Welfare State Futures Programme

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NORFACE Welfare State Futures (WSF) Programme is an interdisciplinary transnational research programme focusing on future developments of European welfare states. It was launched in 2014 by the New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Co-operation in Europe (NORFACE) network. Including 15 transnational projects with 250 researchers from 25 European countries, the programme analyzes the societal, economic, political and legal aspects of welfare state development and suggests pathways of its evolution in the future. [1] As a key element of their research, the WSF projects enable and encourage cross-national cooperation, multi-disciplinary research and offer a wide European approach with opportunities for comparison. [2] The programme is coordinated by Scientific Programme Coordinator Prof. Ellen Immergut at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HUB)/European University Institute (EUI). [3] It is funded by 15 NORFACE partners and the European Commission under the ERA-Net Plus funding, grant agreement number 618106. [4] After the inception of the WSF Programme, NORFACE has gained 4 new partners, such that there are currently 19 members. More information about the NORFACE network and its partners can be found on the NORFACE website. The final conference including projects of all clusters, policymakers and industry experts was held at the European University Institute (EUI) on May 24–25, 2018. [5] The Programme ends in June 2019.

Contents

Research Clusters

Health

After the end of the cold war, many Eastern European post-Soviet states started to privatize their state-run health systems. At the same time, many Western, Southern and Northern European countries started experimenting with New Public Management and other market-oriented health reforms. The three projects in the Health Cluster (HEALTHDOX and HiNEWS and EXCELC) analyze the causes and consequences of these changing European health policies. The research investigates political determinants of health policy reforms, particularly those that privatize healthcare systems, and consequently focuses on the issue of social risks. It also analyses how reforms in healthcare affect individual attitudes towards the health system and addresses the question of why healthcare inequalities persist despite well-developed and universal health systems. Finally, it analyses how countries respond to changing welfare state preferences and how these preferences can best be measured, for example, in terms of health and long-term care services. [6]

Migration

Migration patterns depend, among other things, on the state of welfare systems in the origin and destination countries. At the same time, due to migrants’ socialization in different welfare regimes and their often disadvantaged socio-economic positions, their perspectives provide a unique opportunity to test the central theories in the field of welfare regimes. Within the European Union (EU), two developments in particular challenge the welfare state: the transnationalization of citizenship and welfare rights and the judicialization of politics. In this context, there are issues of transferability, i.e. the transfer and recognition of the social rights of EU citizens who move from one member state to another. The projects in the Migration cluster (MIFARE, MobileWelfare, TransJudFare, TRANSWEL and UPWEB) integrate the migration dimension into welfare state research. They analyse how welfare systems affect mobility patterns and how transferability of welfare accounts plays into mobility across Europe. They also ask how welfare attitudes differ among migrant groups and how they compare to overall public opinion. Furthermore, they engage in research on how EU member states have responded to the transnationalization of welfare rights and the judicialization of politics. Finally, they ask how social rights of mobile citizens manifest in policy and in practice and in which ways mobile EU citizens experience, organize and manage their welfare transnationally. [7]

Welfare State Attitudes

European welfare states are facing major challenges. Escalating costs, immigration, increasing inequality, international competition as well as populist politics are major challenges that need to be addressed. Personal responsibility is more and more stressed than state responsibility when it comes to the welfare state. However, this logic is questioned by traditional ideas about gender roles, care, and redistribution. New directions in welfare will be shaped by people's aspirations, ideas, and assumptions. The projects in the Welfare State Attitudes cluster (4Is, FPRWS, HEALTHDOX, MIFARE, WelfSOC) seek to explain support for redistribution and determinants of attitudes to welfare among different groups. Furthermore, this cluster investigates how program design shapes welfare attitudes and how an increased ethnic diversity affects the support of the welfare state by its citizens. Lastly, the research addresses questions on fairness and preferences regarding personal responsibility for welfare policies. [8]

Child & Family Welfare

Family policies and social care services are at the intersection of increasingly diverse family situations and complex welfare state environments. There is variation between child protection systems between European countries as well as in how social services address family issues in different service areas. There are also differences in the role of the state in family life and in the ways different welfare states seek to balance children's rights to protection and parents' rights to family life. The projects in the Child & Family Welfare cluster (FACSK and HESTIA) seek to explain the impact of variations in child protection systems among different welfare states and how social work methods in family-based social work vary between welfare states. Furthermore, they investigate how social workers across different contexts understand notions of family and how they describe their practices and outcomes with families. [9]

Globalization, Welfare States & Inequalities

International trade and technology, the integrated European labour market, transnationalization of citizenship and welfare rights, migration as well as persistent social inequalities are all challenges that national welfare states must face in Europe in the 21st century. European welfare states over time developed different methods to protect their households from adverse shocks but differences in the ability of current welfare states to reduce inequalities in the future can also be observed. The projects in the Globalization, Welfare States & Inequalities cluster (4Is, FPRWS, GIWeS, GlobLabWS and TransJudFare) try to identify determinants and patterns of inequality in European welfare states and how citizen's preferences for redistribution and welfare services are formed. Additionally, they analyze the role of welfare state policies in countering labor market and income inequalities, as well as how welfare states meet these challenges. They also ask how concerns for personal responsibility can be integrated in the design of welfare schemes. Lastly, the projects address the questions about fairness, the transnationalization of citizenships and the effects of technological innovations and their interaction with welfare institutions. [10]

NORFACE Welfare State Futures Projects

The WSF Programme consists of 15 transnational projects.

Inequalities, Insurance, Incentives and Immigration: Challenges and Solutions for the Welfare State (4Is)

4Is examines how recent challenges, such as increased economic uncertainty and ethnic diversity, have affected inequality and support for the welfare state in European countries. The project was led by Prof. Eva Mörk and consisted of 35 researchers in Finland, Sweden and the UK. [11]

Exploring Comparative Effectiveness and Efficiency in Long-term Care (EXCELC)

EXCELC compares the effectiveness and efficiency of non-institutional long-term care (e.g. home care) for older adults and their informal careers in Austria, England, and Finland. Prof. Julien Forder led the project which consisted of 18 researchers in Austria, Finland and the UK. [12]

Family Complexity and Social Work. A Comparative Study of Family-based Welfare Work in Different Welfare Regimes (FACSK)

FACSK analyzes how social workers in eight countries (Norway, Sweden, England, Ireland, Chile, Mexico, Lithuania and Bulgaria) understand different notions of family and how they describe their own practices and outcomes with families. The project consisted of seven researchers and was led by Prof. Lennart Nygren. [13]

Fairness, Personal Responsibility and the Welfare State (FPRWS)

FPRWS analyzes how fairness considerations, in particular with respect to personal responsibility, affect the support and effectiveness of welfare policies. The ten researchers from Austria, the Netherlands and Norway were led by Prof. Alexander Cappelen. [14]

Globalisation, Institutions and the Welfare State (GIWeS)

GIWes comparatively studies the effects of globalisation on how trade, technology, and the welfare state react towards challenges to national welfare states in an integrated European labour market and the political support for reform in Austria, Germany, Norway, and the UK. Prof Karl Ove Moene led the team of ten researchers from Austria, Norway and the UK. [15]

Globalisation, Labour Markets, and the Welfare State (GlobLabWS)

GlobLabWS studies how the welfare state, globalization, and labour markets interact and determine a country's aggregate performance. The project was led by Prof. Catia Montagna and consisted of seven researchers from Germany, Sweden and the UK. [16]

The Paradox of Health State Futures (HEALTHDOX)

HEALTHDOX explores future trajectories of European health politics and policies through an investigation of the impact of recent health reforms on health inequalities, health expenditures, and public attitudes towards both the health system and the welfare state in Estonia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Prof. Ellen Immergut led the team consisting of 21 researchers. [17]

Policies and Responses with Regard to Child Abuse and Neglect in England, Germany and the Netherlands: A Comparative Multi-Site Study (HESTIA)

HESTIA aims to discover the nature and impact of variations in child protection systems through a comparison of three quite different welfare states (England, Germany, the Netherlands). The nine researchers were led by Prof. Hans Grietens. [18]

Health Inequalities in the European Welfare States (HiNEWS)

HiNEWS analyzes why social inequalities in health care persist in European welfare states and what can be done to reduce them. The project was led by Prof. Clare Bambra and consisted of 15 researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK. [19]

Migrants’ Welfare State Attitudes (MIFARE)

MIFARE studies migrants’ welfare state attitudes in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, and explains differences across migrant groups, as well as differences compared to the overall public opinion in the country of origin and the host country. Prof. Marcel Lubbers led the team of five researchers from Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. [20]

European Welfare Systems in Times of Mobility (MobileWelfare)

MobileWelfare aims to understand the role of welfare systems in destination and origin countries for migration patterns within and towards Europe. The 12 researchers from the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and the UK were led by Prof. Helga de Valk. [21]

Transnationalization and the Judicialization of Welfare (TransJudFare)

TransJudFare deals with two challenges for welfare states in the European Union, the transnationalization of citizenship and welfare rights and the judicialization of politics, and studies the impact of European case law on member states’ welfare states. The project was led by Prof. Susanne K. Schmidt. and consisted of 10 researchers from Austria, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. [22]

Mobile Welfare in a Transnational Europe: An Analysis of Portability Regimes of Social Security Rights (TRANSWEL)

TRANSWEL addresses the social rights of EU citizens from the new EU member states who move to live and/or work in the old member states and traces the migration and transfer of social security rights between four pairs of countries: Hungary–Austria, Bulgaria–Germany, Poland–United Kingdom and Estonia–Sweden. The 12 researchers were led by Prof. Anna Amelina. [23]

Understanding the Practice and Developing the Concept of Welfare Bricolage (UPWEB)

UPWEB responds to the question of how all residents living in super diverse neighborhoods in different national welfare states (UK, Portugal, Germany, and Sweden) put together their health care using wide-ranging resources to meet their health needs. 17 researchers from Germany, Portugal, Sweden and the UK engaged in the Project led by Prof. Jenny Phillimore. [24]

Welfare State Futures: Our Children's Europe (WelfSOC)

WelfSOC examines the aspirations, assumptions, and priorities that govern the ideas of ordinary people about the future development of welfare in Europe. Prof. Peter Taylor-Gooby led the team consisting of 20 researchers from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Slovenia and the UK. [25]

Funding

The Programme is funded by 15 NORFACE partners and the European Commission (ERA-Net Plus funding, grant agreement number 618106). The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life, and Welfare (Forte) has made an additional contribution to the programme. In total M€19 of funding is allocated to fifteen projects.

Related Research Articles

Non-governmental organization Organization independent of any government, usually created to aid those in need or similar

Organizations which are independent of government involvement are known as non-governmental organizations or non-government organizations, with NGO as an acronym. NGOs are a subgroup of organizations founded by citizens, which include clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others. NGOs are usually nonprofit organizations, and many of them are active in humanitarianism or the social sciences. Surveys indicate that NGOs have a high degree of public trust, which can make them a useful proxy for the concerns of society and stakeholders. However, NGOs can also be lobby groups for corporations, such as the World Economic Forum. According to NGO.org, "[an NGO is] any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level ... Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage political participation through provision of information."

Social services

Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individual actors, private and independent organisations, or administered by a government agency. Social services are connected with the concept of welfare and the welfare state, as countries with large welfare programs often provide a wide range of social services. Social services are employed to address the wide range of needs of a society. Prior to industrialisation, the provision of social services was largely confined to private organisations and charities, with the extent of its coverage also limited. Social services are now generally regarded globally as a 'necessary function' of society and a mechanism through which governments may address societal issues.

The welfare state is a form of government in which the state protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of the citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for citizens unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. Sociologist T. H. Marshall described the modern welfare state as a distinctive combination of democracy, welfare, and capitalism.

Welfare Means-oriented social benefit

Welfare is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance programs, which provide support only to those who have previously contributed, as opposed to social assistance programs, which provide support on the basis of need alone. The International Labour Organization defines social security as covering support for those in old age, support for the maintenance of children, medical treatment, parental and sick leave, unemployment and disability benefits, and support for sufferers of occupational injury.

International development Concept concerning the level of development on an international scale

International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications such as developed country, developing country and least developed country, and for a field of practice and research that in various ways engages with international development processes. There are, however, many schools of thought and conventions regarding which are the exact features constituting the "development" of a country.

Welfare reforms are changes in the operation of a given welfare system, with the goals of reducing the number of individuals dependent on government assistance, keeping the welfare systems affordable, and assisting recipients to become self-sufficient. Classical liberals and conservatives generally argue that welfare and other tax-funded services reduce incentives to work, exacerbate the free-rider problem, and intensify poverty. On the other hand, socialists generally criticize welfare reform because it usually minimizes the public safety net and strengthens the capitalist economic system. Welfare reform is constantly debated because of the varying opinions on the government's determined balance of providing guaranteed welfare benefits and promoting self-sufficiency.

A minority group, by its original definition, refers to a group of people whose practices, race, religion, ethnicity, or other characteristics are fewer in numbers than the main groups of those classifications. However, in present-day sociology, a minority group refers to a category of people who experience relative disadvantage as compared to members of a dominant social group. Minority group membership is typically based on differences in observable characteristics or practices, such as: ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Utilizing the framework of intersectionality, it is important to recognize that an individual may simultaneously hold membership in multiple minority groups. Likewise, individuals may also be part of a minority group in regard to some characteristics, but part of a dominant group in regard to others.

Economic progressivism is a political and economic philosophy incorporating the socioeconomic principles of social democrats and political progressives. These views are often rooted in the concept of social justice and have the goal of improving the human condition through government regulation, social protections and the maintenance of public goods. It is not to be confused with the more general idea of progress in relation to economic growth.

A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Social issues are the source of a conflicting opinions on the grounds of what are perceived as morally correct or incorrect personal life or interpersonal social life decisions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues; however, some issues have both social and economic aspects. There are also issues that do not fall into either category, such as warfare.

Transnational feminism refers to both a contemporary feminist paradigm and the corresponding activist movement. Both the theories and activist practices are concerned with how globalization and capitalism affect people across nations, races, genders, classes, and sexualities. This movement asks to critique the ideologies of traditional white, classist, western models of feminist practices from an intersectional approach and how these connect with labor, theoretical applications, and analytical practice on a geopolitical scale.

Social exclusion Form of social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society

Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term used widely in Europe and was first used in France. It is used across disciplines including education, sociology, psychology, politics and economics.

Gender mainstreaming is the public policy concept of assessing the different implications for people of different genders of any planned policy action, including legislation and programmes, in all areas and levels. Mainstreaming essentially offers a pluralistic approach that values the diversity among people of different genders.

A social welfare model is a system of social welfare provision and its accompanying value system. It usually involves social policies that affect the welfare of a country's citizens within the framework of a market or mixed economy.

Right to education

The right to education has been recognized as a human right in a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a right to free, compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, in particular by the progressive introduction of free secondary education, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education, ideally by the progressive introduction of free higher education. In 2021, 171 states were parties to the Covenant.

In 2019, an estimated 260 million children worldwide did not have access to school education, and social inequality was a major cause.

European University Institute teaching and research institute

The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective. EUI is designated as an international organisation. It is located in the hills above Florence in Fiesole, Italy. In 2021, EUI's School of Transnational Governance, with its flagship graduate and executive program, will move to the Casino Mediceo di San Marco, which is a late-Renaissance or Mannerist style palace in the historic center of Florence.

Nordic model Social and economic model in Nordic countries

The Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies as well as typical cultural practices common to the Nordic countries. This includes a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective bargaining based on the economic foundations of social corporatism, with a high percentage of the workforce unionized and a sizable percentage of the population employed by the public sector. Although it was developed in the 1930s under the leadership of social democrats, the Nordic model began to gain attention after World War II.

Lars Osberg has been a member of the Economics Department at Dalhousie University since 1977. He also worked for a brief period at the University of Western Ontario. He is well known internationally for his contributions in the field of economics. His major research interests are the measurement and determinants of inequality, social exclusion and poverty, measurement of economic well-being, leisure co-ordination and economic well-being, time use and economic development, economic insecurity.

TARKI Social Research Institute is an independent research centre located in Budapest, Hungary. TARKI conducts applied socioeconomic research in social stratification, labour markets, income distribution, intergenerational transfers, tax-benefit systems, consumption and lifestyle patterns and attitudes. Senior staff at TARKI all have PhDs and many hold professorial appointments at major universities.

Peter Frederick Taylor-Gooby has been Professor of Social Policy at the University of Kent since 1990.

Sweden-bashing refers to criticism of the Swedish government, the Swedish people or Sweden as a whole. The opposite of Sweden-bashing is Suecophilia.

References

  1. ↑ Ferrera, Maurizio (20 May 2018). "La Politologa: addio welfare se vincono gli xenofobi" . Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  2. ↑ "21st Century Benefits: The Future of the Welfare State". 14 March 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. ↑ O'Donnell, Benedict (22 January 2016). "What's the future of the welfare state?". Horizon Magazine.
  4. ↑ "Welfare State Futures". cordis.europa.eu. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Event details". European University Institute. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  6. ↑ Health (in German), 2016-12-01, retrieved 2018-10-09
  7. ↑ Migration (in German), 2016-12-01, retrieved 2018-10-09
  8. ↑ Welfare State Attitudes (in German), 2016-12-06, retrieved 2018-10-09
  9. ↑ Child & Family Welfare (in German), 2016-12-06, retrieved 2018-10-09
  10. ↑ Globalization, Welfare States & Inequalities (in German), 2016-12-06, retrieved 2018-10-09
  11. ↑ "Inequalities, Insurance, Incentives and Immigration: Challenges and Solutions for the Welfare State (4Is)" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  12. ↑ "EXCELC – Exploring Comparative Effectiveness and efficiency in Long-term care" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  13. ↑ "Family complexity and social work. A comparative study of family-based welfare work in different welfare regimes. (FACSK) - Umeå universitet". www.socw.umu.se (in Swedish). 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  14. ↑ "Vienna Center for Experimental Economics » Fairness, personal responsibility, and the welfare state" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  15. ↑ "GIWeS: Globalization, Institutions, and the Welfare State - ESOP - Centre for the Study of Equality, Social Organization and Performance". www.sv.uio.no. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  16. ↑ "Globalisation, Labour Markets, and the Welfare State - GlobLabWS" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  17. ↑ "About — Comparative Politics" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  18. ↑ "DJI - Policies and responses with regard to child abuse and neglect in England, Germany and the NL" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  19. ↑ "The Project", HiNEWS (in German), 2017-04-20, retrieved 2018-09-03
  20. ↑ "Norface Mifare Project", Sociology (in German), retrieved 2018-09-03
  21. ↑ "Mobile Welfare — English" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  22. ↑ "TransJudFare" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  23. ↑ "Mobile Welfare in a Transnational Europe: An Analysis of Portability Regimes of Social Security Rights" (TRANSWEL)" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  24. ↑ "About us" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  25. ↑ "What we do – Welfare State Futures: Our Children's Europe" . Retrieved 2018-09-03.
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