Students will acquire the following learning results: • Learn and understand the most relevant theories linking technological change, labour markets, social policy and the welfare state, and their empirical basis. • Learn and understand the main theories on varieties of capitalism and welfare and skills production regimes, the main classifications of welfare models, as well as the main analytical tools to understand labour market and welfare institutions and policies. • Learn and understand the mechanisms whereby technological change impacts upon political systems, and political preferences within the political community, and the available evidence on such impact. • Acquire the ability to assess the potential impact of technological change on socioeconomic phenomena, also according to the different features of production regimes. • Acquire the ability to assess the relevance of different social and labour policy measures to address the potential consequences of technological change, or speed up its pace.

None

The course is structured into three parts, of roughly 25 hours each: the first part deals with the economic impact of technological change; the second part provides an introduction to the study of comparative political economy, focusing in particular on varieties of democratic capitalism and welfare models; the third and last part inquires into the policy and politics consequences of technological change, the related policy measures and responses, and the political support for the various political choices that can be made and are being made.

The course is mainly structured in a seminar mode through a flipped classroom approach and limiting traditional lectures as much as possibile, as follows: • Introductory lectures • Introduction to class topics by the instructor • (Virtual or physical) Classroom discussion based on readings done in advance of each class, and (when appropriate) students’ notes on readings, sent to the instructor and classmates before class • Introduction to topics and readings by students in classroom (be it virtual or physical) • Team and individual work and presentations • Policy lab(s)

Readings to be done before each class (typically, 3/4 papers per week, policy reports or book chapters per class) will be made available for the download from the course webpage on the Portale della didattica at the beginning of the course. A comprehensive syllabus will be made available before the beginning of the course.

Exam: Individual essay; Paper-based written test with video surveillance of the teaching staff; Individual project; Group project;

Two different sets of rules, for attending (either in person or online) and non attending students, are envisaged. Attending students (i.e. attending in person and/or attending online) have to: • do (before class) all the readings indicated in the syllabus that will be made available on the course website; • when so instructed, send before the meeting short notes to the instructor and their colleagues, comprised of brief summaries of each paper and thought questions to feed the discussion, according to the rules set out in the syllabus and illustrated by the instructor in class; • actively participate to (physical or virual) classroom discussions started by the instructor or (as invited by the instructor) by the students on the day’s readings and, when applicable, on the basis of the notes shared in advance with the class; • when indicated, prepare (individually or in team) presentations; • participate in policy lab(s) on devising policy measures and responses; • deliver on time and following the rules set out in the syllabus three short papers: the first paper (1,500 words) after classes on the part on the economic impact of technological change, on a related topic, upon the instructor’s approval; the second (1,500 words) and third (2,000 words) papers after all classes on the part on varieties of capitalism and welfare models, and on the political impact of technological change, respectively, again on a related topic, upon the instructor’s approval. Structure and expected aims of the papers will be indicated in the syllabus and illustrated by the instructor in class. All three short papers must develop a convincing argument, based on empirical evidence and the application of the analytical tools learned in class. Papers should not be only descriptive, but aim to answer a clear research question and test a hypothesis, or make a case. The topics of each paper will be agreed upon with the instructor by sending him a paper abstract and discussing it during (physical or virtual) office hours or by email. Well before the delivery of each paper, a class meeting will be devoted to classroom presentation and discussion of each student’s paper abstract. Students who fail to deliver a paper, or turn down its mark, will be considered as non attending students and will take the relevant rules For attending students, the grade is comprised of the following weighted dimensions: • 30% quality of notes and participation to classroom discussions, including possibly team work and individual or collective presentations , and participation in policy lab(s) • 20% first paper (1,500 words) • 20% second paper (1,500 words) • 30% third paper (2,000 words) For non attending students (i.e. students who do not participate in classes, either in person or online), the assessment envisages a two-hour closed book written test comprised of four open questions to be answered through four short essays. Questions span across the whole material listed in the syllabus and uploaded on the course website, with the exception of “further readings”, and aim to assess the knowledge of theories, and analytical frameworks modelling the complex relationships linking technological change, labour markets, social policy and the welfare state, as well as the available evidence supporting various possible claims on such relationships. Also, it aims to ascertain the students’ skills and abilities in assessing the relevance of different social and labour policy measures to address the potential multifaceted consequences of technological change.

Exam: Group graphic design project; Paper-based written test with video surveillance of the teaching staff; Individual project; Group project;

Same assessment and grading criteria as for online exam