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Identical coursesSolidarity in European Welfare States (B-KUL-S0F89A)
Van Lancker Wim (coordinator) | Meuleman Bart | Van Lancker Wim Aims
Upon completion of this course students have reached the following aims:
- Students have comprehensive knowledge of solidarity as a social problem in modern (post-) industrial societies;
- Students are acquainted with and can compare social solidarity theories from different disciplinary perspectives (anthropology, sociology, economy, biology);
- Students can recognize and analyze contemporary social trends and the solidarity challenges they raise in the context of the modern European welfare state;
- Students know why and how contemporary social, cultural and economic policies organize solidarity in modern societies and can critically analyze and evaluate their social functioning in this respect;
- Students can retrieve academic and policy-related articles and reports in the field of social, cultural and economic policies, communicate orally the essence of their content to their peers and discuss with them on their findings;
- Students can cooperate in developing a policy-relevant, scientific research question and write a proposal for future research.
These aims are communicated to the students at the beginning of the course.
Previous knowledge
At the beginning of this course students are expected to have followed at least one course on Social Science Research Design Methodology. The course S0A18A ‘Methodologie van de sociale wetenschappen’ at the faculty of Social Sciences meets these objectives.
Is included in these courses of study
- Master in de communicatiewetenschappen (Leuven) (Afstudeerrichting media, cultuur en beleid) 60 ects.
- Master in de sociologie (Leuven) 60 ects.
- Master in het sociaal werk en sociaal beleid (Leuven e.a.) 60 ects.
- Master of Advanced Studies in European Policies and Public Administration (Leuven et al) 60 ects.
- Courses for Exchange Students Faculty of Social Sciences (Leuven)
- Master of Bioethics (Leuven) 60 ects.
- Master of Sociology (Leuven) (Solidarity and Social Risks in Europe) 60 ects.
- Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives (Programme for students started before 2024-2025) (Leuven) (Social Europe and European Welfare States) 60 ects.
- Master in de vergelijkende en internationale politiek (programma voor studenten gestart in 2024-2025 of later) (Leuven) 60 ects.
- Master of European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives (Programme for students started in 2024-2025) (Leuven) (Module 2: European Policies and Governance) 60 ects.
Activities
5 ects. Solidarity in European Welfare States (B-KUL-S0F89a)
Content
Solidarity between individuals and groups is a pre-requisite for a well-functioning society, as well as for individual well-being. Because of the dynamics of modern social life, with its shifting and conflicting interests and identities, solidarity is often in a fragile state, and has to be actively organized more or less permanently. In most modern societies the welfare state plays a pivotal role in this, alongside market forces, institutions in civil society and the family.
This course focuses first on social solidarity as a social problem present in any (post)industrial society. It presents, discusses and compares various disciplinary perspectives on the character and functions of social solidarity, including sociology, anthropology, rational choice, biology. Second, the course explains why and how the modern social institution of the welfare state aims at organizing social solidarity, and discusses specific social trends that challenge welfare states regarding their solidaristic functioning. Specific topics are informed by actual developments, and include gender solidarity, intergenerational solidarity, welfare state solidarity, solidarity in work and care, and solidarity between immigrants and natives.
Course material
The following course materials will be used:
- Toledo is being used for the course slides, instructions for the assignment, the take home-exam and announcements from the lecturers
- Reading list with reader, available online as well as via Politika course service
- Notes from the lectures
Format: more information
The course is organized according to the principles of blended learning, in which contact education (face-to-face) and online learning are combined.
During the lectures social solidarity theories and trends and challenges across social, cultural and economic policies will be introduced and discussed on the basis of texts and examples. Students are expected to read the relevant articles in advance of the lectures.
Evaluation
Evaluation: Solidarity in European Welfare States (B-KUL-S2F89a)
Explanation
Evaluation characteristics
The evaluation has 2 components:
- Essay: Students write a final essay (max. 5000 words) in self-selected groups. The essay has the form of a proposal for research. More details on the essay are provided on the Toledo site. Students with a ‘Statuut Werkstudent’ can, in consultation with and after approval of the lecturer, deviate from this evaluation characteristic.
- Take-home exam during the regular exam period: one open, essay question concerning the articles on the reading list, the contents of the classes and the lecture slides. Students have to use the course material to make this exam.
Final grade
The course is evaluated by the lecturer(s), as communicated via Toledo and the exam schedule. The result is calculated and expressed as an integer out of 20. It consists of 50% of the essay grade + 50% of the take-home exam. Both component grades are not rounded off. The final grade is rounded off to a whole number.
To pass the course students have to pass both examcomponents (essay and take-home exame). If the result for the essay is less than 10/20, or the result of the take home exam is less than 10/20, the final result for the whole course will be marked as minumum with the fail and a maximum of 9. If the student does not hand in the essay by the set deadline,the student will get a NA for the whole course.
Students are fully responsible for submitting an essay free of fraud and plagiarism. Plagiarism (http://www.kuleuven.be/plagiarism/ ) is a form of examination fraud that consists of the action of copying the work (ideas, texts, structures, images, plans, …) of someone else without adequate acknowledgement, in an identical form or slightly changed. For the application of these regulations the copying of one’s own work without adequate acknowledgement is considered examination fraud. Plagiarism will be sanctioned with the sanctions mentioned in the University’s Regulations on Education and Examinations (http://www.kuleuven.be ).
Retaking exams
The evaluation characteristics and the formula for calculating the final result for the second examination opportunity are the same as for the first examination opportunity.
For an evaluation component (essay and/or take-home exam) for which students received a grade of 10/20 or higher in the first period, it is not possible to retake the evaluation. This first period grade will then be treated as the component’s grade for the second examination period.
For the evaluation component (essay and/or take-home exam) for which students received a grade less than 10/20 in the first period, the students will need to have a second examination and receive a grade of at least 10/20.
The deadline to hand in the retake essay will be communicated via Toledo.
Information about retaking exams
See ‘Explanation’ for more information on the second examination opportunity.