Welfare, Equity and Citizenship in a Changing Europe

Good welfare is something most people in Norway posits. The same has been the case in much of Europe. However, the financial crisis and increased unemployment, particularly among young people, has led to a tightening of welfare programs in many European countries, and similar retrenchments are also discussed in Norway. The large influx of refugees and asylum seekers will challenge the European welfare states further. What values are at stake when welfare programs are being changed? What are the current trends in European welfare policy, and what consequences are they likely to have for citizenship? This course provides students with basic knowledge about the evolvement of the welfare state and the principles that underpins it, and how these principles are being challenged by the current social and political changes in Europe. Important keywords are citizenship, integration, diversity and social investment. The course also provides an introduction to sociological perspectives particularly relevant to discuss and analyze current trends in European welfare policy.