Introduction to philosophical foundations and political economy assumptions upon which various social policy conceptions and theories of citizenship are grounded.

Historical development of different social policy institutions in developed and developing countries. Critical analysis of different welfare regime typologies. Study of how social policies address the problems of women and vulnerable groups such as children, youth, elderly, ethnic minorities, homeless.

Quantitative and qualitative methods used in social policy research.

The widening of students' perceptive and awareness of topic of interest to social policy through seminars offered by faculty, guest speakers and graduate students.

Investigation of the varieties of solidarity. Competing conceptions and institutions of solidarity in different types of societies.

Continuity and change in European welfare regimes. The impact of the EU on social policy making and transformation.

Impact of globalization and neoliberalization processes on the existing social policies and policy-making in different country contexts.

Critical analysis of the impact of local, national and international non-governmental organizations (such as the IMF, the World Bank, the EU) on social policy environments, processes and outcomes.

Introduction to health policy and politics. The main tenets of health systems in different countries and the fundamentals of health finance, health care delivery, pharmaceuticals, regulation of the health sector.

Introduction to politics of care and care policy. The course will deal with the care policies targeting, elderly, children and disabled. The course will look at different care regimes around the world. Similarities and differences of care regimes will be explored from a gender perspective.

Exploration of the concept of child well-being as a comprehensive conceptual framework that focuses on theories and concepts of childhood and child development with special emphasis on the capabilities approach. Developing objective and subjective indicator sets to assess the well-being of children within the context of their society

Different social policy approaches towards gender. Role of gender in explaining the development and the structure of social policy. The use of gender perspective in the analysis of inequalities that arise in access to social services and the outcomes of social policies.

Basic concepts of economics for social policy. Principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics. Behavior of consumers and producers; price determination in markets; perfect competition and monopoly; welfare analysis. Overall working of the economy; national product; inflation; employment; economic growth. Impact of government interventions and regulations on inequality and poverty.

Introduction to the study of poverty and social exclusion as multidimensional phenomena. Definitions and measurement of poverty and income inequality. Different experiences of poverty and social exclusion; intergenerational impact of poverty.

Courses on different approaches and issues in the area of social policy.