Background
In most advanced welfare states, the organization and provision of publicly funded welfare services have been deeply transformed by the international wave of New Public Management (NPM) following the neoliberal turn in politics. NPM has particularly affected the organisation and distribution of services in health and social care. In these sectors, NPM has, among other things, involved implementation of management models drawn from the private sector, outsourcing of service provision, and promotion of entrepreneurship as the new tool for supporting gender equality. Accordingly, the opening of the public sector to private business has been justified with arguments that women employed in the public sector should make use of their feminine gendered professional skills to establish new businesses to contribute to innovation and economic growth. In the same vein, immigrants and ethnic minorities have been encouraged to start up ethnically niched firms to meet the growing need for culturally adapted care services generated by an increasingly diverse population.
Content
The aim of this course is to provide in-depth knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurship in publicly funded welfare by exploring how innovation and entrepreneurship is regulated, organized and practiced in three areas of welfare services; healthcare, residential care for children and youth and long-term care for older and disabled people. The motivating question of the course is: under what conditions can innovation and entrepreneurship in publicly funded welfare services benefit both quality and equality? Findings for Sweden will be compared and contrasted with research on Anglo-Saxon and Asian countries, where the
context of welfare services differs compared to Sweden.
The course will provide knowledge about:
- Theories and concepts related to innovation and entrepreneurship
- Regulation, organization and practices of innovation and entrepreneurship in healthcare, residential care for children and youth and long-term care for older and disabled people
- The interplay between gender and intersectional inequalities, such as race/ethnicity and class, and innovation and entrepreneurship in welfare services
- Ethical dilemmas attached to innovation and entrepreneurship in welfare services, such as differences between consumers and users of welfare services
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate ability to account for knowledge of how innovations and entrepreneurship in publicly funded welfare services interact with regulations, organisation and practices in different welfare state contexts.
- Demonstrate ability to analyze how innovation and entrepreneurship interplay with gender and intersectional inequalities, such as race/ethnicity and class, in the context of welfare services.
- Demonstrate ability to reflect upon ethical dilemmas attached to innovation and entrepreneurship in publicly funded welfare, such as equality between citizens and quality of services.
Teaching and learning activities
The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and group work, and requires a significant portion of self-study on the part of students.
The language of instruction is English.
The teaching takes place entirely on campus.
Grades and form of assessment
Assessment for the course will be continuous and is carried throughout the different course activities. Each assessment task is weighted in relation to its importance in the overall assessment of the course. The student’s results from the different assessment tasks are added up to a total course score that will then translate into the final grade for the course.
Assessment tasks
The course contains the following weighted assessment tasks:
- Individual written home exam: assesses intended learning outcomes 1 and 2; constitutes 70% of total course points.
- Group submisson: assesses intended learning outcome 3; constitutes 30% of total course points.
The examination is conducted in English.
attendance
Certain elements of the course require mandatory attendance and/or written supplementary assignments.
Additional information
The course is offered within the framework of the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship.
Responsible institution: Stockholm University
Literature and teaching aids
Literature will be announced in connection to the start and communicated to enrolled students.
