Syllabus

Title
1442 Course I: Introduction to Health and Social Policy
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Dr. Ulrike Schneider, Mark Golboyz, M.Sc.,B.A.
Contact details
ulrike.schneider@wu.ac.at
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/25/24 to 09/30/24
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Subject(s) Bachelor Programs
Course I - Health and Social Policy
Course I - Health and Social Policy
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Monday 10/07/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 10/14/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 10/21/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 10/28/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 11/04/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 11/11/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 11/18/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 11/25/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 12/02/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18
Monday 12/09/24 02:30 PM - 05:00 PM TC.4.18
Monday 12/16/24 02:30 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.18

On this page:

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Contents

The course will present an introduction to social policy. It explains key economic concepts that are relevant to designing social security systems and policy programmes. It will provide an overview over important social policies including poverty reduction, pensions, health and long-term care and unemployment insurance. Each social policy will be illustrated by concrete examples in Austria and internationally, and analyzed from an interdisciplinary perspective. Student group projects will deal with selected social policy issues.

Topics covered in this course:

  • social policy, social welfare and the welfare state: objectives, principles, actors, policies
  • social risk and (social) insurance
  • equity: concepts, issues and policies
  • comparative welfare state analysis
  • subfields of social policy (poverty, pension, health and long-term care, and labor market policies
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Learning outcomes

The course provides a framework for understanding, reviewing and critical analysis of  the practice of social policy. After attending this course, students will be able to:

  • outline and apply the conceptual foundations of social policy
  • understand fundamental design principles of social security systems,
  • identify alternative welfare state models,
  • characterise social policies in selected countries,
  • analyse and discuss social policy approaches against the background of major economic and social policy objectives,
  • understand and discuss academic social policy papers. 

In addition, students will:

  • gain practice and improve their skills in writing, presenting and discussing their ideas.
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Attendance requirements

This being a ‘course with continuous assessment (PI)’ students need to attend at least 80% of the time of the scheduled course units for completing the course successfully. Ideally you attend all units fully. If you are unable to fully attend a unit, please let the lecturer(s) know in advance. In case online units are scheduled, the same attendance requirements apply.

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Teaching/learning method(s)

There will be (online) lectures, in-class assigments and interactive formats. Lectures will be complemented by home assignments to be prepared and delivered partly individually and partly in small teams (group presentations). Finally, students will work on an individual seminar paper.

  • (online) lectures
  • team-based learning
  • group presentations
  • seminar papers  (critical review paper) 
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Assessment

Assessment (relative weights in the final grade): 

 

  • written test (single-choice test): 20%
  • group project: 40% (5% assessed on the individual level)
  • response paper ("reaction paper") related to a social policy reading (individual): 40%

Please note that your presence for the presentation of the group projects is indispensable.

Please also note that the use of AI for your response paper is strictly limited to querying concepts or methods that are mentioned in the paper you discuss and for which you seek a better understanding. You should neither copy & paste nor paraphrase text generated by a large-language model (such as ChatGPT). WU uses AI-dection tools to screen student submissions.

Grade Key (point ranges)

  • 1: Excellent (90-100 points)
  • 2: Good (80-89 points)
  • 3: Satisfactory (65-79 points)
  • 4: Sufficient (50-64 points)
  • 5: Fail (0-49 points)
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Readings

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

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Availability of lecturer(s)

After class or via Email  (ulrike.schneider@wu.ac.at; mark.golboyz@wu.ac.at). 

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Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1 07.10.2024

Introduction to Welfare, the Welfare State and Social Policy  (Lecture 1)

Readings:

  • Barr 2020, Ch.1 (pp.3-20);
  • optional: Greve 2020, Ch. 2 (pp.14-30) and Ch.3.3 (37-40); Garland 2016, Ch. 1+2 (pp.1-25); Pestieau & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.1 (pp.1-10)
2 14.10.2024

Social policy for reasons of efficiency: Overview  (Lecture 2)

Reading: Barr 2020, Ch. 3.3.2 - 3.3.5 (pp.49-60)
3 21.10.2024

Provision of (Social) Insurance

Reading: Barr 2020, Ch.4 (pp. 86-104)
4 28.10.2024

Efficiency issues in the provision of Social Services (Lecture 3b)

Social Policy for Reasons of Equity, Overview (Lecture 4, Part 1)

Readings:

  • Greve 2019a, Ch.3 (Why inequality matters), (pp.39-55)
  • Barr 2020, Ch.5.3.1  & 5.3.2  (pp.120-123) or
  • Greve 2019b, Ch.4.5 Choice and equality/inequality, (pp.74-76)

[Time allowing: Measuring poverty and inequality (Lecture 4, Part 2)]

Readings:

    • Barr 2020, Ch. 5.2 (pp.113-119), 5.3.3 (pp. 123-124), 5.4.1 (pp. 125-128)
    • optional: Pestieu & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.2 (pp.11-25)
5 04.11.2024

[If not completed on 28 October:  Measuring poverty and inequality (Lecture 4, Part 2)]

Readings:

  • Barr 2020, Ch. 5.2 (pp.113-119), 5.3.3 (pp. 123-124), 5.4.1 (pp. 125-128)
  • optional: Pestieu & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.2 (pp.11-25)

 

Poverty Policy (Lecture 5)

Readings:

  • Barr 2020: Ch.8.1-8.4.5 (pp.195-214)
  • optional: Barr 2020, Ch.8.4.6+8.4.7 (pp.215-224)

 
6 11.11.2024

TEST 

 
7 18.11.2024

Labour Market Policy (Lecture 6)

Background Readings on Labour Market Policy:

  • Greve 2019b, Ch.7 The Labour Market (pp. 106-129)
  • Pestieau & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.13, (pp. 157-173)
  • optional: Greve 2019, Ch.4 Dualisation of the labour market (pp.57-75)
8 25..11.2024
  • Debate 1: Statutory minimum wages
  • Pension Policy (Lecture 7)

Background Readings on Pension Policy:

  • Barr 2021. Pension Design and the Failed Economics of Squirrels. LSE Policy review
  • Greve 2019b, Ch.13 Pensions - important in old age (pp.212-222)
  • Pestieau & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.10 Old Age Pensions (pp.123-136)
9 02.12.2024
  • Debate 2: Adjusting the statutory retirement age
  • Pension Policy (Lecture 7) ctd.
10 09.12.2024
  • Debate 3, Gender Quotas
  • Discrimination & Non-Discrimination Policy (Lecture 8)
11 16.12.2024

Health and Long-term Care Policy (Lecture 9)

Background Readings on Long-term Care Policy:
Österle, A. (2024). Long-term care. In Research Handbook on Health Care Policy (pp. 191-207). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Greve 2019b: Ch.12 Long-term Care (pp.203-211)

[time allowing: Welfare State Design and Comparison (Lecture 10) (Will also be a topic in the HSP 4 course)].

Background Readings on Welfare State Typologies and Design Issues:

  • Greve 2019b, Ch.3 Welfare States and Welfare Regimes (here: pp.31-37), & Ch.8.2 (pp.131-136)
  • Pestieau & Lefebvre 2018, Ch.5 Types of Social Protection (pp.47-60)
  • optional: Barr 2020, Ch. 3.6 (pp.73-76)
Last edited: 2024-11-26



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