In this seminar we will take a closer look on one of the most influential theoretical framework for understanding differences in the institutional set-up of capitalist democratic countries. We will therefore look into the question of how democracy and capitalism lead to different outcomes when it comes to the institutional set-up of e.g. labour market institutions, corporate governance, and the welfare state. To broaden our understanding and engage in a critical dialogue with the theoretical framework of the Varieties-of-Capitalism (VoC) approach we will also contrast it with (older) theories on the effect of the relative strength of „labour“ against „capital“ in the setting-up of institutions.
The aim of the seminar is, to be able to critically appreciate an influential and widely discussed theoretical framework. We will rely on the original literature before turning to articles criticizing and developing the approach. In the end we will have a look on proposals for alternatives.
Students are expected to read all of the seminar literature to be able to actually engage in the seminar.
The unmarked formative assessment consists of a short presentation along given tasks to elaborate on the article / book chapter assigned to read. The marked assessment is an essay about a given question (according to the requirements laid down in the respective Prüfungsordnung).
This seminar is meant as a safe space to practice English in an academic context. Please notice that this seminar is taught as a Blockseminar with one important introductory meeting and a weekend seminar.
- Lehrende/r: Lukas Jerg
Semester: SoSe 2020