Final Syllabus

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Equality in Scandinavia:

Developments and Challenges of the Welfare State

Spring 2017

Location: Copenhagen

Credits: 3

Major Disciplines: Economics, Political Science, Sociology

Faculty Member: Kristian Weise

Program Director: Neringa Vendelbo

Program Assistant: Alex Berlin

Thursdays 14:50-17:45

Classroom: 10-D14

Description of course: The image of Denmark and other Scandinavian countries is one of high taxation, universal welfare, and a notable level of equality. In this class we examine the reality of that image. Are the

Scandinavian countries the most equal in the world? What are the characteristics that have ensured the high levels of equality? Are all people supported equally by the state? Can current levels of support be

sustained in the face of economic pressures?

The class will examine current academic and political debates about equality, and explore both sociological and economic theories to understand the principles and challenges that underpin the Scandinavian welfare

state. Students will also engage in comparative analysis of welfare and non-welfare states as well as learn

about the political and socio-economic aspects of Denmark and its neighboring countries that influence

equality and inequality in them.

The course will look at how ‘equality of opportunity’ and ‘equality of outcome’ is shaped in relation to labor and the labor market, education, health and culture as well as how gender and ethnicity influences equality

and inequality in the Scandinavian countries. Finally, the class will consider public opinion towards ‘equality

creating policies’ such as income transfer policies in the Scandinavian countries, and what the future holds for the Scandinavian welfare state.

When empirical studies and case-material is used, it will primarily concern Denmark.

The course consists of three overall themes:

I) Equality – concept and current debates,

II) Building equality – characteristics of Scandinavian societies and welfare states,

III) Maintaining or eroding equality? Changes in and challenges to Scandinavian societies and welfare states.

Throughout the course one of the central questions will be what other countries can learn from the

Scandinavian countries and their societal model.

In terms of academic disciplines, the course is a combination of political science, economics and sociology.

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Instructor: Kristian Weise is Director of the Danish think tank Cevea. He has previously been Head of

Secretariat for the Danish Social Democrats in the European Parliament and an adviser and analyst for the

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and former

Danish Prime Minister, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. He holds an MSc in Political Sociology from London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a BSc in Philosophy and Economics from Copenhagen Business

School (CBS).

Learning objectives of the course: This course will enable students to identify the different rationales in the academic and political discussions about equality and inequality, provide them with a thorough

understanding of Scandinavian welfare states, their social stratifications and the dynamics of the equality-

inequality nexus as well as introduce them to current debates about welfare in Scandinavia. Students

should not only gain particular knowledge of Scandinavia, but achieve more general insights into how the

economy, labor markets and most policy areas interact with the social results in society. Overall, the course

should enable them to make concrete comparisons of welfare systems, and to bring reflections around equity into academic areas such as sociology, economics and political sciences as well as to practical policy

work, which they might engage in in the future.

Required texts: Textbook: ‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in the 21st century’, Kvist,

J., Fritzell, J., Hvinden, B. & Kangas, O., Bristol: Policy Press

Available online on Canvas: ‘The Nordic Model, Embracing globalization and sharing risks’, Torben M. Andersen, Bengt Holmström, Seppo Honkapohja, Sixten Korkman, Hans Tson Söderström, Juhana

Vartiainen, 2007

‘The Nordic model – challenged but capable of reform’, Tarmo Valkonen and Vesa Vihriala (eds.), 2014

In addition to these texts a range of academic articles, working papers as well as chapters from books and

anthologies will be used and made available online on DIS Canvas or in hand-outs.

Texts may be added to the syllabus during the semester. DIS will supply all books.

Approach to Teaching: The instructor will present different aspects of and views on equality in Scandinavia

but always expects students to engage in discussing both the academic considerations and the policy implications of the subject. Hence, a high level of class participation is expected and students are invited to

compare the Scandinavian experiences with their own. There will both be moderated discussions with the

instructor and small group discussions in the class.

The instructor will use his own hands-on experience of policy-making processes and the public discussions

around these in Denmark and the EU to make classes extra relevant and to draw direct lines to ongoing events and policy developments in Scandinavia. As the classes are double lectures, the instructor will aim at

providing a detailed plan for each session a couple of days in advance.

All students will make presentations in class. Hence, these presentations will form part of the learning

environment.

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Expectations of the students: Students are expected to have read the readings for the class and to engage

in the discussions based on these. Active participation in class is central, and observations and reflections

about current events related to the texts and readings will be encouraged. Students should critically assess

the material that is presented to them, both in class and in exams, papers etc. that are prepared for the course.

Field studies: Field studies are planned to include a visit to the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) as well as to

one or several typical welfare institutions (trade unions, employers’ organizations, civil society organizations, kindergartens etc.)

There are two main slots for field studies. These are:

• Wednesday, 25 January 8.30-12.30- Visit to the Danish Parliament

• Wednesday, 8 March 13.00-17.00 - TBA

In addition, shorter visits may be scheduled during normal class hours. The syllabus will be updated if such

visits are planned.

Guest lectures: There will be several guest speakers during the course. Please see the detailed schedule for

credentials, topics and dates.

Evaluation: Students are expected to engage actively in class, to come prepared for the different subjects and to hand in papers on time. In both discussions and papers they will be rewarded for their ability to

critically absorb new knowledge, to compare different welfare systems and arrangements, to analyze

different points of views and to question the rationales behind them.

Group work and class presentations

Each student will be part of a group presentation on one of the subjects studied. Groups will consist of 2-3

people. The presentations will be on selected subjects within the themes. Presentations will be assigned in class within the first couple of weeks. (see more information about this at the end of the syllabus)

Online discussions

During the course, DIS’ online forum Canvas may be used for online discussions, posing of questions etc. Students will be notified about when their preparations for class include posing questions, discussing

subjects etc.

Written assignments etc.

There will be a mid-term paper (4-5 pages) and a final paper (8-10 pages). There will be a choice of different

formats for the papers (e.g. articles, op-eds, concept notes, literature reviews and more traditional research

papers). Precise instructions will be given during class.

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Grading:

Engaged participation 15 %

Mid-term paper 25 %

Group presentation incl. preparations 15 %

Final paper 45 %

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

Policies

Attendance – You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss multiple classes the

Director of Academic Support, and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up

with you to make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but in the case of multiple absences you will need to provide a

doctor’s note.

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment

DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS

assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home

universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in

electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the Academic Handbook for more

information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Disability and resource statement: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact

of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this. In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations

within the first two weeks of classes.

Class Representatives

Each semester DIS looks for class representatives to become an official spokesperson for their class group, addressing any concerns that may arise (in academic or related matters), suggesting improvements and coming up with new ideas. Class representatives are a great way for DIS faculty to ensure better and timelier feedback on their courses, assessments and teaching styles, and as such perform an invaluable role in connecting student needs with faculty instruction during term time. Class Representatives will be elected in class at the beginning of the semester.

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Schedule of classes, readings to be done for each class, and assignment due dates.

1) Thursday, 19 January: Introduction and the Scandinavian welfare state in international discussions

Introduction to the course, presentation of syllabus, expectations of students, grading etc. Furthermore, presentation of views on the Scandinavian welfare state and its perceptions, and continued discussion of

the current debates around it.

Required readings:

‘The Nordic countries: The next supermodel’, The Economist, February 2 2013 (3 pages)

‘Special report: The Nordic countries - Northern lights’, The Economist, February 2 2013 (6 pages)

‘Special report: The Nordic countries – The secret of their success’, The Economist, February 2 2013

(4 pages)

‘Special report: The Nordic countries – More for less, The Economist, February 2 2013 (4 pages)

‘Special report: The Nordic countries – The ins and outs’, The Economist, February 2 2013 (4 pages)

‘Danes Rethink a Welfare State Ample to a Fault’, New York Times, April 20 2013 (3 pages) ‘NYT

Uses News Story to Express Dislike of Danish Welfare State’, Dean Baker, Center for Economic and

Policy Research, April 21 2013 (2 pages)

‘What Can We Learn From Denmark?’, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Independent U.S. Senator from Vermont,

05/26/2013, Huffington Post (3 pages)

‘What Americans Don’t Get About Nordic Countries’, Anu Partanen, Mar 16, 2016, The Atlantic (4

pages)

This session will also preparations of group presentations

Theme I: Equality – concept and current debates

Field Study- Wednesday, 25 January: 8:30-12:30

Field study to the Danish Parliament with presentation by Member of Parliament and former Minister for

Food and Agriculture, Mr. Dan Jørgensen (S)

Precise timing and meeting place will be given before the visit.

2) Thursday, 2 February: – concept, ideas and conflicts

Introduction to the concept of equality in sociology and political science, as well as its usage in other

sciences, such as economics, and in politics.

Within the last couple of years equality and inequality has increasingly appeared on the academic and

political agenda. However, the concept and its usage is indeed contested. Presentation and discussion of

the academic and political debates, with The Spirit Level as example.

Required readings:

‘Equality’, Stuart White, Polity Press, 2006, chapter 1 (25 pages)

‘The Spirit Level. Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better’, Richard Wilkinson and Kate

Pickett, Allen Lane, 2009, chapter 1, 2, 3 (40 pages)

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Election of Class Representatives

Core Course Week – No elective classes!

Feb. 6 - Feb. 11

3) Monday, 13 February, 14.50 – 17.45 (*note that this is not the normal day of class*): Equality, the

economy and international policy-making

Within the last couple of years equality and inequality has increasingly appeared on the academic and

political agenda. However, the concept and its usage is indeed contested. Continued presentation and discussion of the academic and political debates, with Joseph Stiglitz’s The Price of Inequality and Thomas

Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century as examples.

Furthermore, equality and inequality is the subject of several international organisations, and is often on

the agenda of international policy gatherings, not just in the social realm but also at events like the World

Economic Forum. Presentation of how some international organisations work with equality/inequality plus discussion of the present trends and their consequences for other policy areas.

Required readings:

‘The price of Inequality’, Joseph E. Stiglitz, W.W. Norton, 2012, preface, (15 pages) ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’, Thomas Piketty, Harvard University Press, page 20-35 (15 pages)

‘Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising’, OECD, Paris, 2011, only read overview, p. 21-45 (25

pages)

Optional readings:

‘The price of Inequality’, Joseph E. Stiglitz, W.W. Norton, 2012, chapter 3, 4 (60 pages)

Theme II: Building equality – characteristics of Scandinavian societies and welfare

4) Thursday, 16 February: Different forms of states, different social outcomes and levels of equality +

development and basic traits of the Scandinavian model

Overview of the main typologies of industrial / western capitalist states and their relation to

equality/inequality.

Furthermore, is there a distinct Scandinavian model? And what characterizes it? Presentation of the basic

characteristics of the Scandinavian/Nordic model and its political compromises.

Required readings:

‘The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism’, Gøsta Esping-Andersen, Polity Press, 1990, read

introduction and chapter 1 (30 pages)

‘The Copenhagen Consensus: Reading Adam Smith in Denmark’, Robert Kuttner, Foreign Affairs,

March/April 2008 (17 pages) (Next readings on following page)

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‘The Nordic Model for Dummies, SAMAK, 2016, (6 minutes)

Optional readings:

‘The Nordic Model, Embracing globalization and sharing risks’, Torben M. Andersen, Bengt

Holmström, Seppo Honkapohja, Sixten Korkman, Hans Tson Söderström, Juhana Vartiainen, 2007,

read chapter 1, 2 (35 pages)

5) Thursday, 23 February: The Scandinavian Model - economy, labour markets, social and pension

systems

Is there a distinct Scandinavian model? And what characterizes it? Continued discussion of the basic

characteristics of the Scandinavian/Nordic model and its political compromises, primarily with a focus on

the labour market and labour market institutions.

The session will also include preparations for the midterm paper.

Required readings:

‘The Danish Model - a European success story’, Mogens Lykketoft, AE, 2009 (25 pages)

Optional readings:

‘Activation” of Social and Labour Market Policies in the Nordic Countries, 1990-2010’, Jørgen Goul

Andersen, CCWS Working paper no. 2011-71 (30 pages)

‘Continuity and change in Danish active labour market policy: 1990-2007. The battlefield between activation and workfare’, Jørgen Goul Andersen & Jacob J. Pedersen, CCWS Working paper no.

200754 (20 pages)

Long Study Tour or Travel Break – No elective classes!

February 25 – March 5

Field Study - 8 March, 13.00-17.00 Details to be confirmed 6) Thursday, 9 March: The Scandinavian Model – health and health care (and possibly follow-up on issues

so far)

Some of the characteristics of the Scandinavian welfare states are universal health care and extensive offers

of child care arrangements. How these arrangements are organised and what it means for health and

children’s wellbeing etc. is the subject of this session.

Required readings:

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‘Social inequalities in health: The Nordic welfare state in comparative context’, Clare Bambra, Ch. 7

in Changing Social Equality (30 pages)

7) Thursday, 16 March: Education and child care in Scandinavia

Required readings:

‘The Nordic Model in Education: Education as part of the political system in the last 50 years’, Alfred

Oftedal Telhaug, Odd Asbjørn and Petter Aasenc

‘Equality in the social service state: Nordic childcare models in comparative perspective’, Gabrielle

Meagher and Marta Szebehely, (20 pages) in ‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in

the 21st century’, Kvist, J., Fritzell, J., Hvinden, B. & Kangas, O., Bristol: Policy Press

*Midterm paper due. Should be handed in by the beginning of class.

Long Study Tour or Travel Break – No elective classes!

Mar. 18- Mar. 26

8) Thursday, 30 March: Gender equality and gender policies in Scandinavia

Required readings:

‘Scandinavian Welfare Policies, Gender Equality and Globalization’, Anette Borchorst (15 pages)

‘Reassessing woman-friendliness and the gender system: feminist theorizing about the Nordic

welfare model’, Anette Borchorst, in ‘Welfare State, Universalism and Diversity’, Anneli Anntonen,

Liisa Häikiö, Kolbein Stefánsson. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012. p.p. 106-120. (15 pages)

Preparations for writing final paper

Theme III: Maintaining or eroding equality? Changes in and challenges to Scandinavian societies and

welfare states

9) Thursday, 6 April: The Scandinavian Model – how well does it do? And what are the challenges in

relation to demographics, welfare costs, labour markets, wages and the public sector

State configurations and societies are almost always undergoing change. This is not least the case of the

Scandinavian welfare states, which are seen as some of the states undergoing reforms almost permanently.

But what is the present performance of these states and what are their achievements in relation to equality?

Moreover, what does demographic change, increasing welfare costs and global competition mean to the

future of the welfare state? And how does it interact with the needs for reforming the public sector?

Required readings:

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‘The Nordic model – challenged but capable of reform’, Tarmo Valkonen and Vesa Vihriala (eds.),

2014, read part I and part III selectively (100 pages)

This is a long reading, but as mentioned it can be done selectively, i.e. skim parts if it makes sense to you.

Travel Break

Apr. 12- Apr. 17

10) Thursday, 20 April: Scandinavian welfare states and immigration

The Scandinavian welfare states were developed during times of relatively low levels of immigration and within ethnically very homogeneous countries. What challenges does immigration pose to the welfare

state?

Required readings:

‘Does immigration challenge the economic sustainability of the Nordic welfare model?’, Christer

Gerdes and Eskil Wadensjö, (15 pages)

‘Denmark: doubting the multi-ethnic welfare society’, Kristian Weise, forthcoming, Dietz Verlag (will

be availbale on Canvas)

Optional readings:

‘Anti-immigration attitudes, support for redistribution, and party choice in Europe’, Henning

Finseraas, (20 pages) both in ‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in the 21st

century’, Kvist, J., Fritzell, J., Hvinden, B. & Kangas, O., Bristol: Policy Press

*Research question for final paper plus overview of literature etc should be sent to Kristian by this day

11) Thursday, 27 April: Equality under siege? Is universalism becoming a thing of the past?

Are the Scandinavian welfare states moving away from universalism in provision and entitlements? And if it

is the case, then what are the consequences? Do they less and less constitute a family of their own?

Traditionally the welfare state has been seen as providing protection from market forces. But over the last

decades, the focus has been changing. Today the Scandinavian states are often seen as ‘enabling states’

rather than protective ones. This is particularly seen in the labour market and with regards to social policy.

What underpins this change and what are the consequences?

Required readings:

‘Has the Nordic Welfare Model Been Transformed?’, Jon Kvist and Bent Greve, Social Policy &

Administration, Vol. 45, No. 2, April 2011, pp. 146–160 (15 pages)

‘Eroding minimum income protection in the Nordic countries’, Susan Kuivalainen and Kenneth Nelson

(20 pages)

‘Income inequality and poverty: do the Nordic countries still constitute a family of their own?’, Johan

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Fritzell, Olof Bäckman and Veli-Matti Ritakallio, (20 pages)

Optional readings:

‘Welfare State Institutions, Unemployment and Poverty: Comparative study on changes in labour

market and income status in 15 European countries’, M. Azhar Hussain, Olli Kangas &

Jon Kvist, (20 pages) all in ‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in the 21st century’,

Kvist, J., Fritzell, J., Hvinden, B. & Kangas, O., Bristol: Policy Press

Plus possibly extra texts on the ‘competition state’

12) Thursday, 4 May (possibly only half a session): What can be learned from equality in Scandinavia

and the Nordic countries more generally?

Summary of the course, discussion of the most important findings, perspectives on how to use the knowledge gained during the course. Preparations for writing final paper.

Required readings:

‘Misreading the Nordic Model: How American Admirers Get Scandinavia Wrong’, Nima Sanandaji,

Foreign Affairs, August 2016 (5 pages)

‘Nortern Lights: Do the Scandinavians really have it all figured out?’, Nathan Heller, February 2015,

The New Yorker (5 pages)

‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in the 21st century’, (20 pages)

‘Nordic responses to rising inequalities’, Jon Kvist, Bjørn Hvinden and Olli Kangas, (5 pages) all in in

‘Changing social equality. The Nordic welfare model in the 21st century’, Kvist, J., Fritzell, J.,

Hvinden, B. & Kangas, O., Bristol: Policy Press

*Final paper due on Friday, 10 May. Should be handed in electronically.

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Instructions for papers

Mid-term paper Students should write a paper based on the themes that we have been through so far. The paper should have the length of 4-5 pages. Students can choose between two different types of papers: 1 A feature article or opinion piece on the current discussions around the Danish welfare model, and

reflections about the chosen perspective of the article or letter. The feature article or opinion piece should be intended for an American audience and may be based on experiences in Denmark, the texts for class and the discussion in it, as well as visits to the Danish Parliament etc. The purpose of the paper is to show an understanding of the Danish model and the current debates as well as how to present these to interested readers ‘back home’. It will be good to reflect on what is relevant for the debates in the US and where similarities or comparisons between the Danish model and the American are relevant. The paper should include, 1) the feature article or opinion piece (of 1-3 pages), 2) reflections on the chosen topic, perspective, audience/outlet and relevance for the American public and debate (of 1-3 pages). 2 A review of current academic, intellectual, policy and institutional debates on equality and the Scandinavian model, labour markets etc. The review should be based on the texts and discussions that we have been through in class, and either develop one theme and perspective (like ‘The spirit level’), a comparison of one or more of the different themes, or a critique of these. The purpose of the paper is to show an understanding of how equality features in academic and policy / institutional debates, the facts and arguments used in the discussion of equality, and the possible consequences for policy-making and the future of societies. The composition of the paper is up to the student.

The paper is due on 16th March 2017.

(see next page too)

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Final paper Format The paper can have the length of 8-10 pages. Use double spaced lines. One page equals around 300 words. Use ‘Writing Papers at DIS’ as a guideline. The final paper can be based on the entire curriculum of ‘Equality in Scandinavia’, but must relate to issues and topics concerning Scandinavia or a Scandinavian country. Hence, it cannot only relate to an academic or policy discussions of equality. The paper should be analytical. Use material from the course curriculum as well as other statistics, official information, other articles, academic literature, research papers etc. Remember proper referencing. Content The final paper should address one or more of the topics covered during the course related to the discussion of equality in Scandinavia. Hence, it can for example be on a specific topic like child care, health policy or labor market institutions or combine more issues in a general question such as ‘what can the world learn from Scandinavia?’, ‘whether the Scandinavian welfare models can be sustained in the future?’ or ‘if transformations of the Scandinavian welfare models is making the social democratic model a thing of the past?’ etc. The paper should be an academic paper, which means that it should address the topics that it covers in an investigative and analytical way. The paper should be driven by a research question that you will try to answer in your text. You will most likely have a hypothesis that you approach this question with and you can use both academic literature to approach the question and secondary empirical resources to substantiate your findings, conclusions etc. You are not expected to do your own empirical research.

The paper is due 10th May 2017.

Research question for final paper plus overview of literature etc should be sent to Kristian by 20th April

2017