Master 2025/2026

Inequality and welfare states in international perspective

Type: Elective course (International Relations: European and Asian Studies)

Delivered by: School of World Economy

When: 1 year, 3, 4 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Oksana Sinyavskaya

Language: English

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course offers an introduction to inequality and welfare states in an international perspective. How does social stratification and inequalities influence welfare state development? To what extent and in which way do different welfare state lessen, reproduce or heighten social inequalities? This course aims to address these questions from sociological and political economy perspectives. The course starts from an overview of different dimensions of inequality and factors contributing to its growth in the last decades. Then we turn to the issue of the diversity of welfare states in different regions and countries and their distributional outcomes. The last part of the course focuses on the current demographic, social, technological and economic challenges to welfare states and welfare states adaptation and transformation.