210161 SE BAK12 SE Österreichische Politik (2020S)

This seminar deals with recent transformations of welfare states from a comparative perspective and with a focus on Austria. Researchers commonly state that welfare states have come under pressure due to changes, e.g., of the population structure, family and gender relationships, economic conditions, and migration. Some researchers argue that these changes will lead to severe cuts in welfare provisions. Others regard welfare states as adjustable to the new demands, but see great variation in the capacity of welfare states to adjust the new challenges. Placing Austria at the center of our attention and taking a comparative perspective, we will explore and discuss these issues in order to gain a better understanding of the transformations, constraints, and possibilities of welfare state developments. The seminar will consist of three parts: First, we will discuss the main theories of welfare states and their changes. Second, we will look at select social, economic, and political changes that pose challenges to welfare states, and third, we will examine specific policy changes and their problem-solving capacity.
The main aim of the seminar is to gain a comprehensive knowledge of prevailing theories, methods, and research findings of welfare state research, place the Austrian welfare and social policy development within a comparative perspective, and acquire skills to critically and scientifically assess Austrian and international welfare state transformations.