Program purpose
The course promotes comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives to deepen students' understanding of the development of and challenges to the rule of law and welfare states globally. The course provides participants with conceptual knowledge and analytical skills to deepen their understanding of the legal, political and social conditions that shape (in)equal access to rights and welfare across contexts. The course brings together participants from different countries and across law and social science disciplines to enable cross-country interaction, exchanges and understanding.
Who is eligible?
Current or previous students of Master-programs in Law, Political Science, Social Work, Public Administration (or other similar field) from Centre of Social Development in Africa (CSDA) and Faculty of Law at University of Johannesburg OR a similar institution, OR graduate students in above mentioned programs AND proficiency in written and oral English.
Brief course description
Across the world, welfare states are emerging due to strong social rights movements and effective social policies, yet in many countries, inequal access to fundamental rights and welfare policies continues to be prevalent. Some vulnerable groups do not have access to social protection benefits; some cannot dispute administrative decisions in a court of law; and low-income groups often carry the largest burden of financing welfare in largely regressive tax systems.
In this course, participants will compare the development and characteristics of the rule of law and welfare states globally and analyse the conditions that shape (in)equal access to rights and welfare. This is done together with participants from different countries and various disciplinary backgrounds such as law, political science, public administration, sociology and social work.
The course comprises three modules: a main module, a thematic module and a project module which collectively provide course participants with knowledge, skills and competences to deepen their understanding of the rule of law and its intersection with welfare state development applying comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Read more about the course here.
Time and location
The course is kicked off with a mandatory onsite induction workshop in Johannesburg on 28th-29th July 2023 at JBS Park, 69 Kingsway Ave, Auckland Park. The exact time will be communicated to participants close to the dates.
The remainder of course takes place online, using a mix of individual and group exercises and live seminars. We highly encourage you to participate in the four live online seminars planned during the course.
Cost
The course is free of charge.
Duration
The course lasts 14 weeks (including induction). See tentative course schedule below, and be aware that times and dates for the live online seminars are tentative. OBS: The title of different weeks will be subject to minor changes.
The expected weekly workload is 8 hours and the course is graded accordingly.
| Induction Workshop | ||
| In-person in Johannesburg 28-29 July 2023 |
Induction workshop onsite: 28-29 July 2023. Time is tbd. Full participation in the Induction Workshop is mandatory at JBS Park, 69 Kingsway Ave, Auckland Park and will be necessary for following the course. |
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| Main Module Module pt. I: The Nordic Model of Welfare |
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| Week 1 |
Introducing and defining the Nordic Model of Welfare | |
| Week 2 |
Drivers of change in welfare states - the Nordic Model and beyond | |
| Week 3 | Live seminar: August 19th |
How well does the Nordic Model travel? |
| Main Module Module pt. II: The Rule of Law in the Nordic Model |
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| Week 4 | The rise of the Rechtsstaat | |
| Week 5 | Core principles of the Rule of Law | |
| Week 6 | Live seminar: September 9th | Access to Court and judicial remedies |
| Main Module Module pt. III: An interdisciplinary and comparative perspective on welfare states |
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| Week 7 | Comparing emerging welfare states from a social science perspective | |
| Week 8 | Live seminar: September 23rd | Comparing emerging welfare states from a law perspective |
| Thematic Module | ||
| Week 9 | Students participate in one of three thematic tracks: 1) Anti-discrimination at work, 2) Social protection, or 3) Equitable taxation. | |
| Week 10 | Live seminar: October 7th |
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| Project Module | ||
| Week 11-13: |
Independent, problem-based case study research under supervision | |
Programme language
English
Certificate
A certificate issued by University of Southern Denmark will be provided for students, who complete the full course.
Teachers
Convenors of onsite and online seminars
- Vincenzo Pietrogiovanni, JUST SOCIETY, University of Southern Denmark
- Rasmus Schjødt, JUST SOCIETY, University of Southern Denmark
- Marianne S. Ulriksen, JUST SOCIETY, University of Southern Denmark
- Siff Lund Kjærgaard, JUST SOCIETY, University of Southern Denmark
Read more about the JUST SOCIETY team here.
The course includes short video lectures by an international group of professors and scholars of comparative political science, welfare studies, social law and policy as well as constitutional law and theory.
How to apply
All students are required to apply to the course via the registration system. All applicants will be reviewed to ensure qualification.
Questions
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at justsociety@sam.sdu.dk
Listen to Associate Professor Lauren Graham explain why this course is relevant to students from South Africa.
