30202

SoSe 14: Life Courses, Inequalities and Welfare State

Martina Dieckhoff/Anne Christine Holtmann

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Office hours: directly after class or by appointment

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This seminar will deal with the question of how welfare state institutions shape individual life courses and life risks (or chances) in Europe by focussing on the three classical thematic areas: work, family and education. After a general introduction to life course theory, we will address the following questions: (1) How dissimilar are life courses between different social groups? (2) Do the advantages and disadvantages held by certain groups accumulate over time? (3) Does the degree of dissimilarity in the life course patterns of different social groups vary cross-nationally? (4) Does the extent to which advantage and disadvantage cumulate differ cross-nationally? (5) How can these cross-national differences be explained? (6) What role do welfare institutions play in mediating the consequences of adverse life events? (7) Can we identify 'country-specific life course regimes'? A central aim of the seminar will be to relate research question, theoretical foundations, operationalization and empirical analyses to each other. Much of the empirical literature we will discuss is based on quantitative analyses. Basic Reading: Mayer, K. U. (2005). Life Courses and Life Chances in a Comparative Perspective. In Svallfors, S. (Ed.). Analyzing Inequality: Life Chances and Social Mobility in Comparative Perspective. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, pp 17-55. Exam: Seminar paper (c. 3000 words), three short essays (c. 1000 words each) or oral examination (25 minutes) close