Description
The specialisation focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to migration in connection with the production and reproduction of social discrimination and inequalities in contemporary societies. Citizenship is also a key axis of analysis both with regard to the management of otherness and diversity and in relation to the very process of state, national and supranational building.
Through theoretical and methodological approaches as well as through specialised studies and research, the specialisation has a twofold aim: a. to provide comprehensive knowledge for a better understanding of its subject matters and b. to provide the necessary resources for the design and implementation of policies related to migration, social discrimination and citizenship in our country and internationally.
Curriculum
| 1st semester | |
| Courses | ECTS |
| Research methodology in social policy | 10 |
| Social Exclusion and Social Inclusion Policies | 5 |
| Citizenship and Social Rights | 5 |
| Citizenship Law and Immigration Policy | 5 |
| Migration in the Modern Era | 5 |
| Semester Total | 30 |
| 2nd semester | |
| Courses | ECTS |
| Social Discrimination: Concepts, dimensions, policies | 10 |
| Legal Status of Immigrants and Refugees | 5 |
| Policies for active labour market integration | 5 |
| Policies for minorities | 5 |
| Social Economy and Social Solidarity | 5 |
| Semester Total | 30 |
| 3rd semester | |
| Diploma Thesis | 30 |
Course analysis
WINTER SEMESTER
Research Methodology in Social Policy (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The course includes both quantitative and qualitative methodology. The first component consists of an introduction to quantitative research in the field of social policy. Content includes the formulation of research questions and hypotheses, the basic steps and techniques of literature review, the appropriate selection (or design) of a research instrument, basic sampling techniques, as well as the management and analysis of quantitative data using SPSS statistical software. Regarding the analysis of quantitative data, students are introduced to basic concepts and tools of descriptive and inferential statistics such as measures of central tendency and dispersion, graphical representation of data (histograms, bar charts, etc.), hypothesis testing and correlation analysis as well as getting in touch with the construction and interpretation of key social indicators widely used in the field of social policy (poverty, social exclusion and inequality indicators, social and material deprivation indicators, etc.). The course evolves using many examples and applications from the field of social research, which allows for a better understanding of the concepts also by students without a mathematical or statistical background. Finally, as part of the course, students implement their own research project that includes constructing research questions, writing a short literature review, selecting a research instrument and designing the mode of data collection and processing.
The second component provides an introduction to qualitative research in the field of social policy. Its content includes a description of the basic methods of qualitative social research as well as the study of relevant examples of research employing the qualitative methodological approach. The aim is to highlight the role and significance of qualitative social research methods in fields of social policy analysis and/or action. The component includes issues of theoretical and epistemological background of qualitative methodological approaches, issues of research reflection, multi-methodological considerations, employment of different qualitative methods (in-depth interviews, participatory observation, etc.) for data collection, as well as issues of qualitative data analysis and use of specific software for this purpose. Students become familiar with the delimitation of their research questions and the appropriate production and interpretation of the resulting qualitative data.
The course includes topics such as basic conceptual and theoretical approaches, classification and understanding of qualitative methods, qualitative research design and production of qualitative data, direct (fieldwork, interviews, document study, etc.) and indirect (content and content analysis) observation methods, sample selection, etc.
Social Exclusion and Social Inclusion Policies (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
Social inequality constitutes the preeminent subject of sociology and, unfortunately, a universal feature of human societies. This course explores the nature, causes, forms and consequences of social inequality.
In the first part, the course introduces the basic sociological approaches to social inequality, in relation to social variables such as social class, social status, status/ prestige, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and examines the ways in which social inequalities are produced, reproduced and experienced.
In the second part, a critical examination of ‘social exclusion’ is attempted, as the new ‘paradigm’ for understanding social inequalities. The question is raised as to whether the concept of social exclusion is indeed a useful explanatory tool for understanding social inequality; the relation of ‘social exclusion’ to alternative concepts such as poverty, relative deprivation, social discrimination and social vulnerability is examined; the key characteristics of social exclusion are analysed; and the methodological problems that arise in the empirical investigation of the phenomenon are discussed.
The course concludes with an overview of the role of social policy in creating and/or mitigating inequalities, poverty and social exclusion, with particular reference to interventions at the EU level and in Greece.
Citizenship and Social Rights (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The course delves into the complex relationship between Citizenship and Social Rights. First, students are introduced to the basic concepts, principles and values that underpin the interdisciplinary academic subject of Social Policy. Then, the concept, mission, content and fundamental role of Social Rights in society, politics and economy are analysed, as well as their inseparable connection with Social Policy. These are rights – rules of individual behaviour and social coexistence that promote equality and combat contemporary forms of inequality and discrimination; rules that stem from various ideologies, social norms and levels of development, and that come at an economic cost.
Next, the multifaceted secondary concept of citizenship, its classical and contemporary approaches, and its national and supranational dimensions are explored. In each case, the study of citizenship focuses on rights and corresponding obligations; it is associated with the desired balances of equality-freedom, collective commitment-individual independence, and economic development-social well-being. In any case, securing this status also implies the indissociable guarantee of individual, political and social rights.
Finally, the specific relation between citizenship and social rights, which are the cornerstone of social citizenship and in democratic, pluralist and multicultural societies shape the quality and effectiveness of this relation, is decoded. It is a complex interaction that emanates from social and political processes and shapes the measure of social participation and inclusion while it is related to many parameters – such as universality, conditionality versus entitlement, reduction of social exclusion and discrimination, achievement of isonomia and equal opportunities.
Citizenship Law and Immigration Policy (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
This course examines the legal and political link between the individual as a citizen and the state. The legal status of citizenship, the terms and conditions of its granting, access to it, as well as the rights and obligations of Greek citizens are analysed in detail. The analysis is also presented in relation to contemporary European and national immigration policy and the granting of citizenship to the various categories of immigrants.
Thematic units
Introduction to basic concepts of law related to the institutional framework of citizenship
Nationality law
Citizenship status.
Access of foreigners to Greek citizenship.
Basic principles of European immigration policy
Refugee crisis and immigration policy
Refugee crisis and the European policy crisis
Migration in the Modern Era (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
This course examines migration in the modern era. The starting point of the course is the modern period and the analysis reaches up to current developments. In the introductory section, methodological and theoretical issues in the study of migration are analysed: concepts, theories, periodization, typologies of migration, the problems of presentism and ethnocentrism, the historical and transnational approach, diasporas and mobility, integration/exclusion, assimilation/integration/transnational ties. The main units of the course deal with the history and sociology of migration, diaspora and mobility. The topics under consideration are: the ages of ‘discovery’; capitalism and unequal international relations; European hegemony and colonialism; voluntary migration; refugeeism; forced migration; multi-ethnic empires; nation-states and migration; archetypal, commercial and modern diasporas, rural exodus, urbanisation and industrialisation, international division of labour, national and local labour markets, global wars, international and local conflicts and refugee flows, state policies on migration and refugees, decolonisation. In terms of contemporary developments, the course analyses in depth the movements from the late 20th century to the present day, in relation to the fall of existing socialism, globalisation, labour markets, regional movements and their differentiations according to social class, gender, race and ethnicity, as well as new categorisations (‘irregular’, ‘undocumented’ migrants, etc.).
SPRING SEMESTER
Social Discrimination: Concepts, Dimensions, Policies (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The term social discrimination refers to the unfair/unequal treatment of people based on their belonging to a particular social group for which there is a negative stereotype and negative prejudice from the perspective of the discriminator. This process leads to the restriction of group members from the opportunities or privileges available to the main body of society, thus leading to their exclusion from society. The main objective of the course is to enhance students’ knowledge and sensitivity to the issues of racism and discrimination, to equip them with the appropriate knowledge and scientific tools to critically analyse the complexity of the structures, systems and ideologies that support discrimination and the unequal distribution of power and resources in society, and to seek viable strategies to address these issues in the context of contemporary pluralistic and multicultural societies. In this context, the causes, factors and practices of racial/ethnic prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination are explored, along with the ways in which a range of biological and/or social factors, such as class, gender, sexuality, age, disability, etc., interact to entrench and reproduce inequalities and social discrimination in contemporary societies. The economic and socio-political impact of social discrimination on the social groups that suffer it, as well as the implications for wider social solidarity and social cohesion, are examined. Finally, a critical analysis of the dominant policies to combat discrimination at supranational, national and local level is presented.
Legal Status of Immigrants and Refugees (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The course analyses the legal framework governing the entry and residence (work, education, business activity, humanitarian reasons, long-term residency) of third country nationals in Greece and Europe, the institutional framework of deportation and the relationship between third country nationals and the public order. The core content of the course includes Refugee Law, the legal status of international protection, as well as the analysis of the case law of the ECHR on the rights of refugees.
Indicative Bibliography:
-Θ. Παπαθεοδώρου, Νομικό Καθεστώς Αλλοδαπών, Νομική Βιβλιοθήκη, 2015
-Μ.-Ν. Μαρούδα, Αλληλεγγύη στην Ε.Ε.: Εξελίξεις στο πεδίο της προσφυγικής προστασίας και προκλήσεις στην Ε.Ε. και στην Ελλάδα, Αθήνα, Νομική Βιβλιοθήκη, 2019
-Σαμπατάκου Ε-Α., Ερμηνεύοντας την εξέλιξη της κοινής μεταναστευτικής πολιτικής της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Νομοθετική, θεσμική, επιχειρησιακή εξέλιξη. Δρώντες, δομές και διάδραση, Παπαζήσης, 2010
Active labour market integration policies (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The active inclusion model has been established in recent years at EU level as a reference for strategies against poverty and exclusion. The basic idea is simple: to be effective for those excluded from the labour market, such strategies must combine adequate income support with access to quality services and inclusive labour markets. In contrast to traditional passive policies, the active inclusion model focuses on the capacities of the vulnerable groups themselves (e.g. long-term unemployed, migrants/refugees, people with disabilities, etc.) to become active and self-reliant individuals and lead a decent life. It also requires holistic approaches combining labour market and social policies. On the other hand, active inclusion has been blamed as part of a broader strategy aimed at reducing the pressure on Western welfare states in the context of globalisation and multiple crises, shifting the responsibility to local communities and ultimately to citizens themselves regarding their prospects of integration into the labour market and wider society. The main objective of the course is to critically examine the model of active inclusion, to critically compare specific cases of its implementation at European and national level, also in relation to specific vulnerable groups, and to evaluate its effectiveness.
Policies on minorities (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The course examines the policies concerning minorities in the Greek state, both from a historical perspective and in the context of the contemporary world. Taking the case of the Muslim minority in Thrace as a starting point, the course approaches the subject with religion and religiosity as its main axis. The structure of the course is modular. The first section examines the broader context: concepts and definitions, national identity and religion, religiosity and culture, religion and minority identities, religion, migration and refugeeism, minorities and citizenship. The second section of the course charts minority policies in the Greek state, focusing on the relationship between national identity and Orthodoxy, heterodox and non-religious communities in Greece, the history of the Muslim minority of Thrace, the history of Greek Jewry, the presence of Islam in Greece, the relations between the State, the Church and minorities, and issues of religious rights of minorities and of migrant and refugee communities. Forms, discourses and practices of discrimination and racism, such as anti-Semitism, are systematically studied. In the context of an interdisciplinary approach and literature (history, sociology, social anthropology, minority studies, migration studies, etc.), the course offers knowledge and tools for the analysis and understanding of critical aspects of minority policies. At the same time, the course links the study of the history of minority policies with the understanding of contemporary phenomena associated with the multiple roles of religion and religiosity, both in Greece and in the wider European and international context.
Social Economy and Social Solidarity (Compulsory: C)
COURSE CONTENT
The aim of the course is to analyse on the one hand the sector of social economy and on the other hand, the actions through which social economy contributes to the relief and social reintegration and inclusion of vulnerable groups of citizens. Social economy is considered as the third pillar between the private and public sectors of the economy and is approached from both a theoretical and a practical point of view. The social economy sector has flourished also in Greece, particularly due to the decline of the welfare state. The basic concepts of the social economy and other concepts related to it (e.g., Pluralist Economy, Third System, Third Sector, Non-profit Sector, Solidarity Economy) are analysed. Furthermore, the course provides an analysis of the concept of civil society from a political, social, economic and legal point of view, of the involvement of its actors in social economy, of the types of civil society actors and the legal forms they adopt in order to achieve their objectives, and of the concept of volunteering. Specific examples of civil society actors active in tackling social exclusion, xenophobia and racism and in the field of migration are presented. The importance and contribution of social economy to the global and national economy, the principles on which it is based, its distinction from other sectors of the economy and the institutions through which civil society operates (e.g., cooperatives, NGOs, social enterprises) are also analysed. The concepts of cooperatives, associations, foundations, civil corporations and mutual funds are also analysed, i.e. the key players in social economy, which produce products or services of value to society as a whole, create jobs and offer solutions to local communities that the other two sectors of the economy cannot offer. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis of social enterprises and social entrepreneurship. Finally, the legal regime governing social economy in our country is critically approached.
