EVS420 Political Issues and Social Policy in the European Union

Fakulta sociálních studií
podzim 2010
Rozsah
1/1/0. 7 kr. Ukončení: zk.
Vyučující
John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D. (přednášející), PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D. (zástupce)
Mgr. Jana Urbanovská, Ph.D. (cvičící)
Garance
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Katedra mezinárodních vztahů a evropských studií – Fakulta sociálních studií
Kontaktní osoba: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Rozvrh
Út 5. 10. až Pá 17. 12. Út 18:00–19:30 exP52
Předpoklady
! EVS154 Pol. Iss. and Soc. Pol. in EU
Omezení zápisu do předmětu
Předmět je určen pouze studentům mateřských oborů.

Předmět si smí zapsat nejvýše 15 stud.
Momentální stav registrace a zápisu: zapsáno: 0/15, pouze zareg.: 0/15
Jiné omezení: Nezapisují studenti, kteří již kurz absolvovali v bakalářském stupni studia pod kódem EVS154.
Mateřské obory/plány
Cíle předmětu
The course offers students an identification and examination of key political issues in a range of social policy areas within the European Union (EU). Employing relevant concepts, models and theories, these issues will be addressed within the context of EU processes of harmonisation, mutual recognition, convergence and the overall on-going integration project.
On successful completion of the course, students shall be able to examine a range of theoretical models and concepts relating to the overall development of the EU, and the process of integration, against the background of the growth in importance of social policy areas in the EU project. Within that framework and process students shall be able to evaluate political issues relating to specific areas of social policy, including those concerning the environment, employment and unemployment, education, the ‘demographic time-bomb’, gender, and immigration and asylum policy. Last but not least, students shall be able to analyze political issues relating to social policy within the EU regional policy arena, and to outline social policy within the context of the politics of the future of the EU.
Osnova
  • Structure of the course The course will be taught through a series of weekly lectures and workshops. There will be 10 lectures and 2 workshops Course programme: PLEASE NOTE: 90% attendance at lectures (i.e. at least 9) is a requirement to pass the course (see Course Assessment on page 3) Lecture 1. The growth in importance of social policy in the European Union project Lecture 2. The E.U. integration project and the politics of social policy: theoretical perspectives – ‘spillover‘, functionalism, neo-functionalism, federalism + Workshop 1 (see page 2). Lecture 3. Harmonisation, mutual recognition, and the europeanisation of social policy. Lecture 4. Environment policy Workshop 2 (see page 2) Lecture 5. Employment and unemployment policy Lecture 6. Education and training policy Lecture 7. Immigration, mobility and asylum policy Lecture 8. The ‘gender dimension’ and E.U. social policy Lecture 9. The ‘demographic time bomb’ Lecture 10. The ‘Europeanisation’ of social policy Workshops programme: PLEASE NOTE: a) 100% attendance at the 2 workshops is a requirement to pass the course (see Course Assessment on page 3) b) Students will be expected to have read for each workshop and participate. Indicative readings are given below for each seminar and workshop Workshop 1: This will consist of student participation and discussion groups, and will take place immediately after Lecture 2 Question: Are political, social or economic concerns and factors of most importance for the success of the E.U. integration project? How important in that process is the ‘politics of social policy’, and why? Readings: Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy, 11:2 (various articles of interest) Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000. Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2007 (Third edition) (or Second edition, 2000). Kleinman, M. A European Welfare State: European Union Social Policy in context, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2002. McCormick, J. Understanding the European Union (Third Edition), Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2005. Richardson, J. (ed.) European Union. Power and policy-making (Third edition), Oxford, Routledge, 2006, chapters 2,3 and 4 Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001. Rosamond, B. Theories Of European Integration, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2000 Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140. Workshop 2: This will consist of student participation and discussion groups Question: Is harmonisation, mutual recognition or convergence the best principle upon which European Union social policy should be based? Should such a principle encompass a communitarian or cosmopolitan approach? Provide reasons and evidence for your preference. Readings: Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy, 11:2 (various articles of interest) Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000. Guillen, A. and Palier, B. (2004) ‘Does Europe matter? Accession to EU and social policy developments in recent and new member states’, Journal of European Social Policy, 14:3, pp.203-209, and other articles in this special issue on EU Enlargement, Europeanisation and Social Policy. Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2007 (Third edition) (or Second edition, 2000). 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. Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001. Sinn, H-W and Ochel, W (2003) ‘Social Union, convergence and migration’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41, pp.869-96. Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140. Texts Students are referred below to a range of journal, book and internet texts. These may be added to within the lectures, and if so, sources will be included within the lecture powerpoint presentations placed on the Information System prior to each lecture. Books Hantrais provides a useful introductory overview, and is useful for a range of E.U. social policy areas covered in the course. Kleinman addresses some broader issues concerning the role of social policy in the E.U. Kleinman (Ch.7) also examines the pressures created for EU social policy by rising levels of unemployment and changes in Labour Market policies. Richardson (Ch.3) examines ‘Europeanisation’, as well as Regions and the E.U. social policy process (Ch.13). Featherstone and Radaelli also examine the politics of ‘Europeanisation‘. Hantrais outlines EU strategies for promoting equal opportunities and gender policies in the social policy arena. Castles considers the importance of ‘family friendly’ policies, particularly useful for gender policy analysis. Castles, F. The Future of the Welfare State, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004. Featherstone, K. and Radaelli, C. (eds.) The Politics of Europeanization, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003. Gallie, D. (ed.) Resisting marginalisation: Unemployment experience and social policy in the EU, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004. Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000. Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2007 (Third edition) (or Second edition, 2000). Jones, C. (ed.) New Perspectives on the Welfare State in Europe, London, Routledge, 1993 (especially Liebfried, S. ‘Towards a European Welfare State?’) Jordan, A. and Liefferink, D. (eds.) Environmental Policy in Europe: The Europeanization of National Environmental Policy, London, Routledge, 2004. Kleinman, M. A European Welfare State: European Union Social Policy in context, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2002. McCormick, J. Understanding the European Union (Third Edition), Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2005. Richardson, J. (ed.) European Union. Power and policy-making (Third edition), Oxford, Routledge, 2006. (or Second Edition, 2001) Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001. Rosamond, B. Theories Of European Integration, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2000 Salais, R. and Villeneuve, R. (eds.) Europe and the politics of capabilities, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2004 Schimmelfennig, F. and Sedelmeier, U.. (eds.) The Europeanisation of Central and Eastern Europe, Ithaca NY, Cornell University Press, 2005. Journal Articles Begg, I. and Nectoux, F. (1995) ‘Social protection and economic union’, Journal of European Social Policy, 5, pp.285-302. Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy, 11:2 (various articles of interest) Cunliffe, A. and Wilton, J. (2006) The Development of a European Asylum Policy in an Expanded European Union, Migration Online, May 2006 (www.migrationonline.cz/studies.shtml) Guillen, A. and Palier, B. (2004) ‘Does Europe matter? Accession to EU and social policy developments in recent and new member states’, Journal of European Social Policy, 14:3, pp.203-209, and other articles in this special issue on EU Enlargement, Europeanisation and Social Policy. 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. Mosher, J. and Trubek, D. (2003) ‘Alternative approaches to governance in the EU: EU Social Policy and the European Employment Strategy’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 4:1, pp.63-88. Neilson, J. (1998) ‘Equal opportunities for women in the European Union: success or failure?’, Journal of European Social Policy, 8, pp.64-79. Sinn, H-W and Ochel, W (2003) ‘Social Union, convergence and migration’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 41, pp.869-96. Threlfall, M. (2003) ‘European social integration: harmonization, convergence and the single social area’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13, pp.121-140. Van der Mei (2003) ‘Freedom of movement for the unemployed and co-ordination of unemployment benefit schemes’, European Journal of Social Security, 5:3, pp.214-229. Vobruba, G. (2003) ‘The enlargement crisis of the European Union: limits of the dialectics of integration and expansion’, Journal of European Social Policy, 13 (1), pp.35-48, and responses by M. Bach and M. Rhodes. Walkenhorst, H. (2008) ‘Explaining change in EU education policy’, Journal of European Public Policy, Vol.14, No. 4, June 2008, pp. 567-587. Journals Environmental Politics European Union Politics European Political Science Journal of Common Market Studies Journal of European Social Policy (the ‘European Briefing’ section of this journal is very useful for up-to-date EU developments) Journal of European Public Policy Migration Online (www.migrationonline.cz/studies.shtml) Internet http://www.cec.org.uk http://www.ecsa.org http://europa.eu.int http://ibeurope.eu.int http://www.ieep.org.uk http://www.policylibrary.com
Literatura
  • McCormick, J. Understanding the European Union (Third Edition), Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2005.
  • Roberts, I. and Springer, B. Social Policy in the European Union: Between Harmonisation and National Autonomy, Boulder, Lynne Reiner, 2001.
  • Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000.
  • Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2007 (Third edition) (or Second edition, 2000).
  • Borros, S. and Greve, B. (2004) The Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union, special issue of Journal of European Public Policy.
  • Kleinman, M. A European Welfare State: European Union Social Policy in context, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2002.
Výukové metody
Teaching methods include lectures, workshops and class discussions. Attendance is expected (from 80 % mandatory). Students are encouraged to actively participate in class by posing questions of clarification or bringing up problems for discussion. Students are expected to read the required reading(s).
Metody hodnocení
Course Assessment a) Attendance: 90% attendance at lectures (at least 9) and 100% attendance at the 2 workshops is a requirement to pass this course. b) Essay (maximum 2000 words/6 sides of A4 paper) Deadline: Tuesday 4 January 2011. To be submitted by email or through the Masaryk University Information System Students will be required to submit an essay in answer to one of the questions shown below. The essay must be of a maximum of 2,000 words/6 sides of A4 paper, be typewritten, fully properly referenced, and include a full bibliography. (i) Using examples from at least two social policy areas illustrate practically and theoretically how social policy has grown in importance in the European Union integration project. Suggest political, social or economic reasons for that development. (ii) Providing evidence and examples to justify your arguments, evaluate whether politically European Union social policy can be characterised as Europeanised?
Vyučovací jazyk
Angličtina
Informace učitele
Kontakt: jitaly25@blueyonder.co.uk
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