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Academic Year 2003/2004

Caring, Rights and Welfare
GOVT 347 FA

This seminar examines the ambivalences and ambiguities of a politics of care as manifested by contemporary welfare states. Ideally, the welfare state is supposed to guarantee the social rights of citizenship, enabling everyone to attain a life of autonomy and dignity. Yet, its core policies--in the areas of income maintenance, education, medical care and housing--often have the effect of undermining these values in certain ways while at the same time promoting them in other ways. By focusing on specific problems and cases, we will examine the moral and political principles involved and the dilemmas of policy we face. The types of issues to be considered include the treatment of the mentally ill and the homeless, family policy including child support and family law, education, welfare dependency and modes of provision of medical care.

MAJOR READINGS

Robert Nozick, ANARCHY, STATE AND UTOPIA, Basic Books
E. Paul, ed., THE WELFARE STATE, Cambridge University Press
John Rawls, A THEORY OF JUSTICE, Harvard University Press
Jeremy Waldron, LIBERAL RIGHTS. Cambridge University Press
T.H. Marshall, CITIZENSHIP AND SOCIAL CLASS, Stylus Publishing
Philippe van Parijs, ed., ARGUING FOR BASIC INCOMES, Verso
Lawrence Mead, THE NEW POLITICS OF POVERTY. Basic Books
David Ellwood, POOR SUPPORT. Basic Books.
Robert Solow, WORK AND WELF ARE. Princeton
Linda Gordon, ed., WOMEN, THE STATE, AND WELFARE. University of Wisconsin Press

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Two six-page essays; term paper; final

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

While there are no specific prerequisites for this course, some background in political theory, philosophy, or ethics is strongly recommended. Readings and discussions will be broadly multidisciplinary, using concepts and methods from economics and sociology as well as political science. The readings listed here are examples of the kinds of texts that will be used. Final selection of texts has not yet been made. Please check with instructor for more up-to-date information.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004

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