The objectives of the course are twofold. On the one hand the course generates an overview on forms, dimensions and societal variations of the prevailing economic crisis. Secondly, the course will introduce students to the history, concepts and methods of employment protection and give an overview of practices and outcomes of employment protection. After a successful completion of the course student will manage the basic concepts and forms of employment protection, understand the actual problems and challenges of political regulation.

The course will be structured and scheduled according to seven thematic sessions. In the beginning of the course we will draw an overview of the extent and distribution of the financial crisis and economic depression in the EU countries since 2008. We will focus on outcomes and consequences of the economic recession in terms of employment and social risks. Secondly we will tackle the forms, methods and outcomes of employment protection introduced by individual countries and globally in the European Union. After critical analyses of the actual problems of employment protection, we will review the challenges and alternatives of future development of employment protection.

Contents:
1. lecture: Introduction – Restructuring European work and welfare systems in the context of Recession.
2. lecture: The Concept of Employment Protection (early ideas of employment (labour) protection; dimensions of employment protection; waves of development in industrial countries)
3. lecture: Short history of employment protection in the developed industrial countries (national regulations; ILO regulations, other international regulations, etc.)
4. Lecture: Old and New Risks of (in) Employment and Risks Sharing (old and new risks of employment, role of social policies, perceptions of job insecurity)
5. lecture: Transitional labour markets (national settings, the role of institutions)
6. lecture: Social risks of mobile labour (international mobility of labour, risks related to migration and national variation of social norms)
7. lecture: New issues of labour and safety rules and labour law (Regulative concepts and new social risks in employment)
8. Evaluation

Preegistration in NettiOpsu in 14. - 31.10.2013

After the lectures and discussion, we have a one week pause, and during this pause every participant is expected to write a short essay on one issue related to our course. For the essay you can choose the topic you are most familiar with and interested in.

The passing of the course (active participation) will give you 5 ECTS and writing an essay may bring 2 additional ECTS. But, if you write a longer and more demanding essay you can even get more credits. All the essays and you activity are evaluated separately.

The course will be organised as an online course including virtual lectures, materials for reading and discourses organised in the Moodle environment. The course is structured along seven weekly thematic topics.  Each weekly topic consists of a virtual lecture, readings and active participation in the discourse on weekly topics in the Moodle. Every new topic starts on Tuesdays at noon with a virtual lecture of the teacher. Thereafter students have 2 days to read the course material. An evaluation and critical analyses of weekly topic starts on Thursday and continues until next Tuesday. An active participation into the discourse in the Moodle is expected and is one of the criteria of successful completion of the course.

In principle an online learning liberates the student and teacher from time and place giving more space for individual choices. That’s true also in this case but, in order to make the learning and interaction efficient some basic timely boundaries and practices are important. These rules concern teachers and students timetables and responsibilities.

Teacher: Teacher will lecture on Tuesdays, follows and supervises the online discourse regularly and helps students during the course. Teacher will be actively supervising the discussion all the time and we can even open some chat rooms for the discussion

Student: Will follow the course, read all the material offered to be read and takes actively part in the discussion on weekly topics.  Student is expected to take actively part into discussion and contribute to the course with her/his knowledge.

Number of students: 30. Priority is given to degree students in the COSOPO master's porogramme.