| Detailed information |
| Original study plan |
Master's programme Joint Master's Degree Programme in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare 2023W |
| Objectives |
This course enables students to work with the terminology, empirical categorizations, theoretical con-cepts, and explanatory approaches of the Comparative Welfare State Literature. After completing the course, students will be equipped with conceptual knowledge and argumentative skills necessary for advanced research of welfare systems. After having taken this class, students…
- … have well-organized and retrievable knowledge of comparative welfare state research and are able to analyze and compare different theoretical arguments about possible explanations and repercussions of social policy intervention,
- … are able to apply theoretical insights to specific events, programs, challenges, or situations in the development of social protection systems, and evaluate both the political feasibility and so-cio-economic consequences of these instances of social policy intervention,
- … employ this conceptual toolbox to develop options for social policy innovation in new geo-graphic and historical contexts,
- … position their own arguments about specific instances of welfare state development within the context of the comparative welfare state literature, and
- … demonstrate competency in accessing state-of-the-art information sources and AI tools when developing these arguments and an awareness of the responsible and ethically acceptable use of these resources.
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| Subject |
Students engage with the major theoretical perspectives that can contribute to the explanation of the emergence of the welfare state and subsequent social policy reforms. They analyze the institutional manifestations of different principles of organizing social protection and briefly revisit welfare state typologies as a major approach in comparative welfare state analysis. The focus is on assessing the promise, underlying theoretical ideas, and the potential hazards of the different kinds of welfare state theorizing. This empowers students to understand and participate in the main debates in the field of comparative welfare state development and to gain in-depth insights into different types of theoretical explanation. In addition, the course aims to provide students with a theoretical toolbox to which they can refer in their own research.
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| Criteria for evaluation |
Active participation during the Intensive Program and, depending on the teaching methods, a combination of individual written assignments and/or exams and teamwork and/or interactive tasks.
In the retake-option evaluation is based on a written or oral exam.
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| Methods |
Presentations by the instructor and class discussion during the Intensive Program at the beginning of the semester. During the semester a combination of independent study of the literature and collaborative descriptive and explanatory projects, in which the conceptual knowledge is applied to specific examples.
The retake option consists of independent study of a reading list provided by the instructor.
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| Language |
English |
| Study material |
Readings and Assignments are provided by the instructor.
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| Changing subject? |
No |
| Further information |
Students who have received a failing grade, or who wish to retake the course to improve their grade, must declare their intention to retake the course before the next semester so that a retake opportunity can be offered. They will then repeat the course through independent study, studying the literature independently from a specially prepared reading list, and demonstrating their competence in a written or oral examination at the end of the semester. The retake option is not a substitute for the regular course. It is only offered to students who have received a grade in the regular course.
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| Earlier variants |
They also cover the requirements of the curriculum (from - to)
929TAPSWSTK14: KS Welfare State Theories (2014W-2020S)
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