Comparative Social Policy: Focus on the Post-Soviet Area

Bachelor 2024/2025

Type: Elective course (Political Science and World Politics)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences

When: 4 year, 3 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Andrey Starodubtsev

Language: English

ECTS credits: 4

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

What does contemporary social policy mean? Who and how formulates it? Which social groups deserve and not deserve the support from the state and the society, and why? Does the soviet legacy exist in social policy in the post-soviet countries? All these questions firm the basis of the class on comparative social policy which can be interesting for those who would like to understand the particularities of social protection and social support in the modern world, and want to expand their knowledge on public policy in the countries — former republics of the Soviet Union.

Learning Objectives

What does contemporary social policy mean? Who and how formulates it? Which social groups deserve and not deserve the support from the state and the society, and why? Does the soviet legacy exist in social policy in the post-soviet countries? All these questions firm the basis of the class on comparative social policy which can be interesting for those who would like to understand the particularities of social protection and social support in the modern world, and want to expand their knowledge on public policy in the countries — former republics of the Soviet Union.

Expected Learning Outcomes

determine the basic terms: welfare, social policy, welfare regimes, and characterise discussions around them
reveals the main trends and features of the model of social policy (welfare regime) in the individual countries of the post-Soviet space
names the main political problems of the formation and implementation of social policy and illustrates them with examples of post-Soviet countries
explains the influence of the Soviet legacy on the development of social policy in the countries of the post-Soviet space

Course Contents

What does social policy mean?
Welfare states and welfare regimes
Politics of social policy
Social policy in the USSR
Inequality in the post-Soviet countres
Pension systems in the post-Soviet countries
Health care in the post-Soviet countries
Deinstitutinalisation of care
Homelessness and unemployment
Education in the post-Soviet countries
Conslusions

Assessment Elements

Policy report
During the course, students prepare group projects devoted to the description and analysis of a policy in the field of social policy in one of the post-Soviet countries. The topics of the projects are chosen by students from those proposed by the instructor no later than the second week of classes. Interim reports on the implementation of the project (Checkpoints) are presented to the instructor every week. The last two classes of the course are devoted to the presentation of projects. The project involves the preparation of a policy report - a 3000-word text (references excluded) devoted to the analysis of a problem in the field of social policy. The papers define a clear policy problem (policy failure), are characterized by both empirical and analytical rigor, and provide persuasive policy recommendations on the chosen topic. The paper must analyze the background of a certain policy decision (why and how the government decided to do what it did), why the status quo is problematic, and what can be done to solve the problem). The paper must contain comparative analysis of the policy in post-Soviet countries. The work on the project will feature the preparation of the text, presentation of the results to the instructor and classmates, and the fulfillment of low-stake written assignments "Checkpoints" aimed at ensuring the continuing work on the policy paper throughout the course and connecting it with the course material. The teams will be formed by the instructor considering the students' preferences.
Test
The test on the results of the entire course includes 15 closed questions (multiple choice mode) and 2 open questions.

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 3rd module
0.5 * Policy report + 0.5 * Test

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Eich, F., Soto, M., Gust, C., & International Monetary Fund. (2012). Reforming the Public Pension System in the Russian Federation. [Place of publication not identified]: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=568185
Engeli, I., & Allison, C. R. (2014). Comparative Policy Studies : Conceptual and Methodological Challenges. [Basingstoke]: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=997751
Grusky, D. B., & Szelényi, S. (2018). The Inequality Reader : Contemporary and Foundational Readings in Race, Class, and Gender (Vol. Second edition). New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1795599
Jeroen Huisman, Harry de Boer, David D. Dill, & Manuel Souto-Otero. (2015). The Palgrave International Handbook of Higher Education Policy and Governance. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kennett, P. (2004). A Handbook of Comparative Social Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Kennett, P., & Lendvai-Bainton, N. (2017). Handbook of European Social Policy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1577575
Kingdon, J. W. (2013). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, Update Edition, with an Epilogue on Health Care: Pearson New International Edition (Vol. Second edition). Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1418568
Midgley, J., Surender, R., & Alfers, L. (2019). Handbook of Social Policy and Development. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mkandawire, P. T. (2004). Social Policy in a Development Context. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=169348
Plank, D. N., Ford, T. G., Sykes, G., & Schneider, B. L. (2009). Handbook of Education Policy Research. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=270704
Tagaeva, T. O., & Kazantseva, L. K. (2017). Public Health and Health Care in Russia. Problems of Economic Transition, 59(11/12), 973–990. https://doi.org/10.1080/10611991.2017.1431488
Wiemer Salverda, Brian Nolan, & Timothy M. Smeeding. (2009). The Oxford Handbook of Economic Inequality. OUP Oxford.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Anna Lukiyanova. (2013). Earnings inequality and informal Employment in Russia. HSE Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.hig.wpaper.37.ec.2013
Greve, B., & Greener, I. (2014). Evidence and Evaluation in Social Policy. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=672288
Khmelnitskaya, M. (2020). Policy and Governance in Russia: Ideas and Discourses in Social Policymaking and Governance. Russian Analytical Digest, 254, 2–6. https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000421074
Konstantinovskiy, D. L. (2012). Social Inequality and Access to Higher Education in Russia. European Journal of Education, 47(1), 9–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-3435.2011.01504.x

Authors

STARODUBTSEV Andrei VLADIMIROVICH

Course Syllabus