Unit 7: (Week 13 & Week 14) The State of Social Policy in a Globalized World: Gendering the Debate

The field of comparative social enquiry has grown dramatically since the 1960s, in terms of the amount of studies being undertaken, the range of approaches used and the countries analysed. The analytical emphasis on the notions of modernization and convergence, and social expenditure as a pro- portion of GNP as the measure of welfare effort, whilst still evident in contemporary cross-national research, ceased to dominate the comparative landscape during the 1980s. There is now much more interest in recognizing and explaining qualitative as well as quantitative differences in types of welfare systems, an acknowledgement that formal social policies are only one element in the arrangement of welfare and that social policy is not just about ameliorating the impact of social inequality or altruism but itself contributes to social divisions in society. The current context then is one in which many of the old certainties of the past have been eroded, and the predominantly inward-looking, domestic pre- occupation of social policy has made way for a more integrated, international and outward approach to analysis. These challenges have been captured in recent academic debates relating to processes of globalization which have contributed to a de-centring of the state in social policy analysis. The burgeoning literature reflects the multi- faceted nature of global processes, and indeed the vagueness and inconsistencies in the use of the concept (Geshiere and Meyer, 1998). This unit aims to highligh and reflect on issues of gender in the globalization and social policy debate. 

Week 13: Lecture 13

 

  • International Political Economy (IPE)

  • Gendering world order

  • Feminist IPE

Week 14: Lecture 14

  • Organized capitalism, globalization and welfare 

  • Globalization 

  • Multi-layered governace, citizenship and welfare

Required Reading:

Kennett, P. (ed.) (2004), A Handbook of Comparative Social Policy. Edward Elgar: UK

Lewis, G., Gewirtz,S., and Clarke, J. (2000), Rethinking Social Policy, The Open University Press

 

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