VPLn4461 Contemporary Social policy in EU

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2022
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 12 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Bc. Pavla Wernerová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 12. 4. 16:00–19:40 P24b, Tue 19. 4. 16:00–19:40 P24b, Tue 26. 4. 16:00–19:40 P24b, Tue 3. 5. 16:00–19:40 P24b
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! VPL461 Contemporary Social policy && !NOWANY( VPL461 Contemporary Social policy )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
An examination and analysis of the ‘European’ characterisation, and context, of the development of European Union social policy, leading to assessment of the degree of Europeanisation of European Union social policy. Initially, the historical development of European Union social policy will be examined within the context of the growth in importance of social policy areas in the E.U. integration project. Against that background the course will move on to identify and characterise models of welfare in European states, as well as four typologies of European welfare states. The principles and concepts of harmonisation, mutual recognition, and convergence whichshape and condition E.U. social policy will then be defined and examined. These will then be employed in two case studies of European Union social policy areas – welfare and labour mobility. Finally, definition and assessment of the degree of general Europeanisation of social policy will be undertaken within the context of the previous aspects and elements of the course, and in particular in terms of comparison with the characteristics of the types of European welfare states identified in the course.
Learning outcomes
Students will be required to submit an essay in answer to one of the following questions: (1) Critically assess whether European Union social policy can be characterised as Europeanised. Provide evidence and examples drawn from E.U. social policy areas to support your assessment. (2) Evaluate to what extent we can use models and types of European welfare states in order to identify the impact of the European Union in welfare and social policy provision within those states. The essay must be of a maximum of 2,000 words, be typewritten, fully properly referenced, and include a full bibliography.
Syllabus
  • Lecture 1. The historical development of E.U. social policy Lecture 2. Models of welfare in European states: ‘old’ and ‘new’ convergence Lecture 3. Four types of European welfare states: Conservative Corporatist, Social Democratic, Anglo-Saxon, and the Mediterranean model. Lecture 4. The principles and concepts of E.U. social policy – harmonisation, mutual recognition, cohesion and convergence Lecture 5. Two case studies: a) European Union welfare policy b) Labour mobility and the European Union Lecture 6. The Europeanisation of social policy?
Literature
    required literature
  • CASTLES, Francis Geoffrey. The future of the welfare state : crisis myths and crisis realities. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, xi, 197. ISBN 0199273928. info
    recommended literature
  • Aysan, M. F. and Beaujot, R. (2009) ‘Welfare Regimes for Ageing populations: No Single Path for Reform’, Population and Development Review, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp.701-720.
  • Jepsen, M. and Pascual, A.S. (2005) ‘The European Social Model: an exercise in deconstruction’, Journal of European Social Policy, 15(3), pp.231-245.
  • Europe and the politics of capabilities. Edited by Robert Salais - Robert Villeneuve. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004, xv, 312. ISBN 0521836042. URL info
  • Resisting marginalization : unemployment experience and social policy in the European Union. Edited by Duncan Gallie. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004, xi, 291. ISBN 0199271852. info
  • The politics of europeanization. Edited by Kevin Featherstone - Claudio M. Radaelli. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, xii, 351. ISBN 0199252092. info
  • KLEINMAN, Mark. A european welfare state? :European union social policy in context. 1st pub. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002, ix, 246 s. ISBN 0-333-69892-4. info
  • MCCORMICK, John. Understanding the European Union : a concise introduction. 2. ed. New York: Palgrave, 2002, xvi, 237 s. ISBN 0-333-94868-8. info
  • Policy-making in the European union. Edited by William Wallace - Helen Wallace. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, xxvii, 509. ISBN 0-19-878128-8. info
  • New perspectives on the welfare state in Europe. Edited by Catherine Jones. 1. ed. London: Routledge, 1993, 246 s. ISBN 0415070422. info
    not specified
  • Warleigh-Lack, A. and Drachenberg, R. (2011) ‘Spillover in a soft policy era? Evidence from the Open Method of Co-ordination in education and training’, in Journal of European Public Policy, Vol.18, no 7, pp.999-1015.
  • Duina, F. and Raunio, T. (2007) ‘The open method of co-ordination and national parliaments: further marginalization or new opportunities?’Journal of European Public Policy, 14:4, pp.489-506.
Teaching methods
Lectures, workshops (discussion groups)
Assessment methods
Essay assessment
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Spring 2023, Autumn 2023, Spring 2024, Autumn 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2022, recent)
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