Caring for, Social Care and Welfare State

general courses

The course is dedicated to graduate students (studenci II stopnia).

The student should have a basic knowledge of social history, sociology, political science and economics of Europe, especially of the Mediterranean region.

The aim of the course is an in-depth discussion and reflection on how the way and circumstances of providing care and support in daily life or readaptation to functioning in society have evolved for so-called vulnerable groups. These include the elderly, children, refugees, but also the unemployed or victims of violence. We will identify groups which, depending on the legal order, cultural system or development of civil society institutions, can count on assistance from individuals, local communities or public institutions. To understand the ongoing transformations in the Mediterranean countries, attention will be paid to the context and impact of demographic changes, the evolution of welfare state systems, the atomisation of societies or the commercialisation of care. At the end of the course, students will be able to explain the complexity of changes taking place in terms of support for marginalized and discriminated groups in various countries throughout the 20th and 21st century

The aim of the course is an in-depth discussion with the students and reflection on how the way and circumstances of providing care and support in daily life or readaptation to functioning in society have evolved for diverse so-called vulnerable groups. These include the elderly, children, refugees, but also the long-term unemployed or victims of violence. Together we will identify a catalogue of groups which, depending on the legal order, cultural system or development of civil society institutions, can count on varieted levels of assistance from individuals, local communities or public institutions. To understand the ongoing transformations in the Mediterranean countries, particular attention will be paid to the context and impact of demographic changes, the evolution of welfare state systems, the atomisation of societies or the commercialisation of care. The series of seminars will be divided into two blocks. The first five meetings will be lectures covering general issues related to the theory of care and assistance, transformations of welfare state regimes, as well as the evolution of social policy institutions. During the second part of the course, students will present research projects on how the welfare system changes for different disadvantaged groups. The topics of the course will therefore include issues characteristic of sociology, history, social policy or philosophy. At the end of the course, students will be able to explain the complexity of changes taking place in terms of comprehensive support for marginalized and discriminated groups in various countries throughout the 20th and 21st century.

1. Francis G. Castles, Stephan Leibfried, Jane Lewis, Herbert Obinger, Christopher Pierson (2010). The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State, Oxford University Press.

2. Judith Philips (2007). Care, Polity Press.

3. Nicholas Barr (2020). Economics of the welfare state, Oxford University Press

4. Stephen Castles, Mark J. Miller (1998). The Age of Migration. International Population Movements in the Modern World, Palgrave Macmillan.

5. Rajendra Baikady, S.M Sajid, Jaroslaw Przeperski, Varoshini Nadesan, M. Rezaul Islam, Jianguo Gao (2021). The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems, Palgrave Macmillan.

6. Hartmut Kaelble (2013). A Social History of Europe, 1945-2000. Recovery and Transformation after Two World Wars, Berghahn.

7. Mary Larkin (2009). Vulnerable Groups in Health and Social Care, Sage.

8. Francesca Ippolito, Sara Iglesias Sánchez (eds.) (2015). Protecting Vulnerable Groups: The European Human Rights Framework, Bloomsbury.

9. Alex Gitterman (ed.) (201). Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations, Columbia University Press.

10. Mimi Ajzenstadt, John Gal (eds.) (2010). Children, Gender and Families in Mediterranean Welfare States, Springer.

11. Ferrera M. (1996). The 'Southern model' of welfare in social Europe, Journal of European Social Policy, 6(1): 17-37.

12. F Bulfone, A Tassinari (2021). Under pressure. Economic constraints, electoral politics and labour market reforms in Southern Europe in the decade of the Great Recession, European Journal of Political Research, 60(3): 509-538.

Detailed literature and sources will be presented to the students during the first meeting. Students will be instructed how to search for scientific texts in the online databases of BUW (UW Library), which will be used to prepare student projects.

Knowledge:

K_W01 Understands the cultural and social processes taking place in the Mediterranean countries (and other regions of European borderlands, including Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans), and their relevance for the entire continent

K_W02 Understands the relationships between the various dimensions of social change (especially with regard to various aspects of mobility and "crises") and knows the approaches to this process related to many scientific fields and disciplines

K_W03 Understands the historical and cultural ties between the countries and peoples of the northern Mediterranean coast and the rest of Europe

K_W04 Knows the terminology of social sciences and understands their role in culture; understands the interdependencies between different social disciplines, as well as their relationship with cultural research

K_W06 Understands the value of an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and interpretation of social changes in the modern world (especially in the Mediterranean countries and in Central and Eastern Europe)

Abilities:

K_U01 Is able to select and make a critical assessment of information coming from various scientific, popular science, journalistic and other sources

K_U02 Is able to use basic numerical methods in order to organize, interpret and present data, especially in the context of social research; is aware of the existence of innovative data sources, including the so-called big data, is able to find and use the necessary data for scientific work

K_U03 Is able to independently conceptualize research problems, selects the appropriate sources, conducts their critical analysis and evaluation according to previously established criteria, can adapt the methodology accordingly to research theme, draw conclusions with the awareness of various points of view

K_U04 Is able to interpret social processes in an advanced and interdisciplinary way, especially the changes taking place in them

K_U05 Is able to prepare an oral or written presentation taking into account the needs of recipients, in particular with the use of a range of digital tools; can present arguments to support her/his beliefs and knowledge in a logical and convincing manner

K_U011 Is able to plan and organize group work (defining goals, stages, roles, selection of methods). Is able to take part in teamwork in various roles

Social competences:

K_K04 Is ready to accept the competence to choose the most appropriate means to perform the indicated tasks

K_K05 Is ready to show respect for partners in the discussion and uses substantive arguments; understands the principles of tolerance and cultural differences

K_K06 Knows the academic ethos and uses it to develop his own scientific achievements

Attendance in class, presentation of the student project, active participation in discussions.

Permissible number of absences: 2.

A grade based on attendance and presentation of a student project on a selected topic.