NEW SOCIAL RISKS POLICIES

This course is included in the "attività caratterizzanti" (characterizing activites) of the master course in Lavoro, Cittadinanza Sociale, Interculturalità (Labour, Social Citizenship and Interculture) and it is related to the following objectives of the master:
- reaching ad advanced knowledge of features and dynamics of contemporary societies with particular reference to contemporary welfare states.
- an advanced knowledge of new social risks and of the policies implemented for addressing them.

Knowledge and understanding
This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of social policies, with a particular focus on so-called new social risks such as work-life balance, non-self-sufficiency, social equity within the green transition, housing deprivation, educational poverty, the working poor and mental health. By the end of the course, students will have acquired:
- knowledge of, and critical understanding of, the specific characteristics of certain new social risks in terms of the configuration of the phenomena, the pressure of the problem, and the interventions implemented (with particular reference to Italy) to address them;
- knowledge of the paradigms that have prevailed in relation to social policies since the Second World War (Keynesian policies, neoliberalism and social investment);
- a particular focus on the most recent paradigm (social investment), which seeks to provide a new theoretical approach to interpreting social risks and ways of addressing them.


The ability to apply knowledge and understanding.
After attending the course, students will be able to:
- identify the strengths and weaknesses of the social investment approach and its implementation in Italy and Europe;
Critically analyse policies and specific instruments/measures implemented in Italy and Europe to combat new social risks (e.g. minimum income, universal child allowance, carers' allowance, social housing).

To achieve these objectives, the course will include several moments of discussion among students on the assigned materials, which must have been read beforehand. Students will also be asked to present some readings in class for the purpose of stimulating discussion.

Autonomy of judgment:
During the course, students are asked to compare the various approaches and methodologies presented, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.


Learning skills.
Know how to critically consult reference texts (and related bibliographies) and teaching materials on Moodle to make connections between different approaches and contexts.

Students should have a basic knowledge of the functioning of the welfare state and of the main social policies.
For those who have never been taught social policy, I recommend reading chapters 1,2,3 of the following volume: Ranci and Pavolini 2024 (second edition), Le politiche di welfare, Il Mulino Bologna https://www.mulino.it/isbn/9788815389794

The knowledge that will be acquired in this first module of the course concerns in particular: the new social risks (causes and effects), the transition from Keynesian welfare to neo-liberal welfare and the perspective of Social Investment as an alternative to the paradigm of Keynesian and neo-liberal policies.
The following concrete social policies related to new social risks will also be presented and analyzed:
Work-life balance policies
Policies to combat poverty
Policies to address extreme marginalization (homeless people)
Housing policies
Gender policies and measures to combat gender-based violence
Policies to counter poverty and educational inequalities

The readings have been uploaded to the Moodle space for this course.

The exam will consist of answering a single written question in 10 minutes (maximum 10 lines), followed by a 15-minute oral interview in group of 3 students. The format of the interview will be explained in class and the instructions will be uploaded to the Moodle page.

written and oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Grading is as follows:

Scores in the range 18-22 will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the examination material;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of language specific to social policy.

Scores in band 23-26 will be awarded in the presence of:
- fair knowledge and ability to apply understanding relating to examination material
- discrete communication skills, especially in relation to the use of language specific to social policy.

Scores in the 27-30 bracket will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or excellent knowledge and ability to apply understanding of examination materials;
- fully adequate communication skills, especially with regard to the use of language specific to social policy.
Honours will be awarded for knowledge and ability to apply understanding of the syllabus, excellent judgement and communication skills.

During the course there will be some lectures and some workshop where students are invited to present reading and discuss on issues related to the course objectives. During the course experts will be invited for discussing specific issues related to the course. At the beginning of the course a detailed calendar of the classes will be given.
On 14th May lesson will take place at Emergency in Giudecca.

Ca' Foscari applies Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) for support and accommodation services available to students with disabilities or with specific learning disabilities. If you have a motor, visual, hearing or other disability (Law 17/1999) or a specific learning disorder (Law 170/2010) and request support (assistance in the classroom, technological aids for carrying out exams or exams individualized, accessible format material, notes retrieval, specialized tutoring to support the study, interpreters or other) contact the Disability and DSA office disabilita@unive.it.

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