The Welfare State in Global Perspective (10 credit points)

Content of Course

1. Origins and development of welfare states: a historical overview of the development of welfare in Europe and around the world.

2. Types of welfare states: an introduction to welfare regime theory and a comparison with other approaches.

3. Family models and demographic challenges: an analysis of gender and breadwinner models and an examination of demographic challenges such as fertility decline and population ageing.

4. Economic underpinnings and challenges: globalisation and the development of social expenditure theory including an examination of the concept of convergence.

5. The liberal welfare states: an introduction to the Anglo-Saxon model with a particular emphasis on the English-speaking nations.

6. The Bismarckian welfare states: the characteristics of a Bismarckian regime with particular emphasis on Germany and France.

7. The Nordic welfare states: focuses on the Social Democratic Model, introducing students to Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

8. Alternative models of welfare (1): The Southern Model. Does a fourth welfare regime exist? This week studies the characteristics of welfare in Italy with reference to Spain, Greece and Portugal.

9. Alternative models of welfare (2): The OECD. The analysis of the emergence of welfare systems in alternative OECD countries such as Cuba, China and Central and Eastern Europe, including an analysis of their legacy of decades of state socialism.

10. European welfare states in comparative perspective. The final class focuses on whether, despite all the differences between the welfare states found in Europe, it still makes sense to speak of a social model that is common to European countries when compared to other developed countries, especially the USA and the rest of the world.

Teaching method(s)

Teaching comprises a series of two hour classes. The first hour will normally be a lecture presented in PowerPoint. The notes will be available to students. The second hour will be a debate, discussion or presentation on an important issue raised in that week.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different welfare systems across various OECD countries in comparative perspective;

• Understand the challenges faced by welfare states and the ways in which these are being addressed;

• Compare and contrast OECD welfare states;

• Account for the differences between welfare states around the world.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Castles, F.G. et al (eds) 2010. The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Recommended:

• Cousins, M. 2005. European Welfare States. Comparative Perspectives. London: Sage

• Esping-Andersen, G. 2000. Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Hay, C. and Wincott, D. 2012. The Political Economy of European Welfare Capitalism. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Web Sources

Essential:

The Main Library's list of online journals is at: http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/lib/resources/collections/serials/ejintro.shtml

See especially Journal of European Social Policy which has a Digest section on recent policy changes, and also (in the Main Library) Journal of Social Policy, Social Policy and Administration, West European Politics and Policy and Politics.

OCED: www.oecd.org

Recommended:

ILO: www.ilo.org

European Union: ec.europa.eu

Class Handouts

PowerPoint lecture notes will be available as a handout. A class reading will be available for download on a weekly basis.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.