OVERVIEW

The course outlines the main features of italian social policies in a comparative perspective, examining the macro phases that have led to the current configuration of the welfare state in Italy, with particular regard to pension policies, labor policies, health policies and social policies. The evaluation of social policies as learning tool for the stakeholders of the implementation system: fundamental concepts, approaches, method.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Italian welfare state, in comparison with other European models of welfare state. Policies of social assistance: the concept of assistance, its history, functioning and further development.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with basic concepts on public policy analysis and models for analyzing social policies in the european, italian and local contexts from a historical-comparative perspective; specific knowledge about historical evolution and the current configuration of Italian social policies, with particular regard to pension policies, labor policies, health policies and social-welfare policies; basic skills in social policies evaluation.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons are alternated with discussions with students and possible proposals of activities in groups based on the methedology of the TBL.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The following content will be treated

1. Social needs, risks, social policies and welfare states; assistance, insurance and social security; historical welfare state evolution; the welfare state as a socio-political system; welfare models and welfare regimes.

2. Pension policy; evolution of old age protection policies; demographic changes and crisis of the systems of protection of the old age; retirement reforms of the 1990s and 2000s and transition to multi-pillar systems.

3. Labor policy; birth and evolution of the original model of labor policies; socio-economic and industrial transformations and new labor policy models in Italy; regulation and governance of labor policies between european efforts, national framework and local impulses.

4. Health policy; origin of health systems in the post-war period and SSN in Italy; cost increases, crisis in health systems and containment strategies and rationalization of spending; healthcare reforms of the 1990s and 2000s.

5. Social welfare: social assistance and its role in the welfare state; actors of social welfare, subsidiarity and welfare mix; evolution of social assistance in Italy; socio-economic transformations, new needs and new social-welfare policies; reforms of the 1990s and 2000s.

6. Evaluation of social policies: fundamental concepts, approaches, method; design of evalutative research; theory driven evaluation  and participatory evaluation

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ferrera M. (a cura di), 2019, Le politiche sociali. Terza edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna

Torrigiani C., 2010, Valutare per apprendere. Capitale sociale e teoria del programma. FrancoAngeli, Milano

Materials available on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLAUDIO TORRIGIANI (President)

STEFANO POLI

VALERIA SILVIA PANDOLFINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First semester

Class schedule

SOCIAL POLICY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For non-attending students the exam consists of a written test and an oral test. The written test consists of a test with 30 closed-ended questions, lasting 40 minutes in total, which is held on the platform https://esami.aulaweb.unige.it/. The evaluation of the test, in 30ths, is carried out by subtracting 0.7 points for each incorrect or missing answer. Only those who have passed the test, at the next session [NB], can take the oral test, evaluated in 30ths. The final mark consists of the average of the two marks.

NB: the student who, having passed the test, does not take the oral exam at the next useful session, must repeat the test.

For attending students [NB1] it is possible to use the modality foreseen for non attending students, and to carry out the intermediate tests that will be held during the course of the teaching with methods that will be explained in class. Each intermediate test will be evaluated in 30ths. If equal to or greater than 18/30 [NB2], the average of these tests allows the student to access the oral test by the winter session (between December 2020 and February 2021) [NB3]. The oral exam is evaluated in 30ths. The final mark consists of the average of the two marks.

NB1: students who attend lessons of 65% or more are considered attending.

NB2: Students who do not reach an average of 18/30 with intermediate tests must take the exam in the manner prescribed for non-attending students.

NB3: The student who with the intermediate tests reaches an average of 18/30 and does not take the oral test within the winter session, will have to take the exam in the manner prescribed for non-attending students.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test is preparatory for access to the oral test.

Through the writing, the teacher verifies the student's acquisition of the fundamental concepts dealt with during the course, the ability to relate them to each other, the mastery of notions and technical language.

Through the oral exam, the teacher verifies the student's ability to discuss what has been learned and his competence in applying these learnings to real problems.

Exam schedule