Social Development and Sustainability
- Ending: Examination
- Range: 2P + 2C
- Semester: winter
- Year: 2
- Faculty of Economics and Finance
Teachers
Included in study programs
Teaching results
In this course, students will learn about the interconnections between social development and sustainability. They will gain practical experience in dealing with selected socio-economic phenomena and will be able to explain the rationale of public policies to achieve social development and sustainability. Attending of the course will stimulate students' critical thinking on the subject area.
Students will gain the following knowledge:
- apply the acquired theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of social development and sustainability,
- critically analyse the current state of social development and sustainability,
- to navigate the barriers to social development and sustainability,
- identify new socio-economic risks in the context of social development and sustainability,
- know the position of public policies in relation to social development and sustainability
- synthesise the role of the state, the market and individuals in addressing adverse socio-economic phenomena towards social development and sustainability,
- apply knowledge to concrete situations and approach solutions in a creative way,
- understand socio-economic phenomena and their impacts on social development and sustainability,
- gain knowledge of the dynamics of global issues in the subject under study
Students will gain the following skills:
- collect, analyse and professionally process data relevant to the issue,
- critically evaluate trends in social development and sustainability as well as their positives and negatives,
- work in a team and intuitively assess the objective and subjective causes of emerging socio-economic phenomena,
- be familiar with theories, legislation, concepts and strategic documents related to the subject
By completing this course, students will acquire the following competences in the field of social development and sustainability:
- take a responsible approach to the achievement of social development and sustainability objectives
- to professionally manage public policies related to social development and sustainability,
- propose changes, corrections towards social development and sustainability.
- discuss current social development and sustainability issues and possible solutions
- identify the responsibilities of actors for the state of social development and sustainability according to their competences in the field
Indicative content
The course will introduce students to the importance of social development and sustainability. They will gain practical experience in dealing with selected socio-economic phenomena and will be able to explain the rationale behind the process of social development and sustainability. Completion of the course will stimulate students' critical thinking on the subject area.
1. Introduction to social development and sustainability - definition and interrelations, European and national context
2. Labour market in the 21st century - labour market mismatches, causes and consequences, migration trends in relation to labour market needs
3. The silver economy and the ageing population - ageing, the potential of seniors in the labour market, activation tools for keeping seniors in the labour market
4. Socio-economic potential of young people - unemployed young people not in education, diversity of NEETS, groups at risk of NEETS, strategic framework for youth support
5. Policies to reconcile parenthood and employment - European framework, support for working families in the Slovak Republic, barriers and incentives to reconciling work and parenting roles, support instruments
6. Socio-economic aspects of people excluded from society - groups of people at risk of social exclusion, causes of exclusion, impacts of social exclusion
7. Public policy approaches to tackling social exclusion - public policies to tackle social exclusion in the areas of labour market, health, housing, education
8. Lifelong learning strategy - lifelong learning, forms of lifelong learning, principles of lifelong learning strategy, implementation of the strategy
9. Age management - dimensions of age management, age management in selected industries, generational differences and reverse mentoring
10. Civic and community engagement, volunteering in the context of social development - the impact of the individual, the community and the third sector on social development, participatory public policy making
11. Sustainability and green future - green transformation, green jobs, green innovation
12. Innovative strategies for social development - social innovation in health, social services and education
13. Social development challenges and recommendations for public policies
Support literature
Clayton, Tony, and Nicholas Radcliffe. Sustainability: a systems approach. Routledge, 2018.
Eurofound (2016), Exploring the diversity of NEETs, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Eurostat (2023): Sustainable development in the European Union. Statistical annex to the EU voluntary review.
Greenstein, R. (2016). Commentary: Merging safety net programs could increase poverty, not reduce it. Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Poverty Priorities.
Hofäcker, D., Schadow, S. and Kletzing, J. (Eds.) (2017). Long-term socio-economic conse-quences of insecure labour market positions, EXCEPT Working Papers, WP No 16. Tallinn: Tallinn University. http://www.except-project.eu/working-papers/
Midgley, James, and Manohar Pawar, eds. Future directions in social development. Springer, 2016.
Midgley, James. Social welfare for a global era: International perspectives on policy and practice. Sage Publications, 2016.
MŠVVSR: Stratégia celoživotného vzdelávania a poradenstva na roky 2021 – 2030
OECD (2019), Getting Skills Right: Engaging low-skilled adults in learning
Requirements to complete the course
1. Active involvement on tutorials - 15 %
2. Written test – 10 %
3. The final semester written work – 15 %
4. Final written exam – 60 %
Student workload
participation in lectures 26 h, participation in seminars 26 h, preparation for seminars 13 hours, preparation seminar work 13 hours, preparation for a final semester written work 26 h, preparation for the exam 52 h)
Language whose command is required to complete the course
Slovak
Date of approval: 28.02.2025
Date of the latest change: 23.01.2025