Admission requirements
Required course(s):
None.
Recommended course(s):
- Social Determinants of Health
Description
Housing can be formulated as a basic necessity for life or even a right. Secure housing is essential to health and well-being. Nevertheless we find very different systems and logics for housing provision across contexts, even within the Hague, across Europe, and in communities throughout the world. This course starts from the core question of what is a household and explores a range of approaches for how communities and societies historically organized housing (week 1). We then investigate how legal and macroeconomic systems underpin housing systems (week 2). For the remainder of the course (weeks 3-7), we seek to understand several contemporary urban housing problems, such as homelessness, unaffordability, housing vulnerabilities over the life course, public health risks, racial injustice, and climate adaptation of homes. For each problem, we explore at least two starkly different alternative approaches to addressing the housing challenge and practice evaluating these approaches. We will expand the range of contexts we explore by having students apply the concepts covered to a broader set of real-world contexts. In this course, we explore how households and individuals housing outcomes relate to a broad range of policy areas, including bank regulations, interest rates, urban planning, health policy, aging policy, and more.
By exploring policy challenges and evaluating alternative solutions comparatively, students will develop skills for effective, comprehensive policy analysis and evaluation. The readings for the course will draw from multiple disciplines, including public health, political economy, demography, urban studies, and public policy, as housing research is truly interdisciplinary.
Course Objectives
Knowledge
Understand the concepts from multiple disciplines that shape housing outcomes
Compare alternative systems for housing provision across contexts
Critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various theories and approaches for understanding differences in policy outcomes
Skills
Apply housing concepts to help understand specific real-world case studies
Analyze and evaluate policy approaches to addressing housing challenges
Understanding policy problems from multiple perspectives
Analyze qualitative and quantitative evidence to evaluate policy outcomes
Improve written and verbal communication in policy contexts
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
This course will rely on interactive discussions of the readings and reflection on peers’ concept connection projects to link the theoretical concepts to real world contexts. We prioritize deep reading and active engagement with your peers ideas and work. We will develop skills for policy evaluation through practice in-class and through an individual in-depth project evaluating a specific housing policy of your choice.
Assessment Method
Engagement in class (individual, all weeks) – 10%
Concept connection projects, applying concepts to real world contexts (individual, multiple weeks) – 40%
Peer review of policy evaluation report draft (week 7) – 5%
Policy evaluation report (individual, weeks 5-8) – 45%
Reading list
Readings will be available from the library or online.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Kristin Makszin, k.m.makszin@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
Check Brightspace for the preparation for the first session.