Scandinavian welfare states 2100-MON-SPDO-OG

List of the course topics, to a large degree subject to interests and preferences declared by students:

1. Introduction: presentation of the syllabus, Scandinavia as an area of interest and academic study, what makes Norden unique?, why study Scandinavian welfare states?, what is to be gained from studying Nordic countries?

2. What is Scandinavia? What are the Nordic countries and Norden?
- Nordic geography and history, economies and politics
- Nordic culture and identity, generic values, tradition for egalitarianism, dialogue, negotiations, compromise and consensus (perhaps a necessary strategy for small countries in a strategic positions between strong neighbouring states?)
- what role have Protestantism and the Lutheran Church played?

3. The development of modern and contemporary Scandinavia
- transition from an agrarian economy to a rich, modern industrial and postindustrial/ information society
- what role have political parties, organized labour and corporatism played?
- women in Scandinavian society (job opportunities, political participation, the gender roles)
- a child capital and the rights of children
- ethnic diversity, the major immigrant groups, right-wing populism

4. The Scandinavian welfare state model
- stages of welfare state development and expansion in the Nordic countries
- the special role of cooperation between government, industry and labour in the policy-making process, especially as regards ALMP
- the emergence and essence of the Scandinavian/ Nordic model
- is it in crisis?, critics: right and left
- contemporary challenges to the welfare state: ageing populations, immigration and integration of non-natives, Europeanization and globalization etc.
- continuity and change: has the Nordic model survived?, is it still viable?

5. Selected contemporary issues of the Scandinavian social policies
- what are the characteristics of the Nordic family policies, labour markets, educational systems etc.? (for example: Swedish family-, woman-, child- and age-friendly state, Danish “golden triangle” of flexicurity in employment policy, Finnish innovation system end educational strategy etc.)
- how did Scandinavia navigate through economic crises in recent four decades to emerge as the welfare “wunderkind” of today’s Europe?
- are there any lessons to be learnt from the Nordic welfare model?

6. Scandinavia and the world – four dimensions of foreign policies:
- Nordic: pragmatic regionalism, cautious integration (Nordic Council)
- European: integration (EU) and cooperation (EEA)
- transatlantic: security (NATO), Arctic issues
- global: solidarity, development aid and humanitarian assistance, peace diplomacy (UN and other institutions)