EPN-V2

SFV4600 Comparative Social Risk Management Course description

Course name in Norwegian
Comparative Social Risk Management
Study programme
Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences - Study Option International Social Welfare and Health Policy
Master in Programme Applied Social Sciences
Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences
Elective modules, Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences
Master Programme in Applied Social Sciences - Programme Option Social Work
Weight
10.0 ECTS
Year of study
2023/2024
Curriculum
FALL 2023
Schedule
Course history

Introduction

None.

Required preliminary courses

A student who has completed his or her qualification has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The student has advanced knowledge of

  • main theoretical and empirical debates concerning how globalisation impacts upon health and social welfare in different parts of the world
  • trends in economic growth, poverty and inequality
  • The importance of the demographic and epidemiological transitions for understanding differences in health status and social welfare between as well as within countries
  • welfare state changes in high, middle and low income countries
  • how decisions are made in multilateral agencies (in particular the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and IMF), and the polities of multilateral organisations
  • the relationship between international and national health policy and social policy

Skills

The student can

  • review and discuss different theoretical perspectives on the relationship between globalisation and local policy development
  • investigate health and social policy outcomes in different countries
  • investigate how demographic and socioeconomic changes influence disease patterns and changes in health and social inequality
  • analyse how various aspects of globalisation influence health and social policy outcomes in high, middle and low income countries

General competence

Candidates are capable of

  • contributing to the debate on how various aspects of globalisation pose challenges as well as opportunities for the development of health and social policy
  • identifying and evaluating how health and social policy designs can be adopted to global policy challenges
  • participating in the debate concerning how multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and WHO perform their roles with regard to global health and social policy challenges

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has advanced knowledge of

  • social protection strategies, in particular related to major social risks: unemployment, sickness, disability, lack of a provider, child abuse, and old age
  • the interplay between protection provided by the state, the voluntary sector, the family and the market
  • principles of social insurance and health insurance
  • strategies for providing residual or universal social and health assistance
  • the extended family as a risk-managing institution
  • problems with social protection coverage and strategies for extending coverage
  • strategies for efficient delivery of health and social services
  • policy evaluation methods in health and social care

Skills

The student can

  • identify similarities and differences in social and health protection strategies in high-, middle-, and low-income countries
  • investigate the arguments for and against public management, public/private partnerships, outsourcing and other strategies with regard to the delivery of publicly provided health and social services
  • analyse processes of social/health policy implementation
  • evaluate social/health policy outputs and outcomes

General competence

The student is able to

  • participate in the debate on how to organise and implement social welfare and health policies, in a national as well as international context
  • participate in the discussion of which evaluation strategies that are most useful in various contexts, with regard to evakuations of social welfare and health policies, in a national as well as international context
  • participate in the debate concerning how to frame health and social policy goals across countries and cultures

Teaching and learning methods

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

Coursework 1: The student must submit a coursework paper of at least 1700 words (in addition to front page, list of content and list of references), written individually or in groups of max 4 students. A student must have approval from the course lecturer in order to write individually. The paper must be approved by the course lecturer.

Coursework 2: The coursework papers are to be presented at a seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering. Participation in the seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering is mandatory.

Students whose papers are not approved after the first submission will be given the chance to resubmit once. Papers that are not approved after two submissions will disqualify students from sitting the final examination.

A student who is absent from the presentation will have to submit a compensatory coursework requirement within a given deadline.

Course requirements

The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of a 3 days (72 hours) individual written home exam of 10 pages +/- 10%. Font and font size: Calibri, 12 point. Line spacing: 1.5.

Assessment

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Permitted exam materials and equipment

Grade scale A - F

Grading scale

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

A random selection consisting of at least 25% of the exam papers will be graded by both an internal and external examiner. This will inform the grading of the remaining exam papers.

Examiners

Einar Øverbye

Course contact person

Einar Øverbye