Postgraduate Course: European Social Policy (PGSP11203)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.ed.ac.uk/social_policy/ |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The course is organised in three sections. The first aims to provide an understanding of why welfare states emerged in Europe, how welfare states have been restructured and how welfare states are organised in selected European countries. We then address how we can make sense of the variations in national welfare state design and the wider political economy. The second part deals with the main challenges that all European welfare states are currently facing, most notably globalisation, demographic change and the transition to a service sector economy. The third section moves the focus to the European Union level - what are EU competences in social policy, how is social policy made at EU level, how has this changed over time and what future is there for a 'European Social Model' in the context of the Eurozone crisis, changing EU membership and different scenarios for the future EU? |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: 43 |
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2013 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
- To gain a critical understanding of why welfare states emerged in Europe and how they are restructured;
- To analyse the implications of the different ways in which benefits and services are provided and financed;
- To critically engage with the challenges posed by economic and demographic change for the welfare state and the varying responses by different welfare states to these challenges;
- To scrutinize the 'social dimension' of the European Union and the problems related to promoting common social policies across its (growing number of) member states;
- To critically evaluate current EU policies in the context of the Euro crisis and its likely implications for the future of social policy in the EU.
|
Assessment Information
| One 4,000-word essay to be chosen from a list provided by the course tutor. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Part A: Social Policy in Europe
1. The emergence and the development of European welfare states
2. Country comparisons I: France and the United Kingdom
3. Country comparisons II: Germany and Denmark
4. Welfare state models
5. Welfare states and national production regimes
Part B: Retrenchment and restructuring
6. Challenges and pressure for change
7. New social risks and the idea of social investment
Part C: The European Union and Social Policy
8. The EU and its 'social dimension'
9. The open method of coordination
10. European social policy in times of crisis |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elke Heins
Tel: (0131 6)50 4049
Email: Elke.Heins@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Jodie Fleming
Tel: (0131 6)51 5066
Email: Jodie.Fleming@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2013 The University of Edinburgh - 10 October 2013 5:08 am
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