In this seminar we will discuss classic texts that analyse the problem of unemployment. We will mirror different approaches of labour market policy in a comparative perspective and also discuss minimum wage policies as a special policy in this field. Furthermore an introduction to most relevant theories is given.

Digital technologies increasingly affect the content of individual jobs as well the structure of employment in European labor markets. While it is often argued that highly skilled workers benefit from increasing demand for their expertise as it cannot easily be replaced by IT solutions, there is growing concern regarding the future of medium-skilled jobs, often performed in established sectors that provide stable and decently paid jobs. At the same time, digital change can lead to a further flexibilization of work by way of an increasing role of online platforms, questioning the very notion of employment relationships and increasing competition for paid jobs. This seminar will disentangle the many aspects of digital change and their role in shaping jobs and skills requirements. It pays particular attention to the capacities of different welfare states and training systems to adapt so that transitions to jobs less at risk of automation can be achieved. This has major implications for vocational training, adult learning and labor market policies, often defined as the main branches of social investment.
Important notes:
The seminar takes place on 21 October, 11 November, 9 and 16 December, 13 and 20 January, with alternating online and offline sessions.
21 October (12-14h), 9 December (12-18h) and 13 January (12-18h) are online, 11 November (12-16h), 16 December (12-18h) and 20 January (12-16h) are in-person at Socium.
There will be short individual zoom talks before the first session (i.e. in mid-October).
Main requirements are active participation in the seminar, the introduction into the topic of one session, and a term paper.

In this seminar we will discuss classic texts that analyse the problem of unemployment. We will mirror different approaches of labour market policy in a comparative perspective and also discuss minimum wage policies as a special policy in this field. Furthermore an introduction to most relevant theories is given.

Digital technologies increasingly affect the content of individual jobs as well the structure of employment in European labor markets. While it is often argued that highly skilled workers benefit from increasing demand for their expertise as it cannot easily be replaced by IT solutions, there is growing concern regarding the future of medium-skilled jobs, often performed in established sectors that provide stable and decently paid jobs. At the same time, digital change can lead to a further flexibilization of work by way of an increasing role of online platforms, questioning the very notion of employment relationships and increasing competition for paid jobs. This seminar will disentangle the many aspects of digital change and their role in shaping jobs and skills requirements. It pays particular attention to the capacities of different welfare states and training systems to adapt so that transitions to jobs less at risk of automation can be achieved. This has major implications for vocational training, adult learning and labor market policies, often defined as the main branches of social investment.
Important notes:
The seminar takes place on 21 October, 11 November, 9 and 16 December, 13 and 20 January, with alternating online and offline sessions.
21 October (12-14h), 9 December (12-18h) and 13 January (12-18h) are online, 11 November (12-16h), 16 December (12-18h) and 20 January (12-16h) are in-person at Socium.
There will be short individual zoom talks before the first session (i.e. in mid-October).
Main requirements are active participation in the seminar, the introduction into the topic of one session, and a term paper.

This seminar will address the relationship between social class and gender-based forms of stratification in modern societies and in historical perspective. Overall, the question of interest is why the inequalities at the intersection of class and gender in paid and unpaid work persist across industrialized societies despite some impressive policy achievements over the past half century. The primary literature source will be the book “Gender-Class Equality in Political Economies”. In this book, Lynn Prince Cooke places gender inequality in a context that is historically shaped by the intersections of multiple inequalities and the particularities of six countries: Germany (East and West), Spain, Australia, the UK and the US. Gender-class inequalities persist in paid work hours, wages, and the division of housework. The study shows how values, choices, and behaviors of individual men and women in various national contexts are enabled and constrained by state policies that effectively structure relative group advantage and disadvantage from birth through old age.