This course enables students to work at an advanced level with the terminology, empirical categorizations, theoretical concepts, and explanatory approaches of comparative and European welfare state development. Students become familiar with the various responsibilities, political processes, and actors within European societies and at the supranational level, and they will gain in-depth insights into interrelationship between the two levels of policy-making.
After completing the course students will be equipped with skills necessary for advanced research of welfare systems:

• Introduction to, definition and implementation of core values of the European social model
• Comparative categorizations of variation among European welfare states
• The main types of theoretical approaches for explaining welfare state development.

Introductory lectures during Intensive Programme in Tampere; then methods of distance learning: Individual reading, exercises and discussion of students’ observations in discussion forums, individual tutoring, supported by Moodle. Written assignments (3).

Only for the students of COSOPO Master's programme.