300454 Social Policy From Below: Social Movements, Strikes and Policy Development (MA: Politische Soziologie) (S) (SoSe 2021)

This class aims to provoke students to think about the role of social struggle in the creation of social policy. We will identify and uncover key struggles that have created the present, and producing what we take as “normal” policy today. The course is designed to equip students with the intellectual tools to critically engage with how the historical record is produced and reproduced, and the interplay between structure and agency in policy formation. This aims to de-naturalise certain policies and structures highlighting both that social movement successes are not always permanent, and conversely that struggle is a continuous process. Concepts of agency and change will be worked through in conversation with key spheres of global social policy making including labour, environment and women’s rights.

Requirements for participation, required level

Class discussions, readings, assessments, and extra material will all be in English, as such a strong command of English is necessary to complete the course. A mix of materials including academic articles, primary resources, films and podcasts will be used. As an MA course some understanding of key social policy and sociological concepts is presumed.

At this stage this course will be offered as an online course using a mix of zoom meetings, lectures and flexible learning units.