saxonberg, S., Sirovátka, T. 2006 Failing Family Policy in Post-Communist Central Europe. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis 8 (2): 189-206.
  • Sirovátka T. 1995. Politika pracovního trhu. Brno: Masarykova univerzita (vybrané části)
  • Krebs, V. a kol. 2010/2015. Sociální politika. Praha: Wolters Kluwer Česká republika.
  • Baldwin P. 1990. Politics of Social Solidarity. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, pp. 23-31.
  • Večeřa, M. 1993. Sociální stát. Východiska a přístupy. Praha, SLON
  • Flora P., Heidenheimer A.J: The Development of Welfare States in Europe and America .New Brunswick, Transaction Publishers 1990, s. 22-28, 37-48, 383-387.
  • Sirovátka T. (ed.). 1997. Sociální zabezpečení. Brno, Masarykova univerzita (vybrané části)
  • Potůček M. 1999. Křižovatky české sociální reformy. Praha, SLON (vybrané části)
  • Potůček M.: Sociální politika. Praha, SLON 1995.
  • Barr N., Whynes D. 1993. Current Issues in the Economics of Welfare. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, London: Macmillan, Introduction, pp. 4-6.
  • Onufrák, A. 2018. Sociální politika. Univerzita v Košicích.
  • Tomeš I. 1996. Sociální politika. Teorie a mezinárodní zkušenost. Praha, Socioklub (vybrané části)
  • Esping-Andersen, G.: The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism 1990. Princeton: P. Univ.Press, s. 9-38. In Sociologický časopis, 1991, č. 5. (s.. 545-567)
  • Mareš P. 1999. Sociologie nerovnosti a chudoby, Praha: SLON (vybrané části)
  • MPSV. 1998. Sociální zabezpečení osob pohybujících se v rámci EU. Praha: MPSV.
  • Kalous, J., Veselý, A. 2006. Teorie a nástroje vzdělávací politiky. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, nakladatelství Karolinum
  • Gass B. 1991. Expanding the Concept of Social Justice: Implications for Social Security, in Sociology of Social Security. Edinbourgh: Edinbourgh University Press, pp. 16-21.
  • Lux, M. et al. 2002. Bydlení - věc veřejná. Sociální aspekty bydlení v České republice a zemích Evropské unie. Praha, SLON, s. 73-86, 166-177.
    recommended literature
  • Brdek M., Jírová H. 1998. Sociální politika v zemích EU a ČR. Praha, Codex (vybrané části)
  • Bonoli, G. 2011. Active Labour Market Policy in a Changing Economic Context. In Clasen, J.; Clegg, D. (eds.) Regulating the Risk of Unemployment. National Adaptations to Post-industrial Labour Markets in Europe. Oxford: University Press
  • Tomeš, I. 2011. Obory sociální politiky. Praha: Portál.
  • Drbal, C. 2005. Česká zdravotní politika a její východiska. Praha: Galen
  • Čámský, P., Sembdner, J., Krutilová, D. 2011. Sociální služby v ČR v teorii a praxi. Praha: Portál.
  • Hegedüs, J., Lux, M., Teller, N. (eds.). 2013. Social Housing in Transition Countries. New York: Routledge, kap. 9 (The Czech Republic: locked between municipal and social housing, 146-162), kap. 19 (New social housing strategies in post-socialist states
  • Pierson, Ch. 1991. Beyond the welfare state? : the new political economy of welfare. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
  • Mikeszová, M., Sunega, P., Kostelecký, T., Lux, M., Sládek, J. 2010. Dopady hospodářské krize na finanční dostupnost bydlení – analýza a možné nástroje státu. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
  • Esping-Andersen, G. 1991. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism 1990. Princeton: P. Univ.Press, s. 9-38. In Sociologický časopis, č. 5. (s. 545-567).
  • Esping - Andersen, G. 1999. The Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economics. Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 36-46.
  • Matějková, B., Paloncyová, J. 2005. Rodinná politika ve vybraných evropských zemích s ohledem na situaci v České republice. Brno: Masarykova univerzita 2005.
  • Arnoldová, A. 2012. Sociální zabezpečení. I, Sociální zabezpečení v České republice. Praha: Grada.
  • Tröster, P. a kol. 2008. Právo sociálního zabezpečení. Praha: C. H. Beck.
    not specified
  • Veselý, J. 2009. Právo sociálního zabezpečení. Praha: Vysoká škola aplikovaného práva.
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, reading of compulsory literature, feedback on seminar work
Assessment methods
Two mid-term tests including five questions, seminar work, and final written and oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/VPLb1102