Work is the central mechanisms for the distribution of economic capital in most societies today. It also plays a crucial role in the distribution of non-material goods such as status. A range of social polices embed the world of work, e.g., by regulating access to it or securing individuals when they are out of work. Moreover, in many societies policies are financed through taxes on income from work. This course starts from the observation that the world of work and employment has seen important shifts over the past decades. Some detect a growing precarisation of work in post-industrial societies. In many low- and middle-income countries informal work plays an essential role. Technological change has led to polarisation of the work force locally and globally. Projecting out technological change some fear that automation will lead to dramatic job-loss in the not so distant future. Most recently, the COVID19 pandemic led to dramatic reorganization of work routines. Against this backdrop, this course takes an internationally comparative perspective to engage with the questions of what role social policies have played to embed the world of work in the past and how they will have to adapt to face the challenges that are suggested to come.
