TLÜ ÕIS

Comparative Welfare State

Course code

RIA6002.YK

old course code

RIA6002

Course title in Estonian

Heaoluriigi mudelid

Course title in English

Comparative Welfare State

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2025/2026 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

To provide opportunities to gain theoretical and empirical knowledge about the basic features, developments and outcomes
of different welfare regimes to support the capability to analyze welfare policies in different contexts.

Brief description of the course

Overview of the development of the welfare state. Typologies of welfare states (Esping-Andersen, Titmuss, Ferrera, etc.). Bismarck vs. Beveridge in the formation of welfare states. The effectiveness of welfare models in achieving their main objectives and the main social security systems. Interactions between the labour market and the welfare state, as well as labour market policies & institutions and their developments in different models. Evolving and transformed family models and the policies supporting them. Health care organization and its compatibility with welfare state typologies. Connections between education policy and welfare policies. Reforming the welfare state in response to changing demographic and labour market conditions, including so-called social investment policies. A life-course perspective on the functioning of welfare policies, and youth and the welfare state. Public opinion and party politics in the formation of the welfare state (politics of welfare). The welfare state’s response to crises. Climate change and welfare state. The impact of the European Union and globalization on welfare states. Financing and governance of the welfare state.
The lectures provide a concentrated overview of the topics, which students will deepen through independent work. Independent work includes studying the assigned literature, preparing for seminars and lectures, including making seminar presentations and/or studying related literature, as well as preparing for exams.
Course materials and ongoing information are compiled in the Moodle environment.
https://moodle.edu.ee/enrol/index.php?id=20256

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- understands the nature, functioning logic, and main variations of the welfare state;
- is able to assess the compatibility of sectoral policies with the key features of the regime and analyse their social impacts;
- knows and can analyse contemporary trends in welfare policy and the ability of welfare states to cope with crises;
- is capable of finding and meaningfully using relevant academic literature and statistical databases;
- is able to share their knowledge with others in the form of presentations, discussions, and debates.

Teacher

Triin Lauri

Additional information

Study programmes containing that course