Module overview
This module will explore the concepts of Modern Society and the Welfare State, based on key theories. We will engage with how modernity has been framed by classical and contemporary sociological writings and in that context analyse how individuals, collectives, markets, and interests and have been conceptualised. The welfare state is an integral part of modern society and this module will investigate why modernisation and welfare state development went hand in hand, by studying the evolution of collective insurance against risks of poverty or ill health. On this basis we will turn our attention to contemporary dynamics of modern societies, giving particular consideration to non-OECD countries, which “modernised” from the second half of the 20th century, such as China and Korea. Throughout the module students will be encouraged to critically engage with these sociological debates, assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches and evaluate attempts to operationalise them in comparative research.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Understand key theories explaining the emergence and evolution of social policies and welfare states in modern societies.
- Know how the different perspectives on modernity and the welfare state complement or conflict with one another and of the ways in which more recent approaches have built on, rejected or attempted to tread a line between, previous approaches.
- Understand how sociologists have gone about studying and conceptualising modern societies, and the significance of modernity for the emergence of sociology as a discipline.
- Be able to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the approaches considered, and their implications for the ways in which we go about studying the social world, especially when taking a global perspective.
Syllabus
1. Background - the emergence of Modern Societies and the aims of Sociology
2. Making sense of Modernity (1): Marx, Durkheim and the Modern World
3. Making sense of Modernity (2): Weber, Simmel on the Modern World
4. Classical legacies (1): consensus vs conflict
5. Classical legacies (2): micro and macro sociologies
6. The Modern World and the Welfare State: Industrialism
7. Political power and the welfare state
8. The concept of welfare state types
9. Welfare state regimes in the industrialised world
10. The developmental welfare state in the industrialising world
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching will take place in one two-hour session per week. The format will be seminar-based, students are provided with guided readings in advance of the session, and the seminar tutor will encourage them to engage in seminar discussions. On some occasions student might be asked to present material at the start of sessions. There will be a total of 20 seminar-based contact hours and up to 20 contact hours of tutorial support.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 180 |
| Teaching | 20 |
| Total study time | 200 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Comparative Political Studies.
Sociology.
British Journal of Sociology.
Asian Studies Review.
World Development.
Journal of European Social Policy.
International Political Sociology.
Journal of Human Development and Capabilities.
Journal of Social Policy.
Development and Change.
International Journal of Social Welfare.
Textbooks
Ritzer, G. (2003). Sociological Theory. McGraw Hill.
Shilling, C. & Mellor, P (2001). The Sociological Ambition. Sage.
Crow, G.. The Art of Sociological Argument.. Palgrave offers another approach to some of the theorists considered in the course, looking at how they present their ideas.
Haggard, S, Kaufman, R. (2008). Development, Democracy, and Welfare States.. Princeton: Princeton University.
Esping-Andersen, Gosta (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Oxford: Polity Press.
Castles, F.; Leibfried, S.; Lewis, J., Obinger, H. and Pierson, C. (eds.) (2010). The Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. New York: Oxford University Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
- One essay of 2500 words worth 50% of the total mark
- One essay of 2500 words worth 50% of the total mark
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 50% |
| Essay | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Analytical essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External