8th ESPAnet Conference 2010Social Policy and the Global Crisis:
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16. Welfare State Attitudes and Economic Crisis
Consequences for citizens demands in social protection and welfare values?
The scope and unpredictability of the financial crisis made visible to citizens and social scientists that open economies are vulnerable by external economic shocks and imply high social risks for its population. The recent global financial crisis gives the assumptions of the ‘government protection hypothesis’ get new relevance. This approach on the social effects of globalisation assumes, that citizens demands for public social insurance rise with the opening of national economies for the European or global markets since citizens are seeking a compensation for the risks of open economies. Public opinions or welfare attitudes are considered as a driving force behind social policy. Also in the ‘new politics approach’ the voters preferences for social protection are given high attention. Based on the relevance of ‘welfare attitudes’ in comparative social policy research this stream focuses on the preferences and ideals of the citizens and asks whether they were affected by the financial crisis. Papers can analyse, whether individual insecurity and demand in governmental protection indeed rises. The general question can be specified into several aspects:
- Is there a growing subjective insecurity? Did people’s welfare state attitudes become more in favour of state intervention?
- Does insecurity and the visible failure of the market affect the preferences for the public-private-mix in different social policy fields?
- Are the effects of the crisis selective and trigger welfare demands in specific social policy realms or within social groups, especially vulnerable by economic shifts.
- Can shifts in support of guiding principles of welfare state arrangements be observed?
These research questions aiming at the consequences of the financial crisis require recent data, which might be still not available. However, also already available data-sources can serve as a basis, since the research stream topic deals with more general questions such as the impact of economic openness on welfare preferences or the stability and change of peoples social policy preferences and welfare values over time and in changing contexts. Conceptual as well as empirical papers, especially those with a comparative approach are welcome.
Convenors:
| Dr. Ursula Dallinger | Dr. Ferry Koster | |
| Prof. for Sociology Social policy University of Trier (Germany), Dep. IV/ Sociology, 54286 Trier E-mail: Dallinger@uni-trier.de Phone +49 (0)651 2012610 |
Department of Economics, Faculty of Law, Leiden University Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies, University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) www.ferrykoster.nl Phone +31(0)71 527 8569 |
Thursday, 14:00-16:00 Room 06, Session 16./A
Presentations
1. Staffan Kumlin: Dissatisfied Democrats, Policy Feedback, and European Welfare States, 1976-2001. [abstract] [paper]
2. Johanna Kallio/ Mikko Niemelä: Public Perceptions of the Causes of Poverty: Multilevel Analysis of 28 European Nations. [abstract] [paper]
3. Felix Roth: Has the financial crisis resulted in a demand for stronger state regulation? [abstract] [paper]
4. Mads Meier Jæger: Egoism Contextualized: Self-interest and Public Support for Social Security Provision. [abstract] [paper]
Contributed papers:
1. Inés Calzada: Economic crisis and the determinants of welfare attitudes (working title) [abstract] [paper]
2. Bart Meuleman: Does popular support for welfare states depend on their outcomes? A multi-level analysis using ESS data [abstract] [paper]
Thursday, 16:30-18:30 Room 06, Session 16./B
Presentations
1. Joakim Kulin / Stefan Svallfors: Class, Values and Attitudes to Redistribution. [abstract] [paper]
2. Julia O’Connor: Perceptions of and attitudes to poverty and social exclusion and the role of the European Union in the context of the Economic Crisis. [abstract] [paper]
3. Ingemar Johannson/ Jonas Edlund: Poor, ignorant or egoistic? Understanding differences in attitudes towards public spending. [abstract] [paper]
4. Marii Paskov/ Dewilde, Caroline: Public Support for Collective Welfare Arrangements: Solving the Puzzle Using Longitudinal Trends in Income Inequality. [abstract] [paper]
5. Marjolein Jeene/ Wim van Oorschot/ Wilfred Uunk: Deservingness opinions: a trend analysis of the Netherlands (1975-2006). [abstract] [paper]
Contributed papers:
1. Heikki Ervasti: Civic criticism of the welfare state during recession: Multilevel analysis of 21 European countries, 2008. [abstract] [paper]
2. Judith Raven, Peter Achterberg, Romke van der Veen: Deservingness, welfare state reform, and support for social security. [abstract] [paper]
Friday, 9:00-11:00 Room 06, Session 16./C
Presentations:
1. Andreas Motel-Klingebiel/ Julia Simonson: A Taste of What’s to Come: Changes in Individual Expectations on Ageing and Later Life in Times of Welfare State Reforms and Economic Crises. [abstract] [paper]
2. Claus Wendt/ Michaela Pfeifer/ Monika Mischke: Attitudes towards welfare state institutions: health policy, minimum income protection and family policy. [abstract] [paper]
3. Carina Marten: Old versus Young? Age Related Welfare State Attitudes in Demographic and Economic Crisis. [abstract] [paper]
4. Jana Chaloupková/ Eva Mitchell: Attitudes toward provision of childcare services and the role of social benefits: expectations and reality. [abstract] [paper]
Contributed papers:
1. Agnes Blome, Kai-Uwe Müller: What drives attitudes towards mothers’ employment and care? A comparison of 15 European countries between 1990 and 2008. [abstract] [paper]
Important dates
17 November 2009 = Call for stream convenors
18 December 2009 = Deadline for stream convenors
25 January 2010 = Call for abstracts
29 March 2010 = Deadline for abstract submission
3 May 2010 = Registration starts
6 June 2010 = Reduced fee application deadline
21 June 2010 24:00 (CET) = Early bird registration deadline
13 August 2010 24:00 (CET) - Deadline for submission of papers
16 August 2010 - Deadline for Registrations and payments
Registration fee is 160 Euros for early birds, 210 Euros for late birds. Central and Eastern European PhD students and professionals can apply for a reduced fee of 60 Euros at info@espanet2010.net until 6th June.
Registration opens on the 3rd May, early bird registration closes on the 21th June at 24:00 (CET).
Theme of the Conference
The theme of ESPAnet’s 2010 Annual Conference is the social consequences of the global financial crisis and its differential impact across Europe. The main questions for consideration include:
How is the crisis affecting already existing inequalities? How are different social classes and groups, especially those in poverty, affected by the crisis? What are the adaptable capacities of the different “worlds of welfare”? Does the intensifying social vulnerability lead to the re-structuring of the programs to provide more security? How far have new programs been developed, and how far have new questions of social policy and welfare been opened up by the crisis?
We would like to broaden the horizon of social policy analysis and see global environmental concerns taken into account: How far are responses to the crisis re-thinking the role of the national and international/global state and the role of the European Union in creating economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies?