NEOLIBERAL POLICIES

This course is a required course in the political field of the International and cross-cultural relations path and it is an elective course for students in the path of Policies and Institutions for the development at the MA on International Relations. It will allow you to acquire the necessary skills to analyze phenomena and processes taking place in the international political and economic system. Held entirely in English, it also contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the language of international relations at the international level.

1) Knowledge and understanding: This course will allow you to understand the transformation of welfare and labor in a transnational context, in order to deepen your understanding of specific geopolitical, cultural and linguistic realities through an in-depth and specialized bibliography.
2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: This course will provide the skills necessary for the conception, drafting, implementation and monitoring of change in occupational and welfare protection regimes, going back to their historical and economic origin in order to facilitate an understanding of their architecture and philosophy.
3) Autonomous judgment: this course will analyse the way in which thought and philosophy shape national and international history, offering elements necessary to increase your awareness of historical, political, economic, legal and ethical issues related to the role of labor protection and welfare in a perspective of social sustainability.
4) Communication skills: this course will allow you to draw on sources in English and to refine your sociological language. It will also help your communication skills by encouraging transnational discussion, stimulating students to learn from each other's traditions and to acquire the specialist vocabulary of social and political literature related to neoliberal policies.
5) Ability to learn: this course will allow to deepen the knowledge of the existing neoliberal policies in the regional and micro-territorial ambit, thus allowing you to intervene in the organizational modalities of the reference companies.

There are no pre-requisites for this class. A basic knowledge of sociology and economic history is encouraged.

Over the past forty years, neoliberalism has become one of the most important concepts in international politics and sociology. The objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the socio-cultural dynamics that led to the formation of the neo-liberal era, dwelling on its contradictions and limitations. In recent years, neoliberal reforms have rapidly transformed the political agenda, leading to the privatisation of the public sector, the weakening of workers rights and financial deregulation processes. How are these measures transforming society? What impact do they have on women? How do they transform the concept of subjectivity?

All texts will be available at the library or made available on moodle at the beginning of the course.

The following articles and book chapters are required:

David Harvey, A brief history of neoliberalism, Oxford University Press (Chapters 1-4)
M. Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, University of Chicago Press, 1982 (Chapters 6).
J. M. Keynes, Economic Possibilities for our grandchildren, pdf article
Mark Fisher, From K-Punk: Haunthology Nostalgia and Lost Futures; Fear and misery in Neoliberal Britain; Good for Nothing; Notes on Cronenberg's Existenz
The Institution, the Economy and the Market: Karl Polanyi and the origins of neoliberalism. (open access).
Melinda Cooper, Family Values, MIT Press, 2017), chapters 1-4.
Van Der Parjis, Arguing for Basic Income, chapter on moodle.
George Caffentzis, “This is not normal”
Silvia Federici, George Caffentzis, Ousseina Aldou, A Thousand Flowers: Social Struggles Against Structural Adjustment in African Universities, pp. 3-36.
Sergio Rossi, structural reforms in payment systems to avoid another systemic crisis

The final evaluation consists on a written exam based on 8 questions drawn from all the required readings.
The exam will be 90 minutes long.

Frontal lecture, student presentations and class discussions

English

Active participation is strongly encouraged in this class.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development