Keywords

General description

The welfare system is one of the characteristics of Nordic countries which has aroused admiration and interest in many parts of the world. This course offers an introduction to the Nordic welfare system and its transition. It will provide basic knowledge on the Nordic welfare society in general and on the Finnish one in particular. Based on comparative research approaches, the course determines the position of the Finnish welfare system among the other European countries by paying attention on health, work and labour, social security, gender and equality, family and care policies, child protection and the economy of the welfare state. The course includes several workshop activities as well as health and welfare system related field visits.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, the students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding on the main features attached to Nordic welfare societies with emphasis on the Finnish experiences and developments.
- Make a distinction between different type of welfare regimes
- Develop an understanding of the distinctiveness of the Nordic welfare model within global context and differences between Nordic countries.
- Critically understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Nordic welfare model and its transition.
- Appraise scientific literature on the topic

Contents

Nordic & Finnish welfare society among the other European countries with reference to:
- health system
- work and labour
- social security
- gender and equality
- family and care policies
- child protection
- economy of the welfare state
- immigration.

Evaluation

Numeric 1-5.

Belongs to following study modules