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| Detailed information |
| Original study plan |
Master's programme Comparative Social Policy and Welfare 2024W |
| Objectives |
After completing the course, students will be familiar with the origins and the current design of social policy in Continental European welfare states, especially Austria, including recent reforms and future challenges. Upon completing the class successfully, students will be able to …
- … demonstrate an understanding of the role of macro-institutional generalizations and typologies in the comparative welfare state literature,
- … characterise and explain the political origins of the Conservative Welfare Regime type and recognize the distinctive features that render the Austrian system of social protection a typical instance of a Conservative welfare state,
- … establish good judgment in assessing socio-economic repercussions and political consequences of some of the Conservative welfare state characteristics,
- … develop ideas for institutional innovation in order to remedy some of the problematic aspects of Conservative social protection institutions (such as their adverse labor market effects or their tendency to protect different groups in society unequally), and
- … employ secondary sources, comparative data, and AI text-generating engines responsibly.
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| Subject |
Students develop an understanding of the overall architecture of the Continental European Model of Social Protection with a particular focus on Austria, as well as on the current debates about these institutional arrangements. At the beginning of the course, the international comparison highlights key features of the Austrian welfare system. Details of the current Austrian welfare state such as the organization of social policy (e.g. social insurance systems) and the strong social partnership tradition will be discussed. A further part of the course advances the understanding of selected social policy fields for Austria (e.g. pension policy, family policy, and unemployment policy). Moreover, students will engage with the history and development of the Austrian model of social protection. At the end of the course, students will critically discuss current challenges and the future of the Austrian welfare state.
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| Criteria for evaluation |
Active participation during the Intensive Program; several short written assignments or presentations.
In the retake-option evaluation is based on a written or oral exam.
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| Methods |
Introduction during the Intensive Program at the beginning of the semester, afterward distance learning
methods supported by Moodle, including individual, interactive, and teamwork activities.
The retake option consists of an 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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