Over the course of this module students begin to develop their learning about the concept of gender and the contribution of gender studies to the discipline of social policy and comparative social policy analysis. Students also begin to develop more fully their understanding of gendered typologies of welfare states and the importance of varieties of capitalism to gender inequalities in work organisations and families. Students also begin to develop more fully their understanding of the concept of patriarchy in both its familial and non-familial meanings and ideas about post-patriarchal welfare states. Students also begin to gain an understanding of the concept of hegemonic masculinities and how this concept is applied in debates on men’s health and major issues effecting men such as suicide. Students also begin to develop more fully their grasp of concepts such decommodification, defamilisation and de-motherization and how the concept of care is becoming increasingly significant to the way policy makers think about mothers and fathers as workers, carers and social citizens require policies to balance work and family life. Students will learn about prevailing approaches to measuring gender inequalities including the use of indicators. They will also learn about contemporary theories surrounding work and motherhood including preference theory and the role of religion. The module offers a comparative overview with a particular focus on the institutional roles of employers, welfare states, state feminism and organised women’s movements in reducing gender inequalities and promoting egalitarian welfare ideologies .