PS894 - SOCIAL POLICIES

The course aims to:


offer a systematic overview of the foundations of social policy, tracing their historical development from a comparative perspective;

analyse in depth the main policy areas — healthcare, social assistance, labour and pensions — highlighting their institutional architecture and territorial specificities.

By the end of the course, students are expected to have developed:


Knowledge and understanding
Mastery of the evolutionary processes of the welfare state and the analytical categories used to interpret them.

Independent judgement

A capacity to critically engage with authors, texts, arguments and debates presented in class.


Communication skills

The ability to present the acquired knowledge clearly, accurately and coherently.

Learning competences
Development of abstract thinking, problem-analysis methodologies and a robust critical mindset.

These objectives will be pursued through in-class discussions, ongoing interaction with the instructor, guided study of the texts and student presentations. Acquisition of the competences will be assessed during the final examination.