The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to academic theory pertaining to social action in contemporary liberal societies. The course will adopt a multidisciplinary approach to social action to allow for consideration of its philosophical, historical and sociological dimensions. Each class session will also represent an opportunity to apply these theories to concrete volunteering experiences. The secondary objective of this course is to provide an environment for students to make and share connections between theory discussed in class and their individual experiences as volunteers. For example, a particular class session (week 5) will be designated as a student presentation day, wherein students will present their volunteering experience to the class with respect to the theories discussed in the preceding class sessions.
This course meets twice per week. Sessions with Brigitte Verpraet include group discussions and individual meetings about the experiences of each student, including their accomplishments, their frustrations, etc., and meetings with Antoine Mégie cover the theoretical aspects of the course. Students complete six hours of service learning work per week. Potential placements include: ADT Quart Monde (www.atd-quartmonde.org), Oxfam (www.oxfamfrance.org), Archipelia (www.archipelia.org), and Les Amis de la Bienvenue (www.la-bienvenue.org).
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand the theoretical background of social politics from a historical, sociological and philosophical perspective
Examine policies ideologically and compare social welfare policy in France and the USA
Acquire intercultural skills by analyzing peoples’ interactions in the workplace
Method of presentation:
Teaching will be based on presentations and discussions of works and newspaper articles. Each student will be supervised by a professor mentor with whom s/he will be able to discuss questions pertaining to practical aspects of the volunteering experience. Thus, in addition to the weekly class, students will benefit from regular contact with their mentor.
Required work and form of assessment:
Class participation (20%); Midterm presentation of volunteering work with respect to course theory (week 5) (20%); Final paper and oral presentation (30%); evaluation by volunteering mentor (30%).
content:
The semester will be divided into two halves. The first half (classes 1 through 4) will be dedicated to the philosophical and historical dimensions of social politics. The second half (classes 6 through 9) will focus on the main figures in the field of volunteering and social action and on current social practices. There will be required reading for each class session, which can be found in the course booklet distributed at the beginning of the semester.
Week 1: What is Social Action? Theories of social justice according to J. Rawls and R. Dworkin.
Reading: « La Justice sociale comme horizon démocratique », in Nay, Olivier, Histoire des idées politiques, Armand Colin, 2004, p 511-518.
Week 2: Social Politics: Definitions and examples of different public policies within the social domain.
Reading of an excerpt from: Bonnici, Gérard, Politiques et protection sociales, Paris, PUF, 1997.
Week 3: Liberal Societies and the Welfare State: the birth of the welfare state in the United States and in Europe
Reading: Merrien, François-Xavier, Raphaël Parchet et Antoine Kernen, L’État social : une perspective internationale, Paris, Armand Colin, 2005, pp. 63-94.
Week 4: The Neoliberal Turning Point: where is the welfare state today?
Reading: « Les transformations des politiques publiques » in Hassenteufel, Patrick, Sociologie politique: l’action publique, Armand Colin, 2008 p13-19.
Week 5: Reflection on Student Experience with respect to the theoretical questions addressed in class.
Students must present their volunteering experience with respect to class themes.
Week 6: Non Federal Figures in Social Action: the birth of the Red Cross and of French support groups.
Reading of an excerpt from: Harouel Véronique, Histoire de la Croix-Rouge, France, 1999.
Week 7: Microcredit, from a concrete experience to the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
Reading of an excerpt from: Yunus Muhammad, Vers un nouveau capitalisme, Ed. J.-C. Lattès, 2008
Week 8: Social Action on an International Scale: the right to humanitarian intervention and Doctors Without Borders
Reading : Zorgbibe, Charles, Le droit d'ingérence, Paris, PUF (Que sais-je?), 1994.
Week 9: Presentations of final papers
Required readings:
Course reader, distributed at beginning of semester
Béland, Daniel, « Les mutations de la protection sociale aux États-Unis : le débat sur l’assurance- maladie et l’assurance-vieillesse », Hérodote, 132, 2009, pp. 128-45. (Disponible sur le site cairn.info)
Ferenczy, Anna, Les ONG humanitaires, leur financement et les médias. Institut européen des Hautes Études Internationales. Chapitre II. L’instrumentalisation réciproque des ONG humanitaires et des médias. p49-95, 2005.
Harouel Véronique, Histoire de la Croix-Rouge, France, 1999.
Adjunct Professor at the Univeristé de Rouen, Antoine Megie earned his Ph.D. from the Institut des
Sciences Politiques de Paris (Science Po) and is the Director of the Review “Politique Européenne”. His current research includes the transatlantic relations regarding security and anti-terrorism issues. His most recent publications are “Surveillance et procédures pénales: l'affirmation d'un pouvoir judiciaire proactif”, in Léman-Langlois (S) (dir.), Les sphères de la surveillance, Presses universitaire de Montréal,
2011 and “Ancien” and “nouveau terrorisme: réflexions autour d'une distinction théorique », in Revue
Canadienne de science politique, vol. 43, 2010.
Brigitte Verpraet earned a Masters degree in Teaching French as a Second Language (FLE) from Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III and a Masters in Illiteracy and Pedagogy from Paris V. She has worked with NGOs such as ADT quart monde and governmental agencies for the social integration of long-term unemployed people.
Understanding Social Politics And Social Action In Contemporary Liberal Societies: A Service Learning Experience
The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to academic theory pertaining to social action in contemporary liberal societies. The course will adopt a multidisciplinary approach to social action to allow for consideration of its philosophical, historical and sociological dimensions. Each class session will also represent an opportunity to apply these theories to concrete volunteering experiences. The secondary objective of this course is to provide an environment for students to make and share connections between theory discussed in class and their individual experiences as volunteers. For example, a particular class session (week 5) will be designated as a student presentation day, wherein students will present their volunteering experience to the class with respect to the theories discussed in the preceding class sessions.
This course meets twice per week. Sessions with Brigitte Verpraet include group discussions and individual meetings about the experiences of each student, including their accomplishments, their frustrations, etc., and meetings with Antoine Mégie cover the theoretical aspects of the course. Students complete six hours of service learning work per week. Potential placements include: ADT Quart Monde (www.atd-quartmonde.org), Oxfam (www.oxfamfrance.org), Archipelia (www.archipelia.org), and Les Amis de la Bienvenue (www.la-bienvenue.org).
By the end of the course students will be able to:
Teaching will be based on presentations and discussions of works and newspaper articles. Each student will be supervised by a professor mentor with whom s/he will be able to discuss questions pertaining to practical aspects of the volunteering experience. Thus, in addition to the weekly class, students will benefit from regular contact with their mentor.
Class participation (20%); Midterm presentation of volunteering work with respect to course theory (week 5) (20%); Final paper and oral presentation (30%); evaluation by volunteering mentor (30%).
The semester will be divided into two halves. The first half (classes 1 through 4) will be dedicated to the philosophical and historical dimensions of social politics. The second half (classes 6 through 9) will focus on the main figures in the field of volunteering and social action and on current social practices. There will be required reading for each class session, which can be found in the course booklet distributed at the beginning of the semester.
Week 1: What is Social Action? Theories of social justice according to J. Rawls and R. Dworkin.
Week 2: Social Politics: Definitions and examples of different public policies within the social domain.
Week 3: Liberal Societies and the Welfare State: the birth of the welfare state in the United States and in Europe
Week 4: The Neoliberal Turning Point: where is the welfare state today?
Week 5: Reflection on Student Experience with respect to the theoretical questions addressed in class.
Week 6: Non Federal Figures in Social Action: the birth of the Red Cross and of French support groups.
Week 7: Microcredit, from a concrete experience to the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
Week 8: Social Action on an International Scale: the right to humanitarian intervention and Doctors Without Borders
Week 9: Presentations of final papers
Course reader, distributed at beginning of semester
Béland, Daniel, « Les mutations de la protection sociale aux États-Unis : le débat sur l’assurance- maladie et l’assurance-vieillesse », Hérodote, 132, 2009, pp. 128-45. (Disponible sur le site cairn.info)
Bonnici, Gérard, Politiques et protection sociales, Paris, PUF (Que sais-je?), 1997.
Bouchet-Saulnier, Françoise, Dictionnaire pratique du droit humanitaire, Éditions La Découverte, 2006, p.592.
Disponible en ligne : www.iehei.org/bibliotheque/memoires/FERENCZY.pdf
Ferenczy, Anna, Les ONG humanitaires, leur financement et les médias. Institut européen des Hautes Études Internationales. Chapitre II. L’instrumentalisation réciproque des ONG humanitaires et des médias. p49-95, 2005.
Harouel Véronique, Histoire de la Croix-Rouge, France, 1999.
Merrien, François-Xavier, L’État-providence, Paris, PUF (Que sais-je?), 2007.
Merrien, François-Xavier, Raphaël Parchet et Antoine Kernen, L’État social : une perspective internationale, Paris, Armand Colin, 2005, pp. 63-94.
Palier, Bruno, Gouverner la sécurité sociale : les réformes du système français de protection sociale depuis 1945, Paris, PUF, 2002
Rawls, John, Théorie de la justice, Seuil, 1997.
Yunus Muhammad, Manifeste pour une économie plus humaine, Ed. J.-C. Lattès, 2011.
Yunus Muhammad, Vers un nouveau capitalisme, Ed. J.-C. Lattès, 2008.
Yunus Muhammad, Vers un monde sans pauvreté, Ed. J.-C. Lattès, 1997.
WEBSITES:
Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion : www.cepe.gouv.qc.ca
Politiques sociales : www.politiquessociales.net
Global Humanitarian Forum: www.ghf-geneva.org
Adjunct Professor at the Univeristé de Rouen, Antoine Megie earned his Ph.D. from the Institut des
Sciences Politiques de Paris (Science Po) and is the Director of the Review “Politique Européenne”. His current research includes the transatlantic relations regarding security and anti-terrorism issues. His most recent publications are “Surveillance et procédures pénales: l'affirmation d'un pouvoir judiciaire proactif”, in Léman-Langlois (S) (dir.), Les sphères de la surveillance, Presses universitaire de Montréal,
2011 and “Ancien” and “nouveau terrorisme: réflexions autour d'une distinction théorique », in Revue
Canadienne de science politique, vol. 43, 2010.
Brigitte Verpraet earned a Masters degree in Teaching French as a Second Language (FLE) from Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III and a Masters in Illiteracy and Pedagogy from Paris V. She has worked with NGOs such as ADT quart monde and governmental agencies for the social integration of long-term unemployed people.