Analysis of the relations between capital, labor and state in European countries and in Europe. The historical-sociological approach offers theoretical and methodological tools for the study of labor regulation and the role of collective actors. Involving students in empirical research on national and international databases, updates knowledge of countries “adopted” by students (countries they are interested in) and compares countries with different models of labor regulation
Colin Crouch (1996) Relazioni industriali nella storia politica europea, Roma: Ediesse; or Colin Crouch (1993) Industrial Relations and European State Traditions, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Pulignano Valeria and Jim Arrowsmith (eds., 2013) The transformation of employment relations in Europe. Institutions and Outcomes in the Age of Globalization, London: Routledge.
Aa. Vv. (2015) Industrial relations in Europe 2014, European Commission.
Learning Objectives
The course offers theoretical and methodological tools for the comparative analysis of the main models of labor regulation present within different European countries and at a supra national level, in particular at the European level.
From the theoretical and historical-sociological perspective, the course sets the models of labor regulation within the long-standing tradition of the institutional assets of different countries, and promote a good knowledge of the main interpretative approaches offered by the international literature in the field of Economic Sociology and Sociology of Labor. This knowledge refers in particular to the role played by the social collective actors representing capital, labor and the state, who are involved in labor regulation; to rational choice and game theory; to the characters of socio-economic and productive systems in which labor regulation is embedded.
The competencies that students will acquire are related to the ability to find and use databases and documents offered by the main national and international institutions, to the comparative analysis, to the production of oral and written presentations.
Prerequisites
Previous Knowledge in the field of Sociology of Labor are recommended
Teaching Methods
Lectures, individual research, presentations and collective discussions
Further information
The attendance is essential to actively participate in research activities and benefit from the opportunity to present a report instead of the oral examination on the texts.
Type of Assessment
Individual paper reporting the research conducted on the countries "adopted" by each student, with comparative analysis, and eventual oral discussion on the theoretical and methodological approach proposed by Colin Crouch.
For non attneding students: oral discussion on the texts proposed.
Course program
The first part introduces to the analysis of characters and main trends of labor regulation in different European countries, through an historical-methodological approach. The analysis focuses on the models of labor regulation, the social actors playing a role in this field, the different paths followed in different countries. Similarities and differences of national experiences in Western European countries are analyzed through the text of Colin Crouch “Industrial Relations and European State Traditions” (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993). During this first part of the course, students can decide which country “adopt” in order to develop their individual research in the second and third part.
18 Sept. – Introduction
19 Sept. – Organized actors and their strategies
21 Sept. – The thesis on which the historical-sociological approach of Colin Crouch is founded
25 Sept. – The theory of political exchange
26 Sept. – Two models: contestation and pluralistic bargaining
28 Sept. – Two models: authoritarian and bargained corporatism
2 Oct. – Labor regulation in Europe: characters and trends
3 Oct. – Introduction to historical-comparative analysis: the end of the XIX century
5 Oct. – Between the two world wars (students' presentations)
9 Oct. – Between the two world wars (students' presentations)
10 Oct. – Labor regulation at mid XX century
Reference text: Colin Crouch, chapters I, II, III, IV, V
The comparative analysis of labor regulations’ models continues during the second part of the course, following the text of Colin Crouch and with the active participation of students, covering the XX century. Through the students’ presentations, the different models of labor regulation characterizing the various experiences of European countries will be discussed and interpreted. This part will also provide an in-depth analysis of the role labor regulation developed at supra national and European level. For those who want, the reference text is Franca Alacevich “Promuovere il dialogo sociale. Le conseguenze dell’Europa sulla regolazione del lavoro” (Firenze: FUP, 2004).
16 Oct. – Post second war world (students' presentations)
17 Oct. – Post second war world (students' presentations)
23 Oct. – Labor regulation in the late XX century: two/three countries (students' presentations)
24 Oct. – Labor regulation in the late XX century: two/three countries (students' presentations)
26 Oct. – Factors influencing labor regulation’s models
30 Oct. – Databases available and other fontd (lecture by dr. Andrea Bellini)
31 Oct. - The role of state traditions in the shaping of interest representation and economy
2 Nov. – The development of European regulation – from the Fifties to the European Employment Strategy
7 Nov. – The European Employment Strategy
9 Nov. – Recent trends. The enlargement of the EU and the new comers situation
Reference text: Colin Crouch, chapters VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI; Franca Alacevich, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
The third part of the course provides a direct experience of research and analysis of labor regulation in the last twenty years (1996- 20129. To the countries previously considered will be added some others, late comers or new comers to the European Union. As before, each student will “adopt” one of these countries. The research will be based on Pulignano and Arrowsmith text, on the Report Indistrial relations in Europe 2014, and on databases and documents offered by national and international institutions such as Bank of Italy (especially the Annual Reports and other specific researches), Euroepan commission (especially the Industrial relations in Europe Reports and the site of Social Dialogue), Eurobarometer, Eurostat, Eurofound (especially EIRO), ISTAT, OCDE (especially the Employment Outlooks and the Education at Glance Reports), ILO.
13 Nov. – Changes in labor and trade unionism (students' presentations)
14 Nov. – Changes of the capital and its representative associations (students' presentations)
16 Nov. – Changes in the role of the state (students' presentations)
20 Nov. – Wage regulation (students' presentations)
23 Nov. – Participation of labor within companies (students' presentations)
27 Nov. – Work organization and labour regulation (students' presentations)
28 Nov. - Working time regulation (students' presentations)
30 Nov. - Industrial relations in the public sector (students' presentations)
4 Dec. – Effects of the European regulation (students' presentations)
5 Dec. - Social dialogue at European, national and sectorial level
7 Dec. - NO CLASS
11 Dec. – New themes of collective bargaining
12 Dec. – New patterns or labor-capital relations
14 Dec. – Evaluation of the research conducted and conclusions