300118 Global Social Policy (in englischer Sprache) (Ü) (SoSe 2008)

'Globalisation' mostly refers to economic globalisation. However, international organisations and social movements increasing call for a 'social dimension of globalisation'. In fact, global politics increasingly attends to 'social' issues ('global social policy'). Bob Deacon, the author of the first textbook on global social policy (1997), stipulates a 'socialisation of global politics'. Historically social policy and the welfare state have been projects of (West and North European) nation states, closely linked to the rise of mass democracies. In the absence of a global state and a global democracy, it is not clear what 'social policy' could mean on a global scale. Can we can reasonably expect that social policy or even a welfare state develops on the global level? How would global social policy differ from the familiar national forms of social policy?

The course (which is held in English) addresses key issues of global social policy in the context of a sociological concept of world society. Questions to be investigated include: What is 'global social policy'? What is 'global' in 'global social policy'? What ideas, actors and institutions are relevant to global social policy? How is global social policy governed in the absence of a world state? ('social global governance') What policies do actors pursue? We will also look at different policy areas such as old-age security and poverty. We will also look into processes of global diffusion of ideas and policies. Global social policy is a fascination new field of research, mostly researched by Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian authors. The course will introduce the participants to this field.

The course is also relevant to students with a general interest in world society studies or in global public policy.

Requirements for participation, required level

General qualification in sociology or political science

Bibliography

Journal 'Global Social Policy' (available in the university library, also for downloading): browse through recent issues/volumes

External comments page

http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/soz/Forschung/Projekte/socialworld/index.html