The Welfare State: Past and Present (History & Political Science)

Course goals

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• describe and explain the historical origins, development, variety, and political logic of welfare states
 
• to interpret and analyse problems and challenges for contemporary welfare states
 
• to analyse and evaluate various aspects of welfare states by using political theories and historical insights
 
• to juxtapose and combine theories about welfare states from political science and history
 
• to construct and articulate sound arguments in a debate, and to assess critically the arguments presented by others and by oneself
 
• to report and discuss their own research according to the standards of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary training offered in the program   

Content

This course explores the historical origins, development, variety and political logic of welfare states. How can we explain the development of welfare arrangements in capitalist nations-states? What models of welfare states can be distinguished and how have scholars sought to theoretically explain this variety? What were the most important historical developments that have contributed to making and alterations of welfare states? What is the relationship between welfare and warfare? To what extent are welfare state arrangements the result of collective action and the pressure exerted by social movements? And how greatly has the ideology of neoliberalism contributed to more recent changes? What methods should we use to study the past and present of the welfare state? A critical engagement with these questions equips students with the analytical and conceptual tools as well as necessary background knowledge to reflect on contemporary challenges facing the welfare state.     

This course has priority rules and a waiting list.

Additional information

This course is only open to students from the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Law, Economics, and Governance.

This course has priority rules and a waiting list. Your enrolment is guaranteed if you are: 

• a student in the BA PPE enrolled in the thematic package Challenges to the Welfare State.

In all other situations, you will be placed on a waiting list if you enrol in this course. For any remaining slots in the course, lots are drawn among the students on the waiting list.