COMPARATIVE POLITICAL ECONOMY
Academic Year 2022/2023 - Teacher:
DAVIDE LUCA ARCIDIACONO
Expected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of the operating mechanisms of the main economic systems
Knowledge of the relevance of the institutional and social dimensions of regulatory processes
Development of critical capacity of the phenomena of the main economic policy phenomena at the global level
Development of analytical skills in a comparative perspective
Course Structure
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.
Required Prerequisites
NONE. There aren't specific prerequisites to participate.
Attendance of Lessons
Mandatory presence at lectures and facultative participation in group works
Detailed Course Content
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
The main differences in the organization of the capitalist system
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 EU
Textbook Information
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)
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Oral presentation/debate and a final written essay on a specific topic assigned.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
What is the peculiarity of the Varieties of Capitalism's Approach (VOCs)?
What are the main comparative dimensions in VOCs?
What are the differences between LMEs and CMEs countries?
What are the main features of the Mediterranean Model of Capitalism?
What are the main indicators to compare labor market structures in different countries?
What are the differences between active and passive labor market policies?
What is the European Employment Strategy?
What is Flexicurity?
