300406 European Social Policy (S) (SoSe 2024)

While the European Union is often held up as a good example of economic and social integration, critics from both sides of politics have argued that the union is inherently neoliberal. They claim that economic integration has been given preference over social policies and potentially come at the expense of national welfare state models. This class will interrogate these claims by exploring key aspects of European social policy, the processes by which policy is designed and then implemented, and the challenges that the European Union may face going forward such as expansion and the environmental crisis. The course is in English, and is organised as an in person block seminar over 7 weeks. A mix of academic articles, media, and podcast materials will be used.