Teacher(s)
Language
French
Prerequisites
The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| The general aim is to familiarize the students with a general approach of political sociology that focuses on a major social issue in the Western world: the inclusion/exclusion role of labour in society and the evolution of mechanisms of social protection set up by states in relation with employment. This topic will be studied in the Belgian context through a general perspective of political sociology that has drawn on the scientific work, which has addressed this subject in terms of "social question". This expression marks a double analytical ambition: contextualize the current problems linked to labour, employment and social protection in a historical perspective, and relate their existence to the general processes of integration, especially through work, which are implemented in the modern Western societies in order to insure their cohesion. At the end of the lectures, it will be hoped that students have acquired a global framework of analysis of the multiple current socio-economic issues in Belgium as well as in the Western countries. They would be able to own a specialized vocabulary appropriated to the specific political area they are studying as well as to have an accurate view of : the causes, content and magnitude of social problems related to labour and jobs; the terms of the historical and contemporary debates over them; the range of the main solutions which have been proposed to solve these problems. |
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Content
that focuses on a major social issue in the Western world: the inclusion/exclusion role of labour in society and the evolution of mechanisms of social protection set up by states in relation with employment.
This topic will be studied in the Belgian context through a general perspective of political sociology that has drawn on the scientific work, which has addressed this subject in terms of "social question". This expression marks a double analytical ambition: contextualize the current problems linked to labour, employment and social protection in a historical perspective, and relate their existence to the general processes of integration, especially through work, which are implemented in the modern Western societies in order to insure their cohesion.
The course is divided into three parts.
In the first part, we will first introduce briefly to the analytical framework. Then we will give a general overview of the contemporary situation in Belgium in a sociological as well as in a legal perspective. Phenomena as employement/unemployment, incomes, poverty, social dialogue, social protection will be scrutinized.
In the second part, we will try to understand the contemporary situation in reference to the past. We will adopt an historical perspective focalized firstly on the first social question that has been addressed in the 19th century, during the industrialization. It is concerned with the nature of the then social problems, with their relation to work, with the main ways that have been proposed to solve them and with the social, political and legal processes that have lead to their structural resolution thanks to the institutionalization of the Welfare State, at the end of the Second World War and during its expansion during the « Trente Glorieuses ».
Finally, in the last part, we will focus on the resurgence of social problems related to work during the last fifty years. These show characteristics that are partially similar to those of the problems that aroused the original social question, and justify therefore the fact that some political sociologists call it « the new social question ». After having determined the importance and the origins of these new problems related to work in our society, we will discuss the measures that have been adopted against it by public power and the main solution mode that are currently taken into account and/or effectively implemented to curb these new problems.
This topic will be studied in the Belgian context through a general perspective of political sociology that has drawn on the scientific work, which has addressed this subject in terms of "social question". This expression marks a double analytical ambition: contextualize the current problems linked to labour, employment and social protection in a historical perspective, and relate their existence to the general processes of integration, especially through work, which are implemented in the modern Western societies in order to insure their cohesion.
The course is divided into three parts.
In the first part, we will first introduce briefly to the analytical framework. Then we will give a general overview of the contemporary situation in Belgium in a sociological as well as in a legal perspective. Phenomena as employement/unemployment, incomes, poverty, social dialogue, social protection will be scrutinized.
In the second part, we will try to understand the contemporary situation in reference to the past. We will adopt an historical perspective focalized firstly on the first social question that has been addressed in the 19th century, during the industrialization. It is concerned with the nature of the then social problems, with their relation to work, with the main ways that have been proposed to solve them and with the social, political and legal processes that have lead to their structural resolution thanks to the institutionalization of the Welfare State, at the end of the Second World War and during its expansion during the « Trente Glorieuses ».
Finally, in the last part, we will focus on the resurgence of social problems related to work during the last fifty years. These show characteristics that are partially similar to those of the problems that aroused the original social question, and justify therefore the fact that some political sociologists call it « the new social question ». After having determined the importance and the origins of these new problems related to work in our society, we will discuss the measures that have been adopted against it by public power and the main solution mode that are currently taken into account and/or effectively implemented to curb these new problems.
Teaching methods
Lectures are based on a course syllabus and PowerPoint presentations.
Even if this course is a lecture, it is open to any debate and students' participation. To stimulate its, lecture notes and the ppt presentation will be at the disposal of students at the beginning of the course.
For the personal homework, students have to read a portfolio which contents a selection of texts related to the course material.
Even if this course is a lecture, it is open to any debate and students' participation. To stimulate its, lecture notes and the ppt presentation will be at the disposal of students at the beginning of the course.
For the personal homework, students have to read a portfolio which contents a selection of texts related to the course material.
Evaluation methods
The "examination" will deal with the elements developed in the "course material" (i.e. in the syllabus, in the slide show and during the lectures), as well as the elements developed in the "homework activities material" (i.e. in the texts that make up the reading portfolio).
The examination will be "open book" : the student are free to consult any own paper document, including handwritten annotations, during the examination. The examination will last three hours and will consist of two questions, each marked out of 10 points, requiring answers in a format (to be specified in the examination paper) of one page and a half (see examination papers from previous years which can be consulted on the course website).
The same assessment procedures will apply in the first and second sessions, as if the course and examination sessions were to be held online due to circumstances related to the Covid-19 crisis.
The examination will be "open book" : the student are free to consult any own paper document, including handwritten annotations, during the examination. The examination will last three hours and will consist of two questions, each marked out of 10 points, requiring answers in a format (to be specified in the examination paper) of one page and a half (see examination papers from previous years which can be consulted on the course website).
The same assessment procedures will apply in the first and second sessions, as if the course and examination sessions were to be held online due to circumstances related to the Covid-19 crisis.
Online resources
The class has a Moodle webpage on which the students will find, amongst other things, the following documents: syllabus, the reading portfolio, the Power Point slides’ portfolio, a document listing the bibliographic and webographic sources for the course material.… An online forum is also available for the students to ask any question, provide some answers to their co-students, and communicate with the professor.
Bibliography
Le cadrage général du cours s’inspire principalement des travaux suivants :
Robert CASTEL, Les métamorphoses de la question sociale. Chronique du salariat, Paris, Gallimard (Folio. Essais 12, n°349), 1999.
Jacques COMMAILLE, Les nouveaux enjeux de la question sociale, Paris, Hachette, 1997.
Andrea REA, La société en miettes. Épreuves et enjeux de l'exclusion, Bruxelles, Labor (Quartier libre), 1997.
Pierre ROSANVALLON, La nouvelle question sociale. Repenser l'État-providence, Paris, Seuil, 1995.
Un document reprenant les sources bibliographiques et webographiques de la matière du cours est consultable sur le site de cours.
En parallèle, le cours s'appuye aussi, pour ses activités impliquantes, sur un portefeuille de lecture (voir rubriques précédentes).
Robert CASTEL, Les métamorphoses de la question sociale. Chronique du salariat, Paris, Gallimard (Folio. Essais 12, n°349), 1999.
Jacques COMMAILLE, Les nouveaux enjeux de la question sociale, Paris, Hachette, 1997.
Andrea REA, La société en miettes. Épreuves et enjeux de l'exclusion, Bruxelles, Labor (Quartier libre), 1997.
Pierre ROSANVALLON, La nouvelle question sociale. Repenser l'État-providence, Paris, Seuil, 1995.
Un document reprenant les sources bibliographiques et webographiques de la matière du cours est consultable sur le site de cours.
En parallèle, le cours s'appuye aussi, pour ses activités impliquantes, sur un portefeuille de lecture (voir rubriques précédentes).
Teaching materials
- Notes de cours
- Diaporama du cours
- Portefeuille de lecture du cours
Faculty or entity
Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)
Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
