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After completion of the module, you are able to;
- know the meaning of key concepts in political science, such as power, state, democracy and ideology
- are able to understand comparative quantitative research about political institutions in democratic states
- are able to describe and explain the historical development of norms and institutions (legal and socio-political) in response to changes in labor organization and technology
- are able to apply knowledge and theory with respect to labor or welfare and technology in order to analyze and formulate policy strategies
- conduct country comparative research, and apply quantitative methods (incl. linear regression analysis) in order to evaluate theories and hypotheses
- are able to use the relevant statistical software to conduct empirical analysis (R), and interpret and critically assess the statistical software output of i.a. linear regression analysis
- are able to produce an academic report on an quantitative study (i.e., formulate research questions, derive specific hypotheses from general theories, use quantitative data and methods to test hypotheses and draw conclusions)
- discuss, and orally present theoretical expectations and empirical results to fellow-students and staff
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The topic of the module is the future of work. The current technological transformation integrating physical, digital and biological technologies has been characterized as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab 2015), and is believed to profoundly change economic structures and jobs: Robots, artificial intelligence and other computer-assisted technologies would increasingly take over tasks previously done by humans. Moreover, the rise of digital technologies has led to the new forms of work and new types of employment relationships (e.g., the rise of on-demand ‘gig’ work via digital platforms). There is a fierce academic debate on the extent to which the risks and gains of work-related technological changes are (un)equally distributed, dividing populations into those who benefit from technological advancements and those who do not. The changes in technology and transformations of economic structures and jobs present grand challenges to policy-makers across countries. Are robot’s really ‘stealing’ our jobs? And if, so which jobs are most vulnerable? Do new digital or on-demand forms of work present workers with new economic opportunities or are we facing the rise of a new ‘precariat’ of insecure workers? This module explores the extent to which our legal and socio-political institutions (such as our welfare systems) are prepared for the fourth industrial revolution.
The module has four components: Comparative Governance and Politics (component A), The Future of Work and Welfare (component B), Comparative Research (component C), and the project, named: Project: Citizens Across Governance Systems (component D). Component A offers an introduction to the comparative study of politics and government and examines political institutions across countries. Component B offers an in-dept discussion of the recent trends and theories on the future of work' in general and the impact of technology on the work and welfare more specifically. In Component C students are trained in (quantitative) comparative research. In Component D, students work on theoretical-empirical project assignments which integrate theoretical input from A and B with the empirical skills from C.
As the sixth module in the MS&T Bachelor's program, this module is the last one of the 'core' of the program. After this core you have gained a basic understanding of the main fields of Management, Society and Technology. This module builds on the other core modules in two ways. First, the module builds on the general introductions in the field of public administration in module 1 (Governing in a tech-based society) and on the introduction to Societal Challenges in module 2. In doing so, we focus on a topical and urgent challenge in contemporary tech-based societies: The impact of technology on the work and welfare. Second, the module is aimed at the practical application of quantitative and comparative methods in applied research. In doing so, the module builds on earlier methodological parts in previous modules. In the current module you particularly apply Linear Regression Analysis, and working with the relevant statistical software (R), in order to empirically test theoretically derived hypotheses.
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| Bachelor Management, Society and Technology |
| | Required materialsBook| Kathy Turner, Lynette Ireland, Brenda Krenus and Leigh Pointon, Essential Academic Skills, Second edition, Oxford University press, ISNB 978-0-19-557605-4, ISBN-13:978019-5576054 |
| Book| Hague, R., M. Harrop, & J. McCormick (2019). Comparative Government and Politics. 11th Edition. London: Red Globe Press. Paperback ISBN 9781352005059. E-book ISBN 9783152005097 |
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Recommended materialsCourse material| Papers and articles on Canvas |
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Instructional modesColloquium| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Lecture| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Practical| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Presentation(s)| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Project| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Project supervised| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Project unsupervised| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Self study without assistance| Presence duty | | Yes |
| Tutorial| Presence duty | | Yes |
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TestsComparative Governance and Politics
RemarkWritten exam (100%)
| Future of Work and Welfare
RemarkWritten exam
| Comparative Research
RemarkWritten exam (100%)
| Project: Citizens Across Governance Systems
RemarkResearch Paper (100%)
Presentation and Review (pass/fail)
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