COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: COMPARATIVE WELFARE POLICY AND ANALYSIS

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 563	D	3	3	0	0	3	7.5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Reina Shehi
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:
Course Description:	This master level course focuses on three interrelated aspects of social welfare: cross-national comparisons of social welfare policies, major international conventions and treaties relating to social welfare, and social development theories and policies. Several typologies of welfare states are examined and critiqued. International conventions on human rights, children’s rights; rights of persons with disabilities, refugees, and human trafficking are reviewed and critiqued. Students are enabled to undertake in-depth analyses of different countries’ policies, international agreements, and social development strategies.
Course Objectives:

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to the Course
2	What is Social Welfare Policy? Frameworks for Classifying and Comparing Social Policies
3	Power resources and welfare states
4	Business and Social Policy
5	Outcomes and Challenges 1: Family policy
6	Outcomes and Challenges 2: Immigration and the Welfare State
7	Social Democratic/Universalistic Examples: The Nordic Countries and Britain
8	MIDTERM
9	Corporatist-Statist Models: Germany and Italy
10	Liberalist Models: The United States, Canada, Australia
11	Former East Bloc Countries: Russia as an Example
12	Welfare Policies in Countries Experiencing Rapid Change and Development
13	International Agreements Relating to Social Welfare
14	Concluding Remarks: Evaluating Welfare Policies in Albania Through Years

Prerequisite(s):
Textbook:	Required Readings: 1. Fitzpatrick, T. (2003) After the new social democracy: social welfare for the twenty-first century. Manchester University Press. New York: USA 2. Swank, D. (2002) Global capital, political institutions, and policy change in developed welfare states Cambridge University Press. New York: USA 3. Carnes M. E& Mares I. (2007) The Welfare State in Global Perspective in Eds. Boix, C.;Stokes, Susan C. The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics Oxford University Press. Oxford:UK. chapter 35. pages 868-886 4. Carletto, G., & Zezza, A. (2006). Being poor, feeling poorer: combining objective and subjective measures of welfare in Albania. The Journal of Development Studies, 42(5), 739-760
Other References:	1. Gottschalk, M. (2000) The Shadow Welfare State: Labor, Business, and the politics of health-care in the United States. ILR Press. New York: USA 2. Obinger, H.; Castles, F. G. Obinger, H.; Leibfried, S. (2005) Federalism and the Welfare State: New World and European Experiences 3. Deacon, B., & Stubbs, P. (Eds.). (2007). Social policy and international interventions in South East Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing. 4. Christensen, G. (1994). When structural adjustment proceeds as prescribed: agricultural sector reforms in Albania. Food Policy, 19(6), 557-560.
Laboratory Work:
Computer Usage:
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	To understand the main concepts related to social welfare and its relationship with development theories and policies.
2	To be familiar with major features of contemporary societies that is relevant to welfare and development.
3	To learn how and what makes policies of social welfare.
4	To be able to relate theoretical understanding to empirical data and analyses especially for developing countries.
5	To be able to distil information, present ideas and defend a theoretical position.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations Program
1	Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources.	3
2	Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches.	4
3	Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects.	3
4	Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions.
5	Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations.	4
6	Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently.	5
7	Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena.	4
8	Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones.
9	Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles.	2
10	Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge.
11	Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments.	3
12	Having consciousness about human rights and environment.
13	Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning.

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Presentation	1	15
Term Paper	1	30
Final Exam	1	45
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	3	48
Mid-terms			0
Assignments	1	25	25
Final examination	1	36.5	36.5
Other	5	6	30
Total Work Load:			187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):			7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			7.5