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WiSe 21/22: Health versus economy? Introduction to the welfare state

Daniel Louis Nethery

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Subject: Since the middle of the twentieth century welfare states like Germany have experienced improved public health outcomes along with sustained economic growth. When the pandemic forced governments around the world to consider imposing lockdowns, many journalists portrayed the decision in stark terms: either protect the health of the population or the “health” of the economy. At the same time lockdowns were only feasible where governments underwrote substantial welfare spending, and as the pandemic has unfolded other aspects of the relationship between public health and political economy, like the importance of biomedicine, have become clear. Program: We will look at the relationship between public health and political economy as a way of asking: What is a welfare state? We will read influential contributions to the literature on the welfare state which tie its development to industrialisation and democracy. We will compare these theories to the history of the German welfare state, arguably the oldest in the world, and also uncover in that history connections between political economy and public health which standard accounts of the welfare state neglect. Along the way we will discuss questions which the study of the welfare state raises and to which the pandemic has given renewed significance: To what extent should governments shape social change engendered by technological innovation? Should governments act to reduce inequality in health outcomes and reduce or even remove inequality in income? How far should governments intervene in our lives in pursuing these objectives? By the end of the semester you will have a critical understanding of the concept of the welfare state informed by the experience of the pandemic. Is this course right for me? The course is open to students in the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies. There are no prerequisites. Workload and assessment: To qualify for 5 ECTS points you will need to attend the course regularly, engage with the course materials, and pass the final written examination. Schließen