ASOK05324U Sociology of the Welfare State: Comparative Perspective

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MA Theme course
BA-undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.
Content
Course plan and schedule 

1. Introduction. The Welfare State: the Bishop of Canterbury and the Second World War 
Literature: Asa Briggs: “The Welfare State in Historical Perspective.”† pp. 16-29. 
Thomas H. Marshall: “Citizenship and Social Class.”† pp. 30-39. 

2. Origin and Development of the Welfare State 

Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 4.” pp. 105-142. 

3. Industrialism, Modernization and Social Democracy 
Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 1.” pp. 9-40. 

4. Political Economy and the Welfare State 
Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 2.” pp. 41-65. 

5. New Social Movements and the Welfare State 
Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 3.” pp. 66-102. 

6. Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism or Four? 
Literature: Gøsta Esping-Andersen: “Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism.”† pp. 160-174. 
Walter Korpi: “Welfare state Regimes in Western Europe.” † pp. 246-268. 

7. The Welfare Modelling Business 
Literature: Will Arts & John Gelissen.”Three worlds of welfare capitalism, or more?”† pp. 175-198. 

8. The Legacy of Richard M. Titmuss 
Literature: Richard M. Titmuss: “Universalism Versus Selection;”† pp. 40-47. 

9. Germanic Understandings of the Social State 
Literature: Claus Offe: “Some Contradictions of the Modern Welfare State.”† pp. 66-75. 
Fritz Scharpf: “Negative integration: States and the Loss of boundary Control.”† pp. 223-225. 

10. Understanding Welfare with Respect to Gender: A Feminist Approach 
Literature: Mary McIntosh: “Feminism and Social Policy.”† pp. 120-133. 
Carol Pateman: “The Patriarchal Welfare state.” † pp.134-151. 

11. After the Golden Age 
Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 5 pp. 143-170. 

12. Economic Challenges to the Welfare State 
Literature: Francis Castles: ”A Race to the Bottom?”† pp. 226-244. 

13. Beyond the Welfare State 
Literature: Ch. Pierson: “Chpt. 6.” pp. 171-198. 

14. Postmodernism and Welfare 
Literature: Giuliano Bonoli: “The Politics of the New Social Policies”† pp. 389-407. 
Anthony Giddens: “Positive welfare.”† pp. 378-388.
Learning Outcome

Formålet med undervisningen er mere generelt, at den studerende opøver mere dybtgående færdigheder i at anlægge sociologiske perspektiver på samfundsmæssige fænomener.

Sociologiske Temafag omfatter således en præsentation af, hvorledes samfundsmæssige institutioner, sektorer og problemområder fremstår i et sociologisk perspektiv. Dette gælder eksempelvis organisationer, familie, uddannelse, arbejdsliv, medier og sociale problemer. Der lægges her specielt vægt på, hvad det sociologiske perspektiv tilbyder frem for andre perspektiver såsom det politologiske, retslige eller økonomiske.

Nærmere bestemt skal den studerende kunne:

· formulere en afgrænset og præcis problemstilling med udgangspunkt i det udbudte fags genstandsfelt/ problematik

· strukturere og argumentere overbevisende i behandlingen af den præciserede problemstilling

· inddrage relevant litteratur vedrørende teori, begreber og analyser af det pågældende genstandsfelt/​problematik

· gøre den behandlede litteratur til genstand for selvstændig bearbejdning og kritisk stillingtagen

· udfolde teoretiske betragtninger stillet over for det pågældende genstandsfelt/​problematik

Students must buy Christopher Pierson & Francis G. Castles (eds.) The Welfare State Reader. Second Edition. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2006 (†), and Christopher Pierson Beyond the Welfare State? The New Political Economy of Welfare, Third Edition. Cambridge: Polity Press 2006.
MA-level (English)
Not for undergraduates from our own Department of Sociology Not for undergraduates from other danish departments
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.

Kurset fungerer samtidig som linjefag i specialiseringsretningen: Politisk sociologi
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 123,5
  • Preparation
  • 123,5
  • Total
  • 275,0
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Assesment: 7-point scale
Individual or group
Examiner: External examiner
Size: A Free written take-home essay of maximum 15 pages of 2400 characters each page (incl. spaces). If written by a group, the essay may be 50 % of 2400 characters each page longer per additional student.
Attention: When handing in as a group, the contribution of each student must be pointed out
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiner
Exam period
Handing in papers:
Criteria for exam assesment
See course aims
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
Assesment: 7-point scale
Individual
Examiner: Internal examiner
Size: A synopsis of maximum 3 pages of 2400 characters. The synopsis may be handed in as a group. However, the oral exam is on individual basis. The synopsis itself is meant as a discussion paper and does not enter into the assessment
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiner
Exam period
Handing in papers:
Criteria for exam assesment
See course aims