COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ECONOMY

Lectures on introductory basic concepts for comparative analysis of socio-economic institutions and policies. Workgroups in class to discuss emerging or related issues, also taking inspiration from international press articles. Students will be also involved in the analysis and discussion of European directives and Reports on related issues, in particular about innovation policies, digital and green transitions.

NONE. There aren't specific prerequisites to participate.

Mandatory presence at lectures and facultative participation in group works

The course will examine the main features of the sociological analysis of economic phenomena and of the main differences in the organization of the capitalist system between convergence and diversity through the conceptual and analytical categories of economic sociology and in particular comparative political economy. Moreover, the course aims at providing students with the theoretical and methodological basis for the analysis of labor policies (models, features, objectives, effects). The perspective of Economic Sociology and the organization of the capitalist system Varities of Capitalisms Capitalism and Ecological Transition Notions, indicators, data sources, etc. of labour market and policies Occupational models and welfare regimes in transition The European Employment Strategy and “flexicurity" Digital Transition and Labour market regulation in the EU

Trigilia C., Economic Sociology, Blackwell, 2002, from page 1 to 35, from page 119 to 134, from page 237 to 255 Crouch C., Capitalist Diversity and Change, Oxford, 2005, from page 1 to 45. Hancke, Debating Varieties of Capitalism, Oxford UP, 2009 (only chapter 1, 2, 8 and 9) P. De Beer, T. Schils, The labour market triangle. Employment Protection, Unemployment Compensation and Activation in Europe, Edward Elgar, 2009, pp. 1-25 (C. 1) and 198-220 (C. 9). F. Berton, M. Richiardi, S. Sacchi, The political economy of work security and flexibility, The Policy Press, 2012, pp. 1-60 (Cs. 1-3) and 147-153 (C. 8). Clasen Clegg, Regulating the Risk of Unemployment, Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 1-12 (C. 1) and pp. 333-345 (C. 17)

Oral presentation/debate and a final written essay on a specific topic assigned.