Policy In Greece Research Articles

Integration policies for refugees in Greece and Europe: A comparative analysis

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of refugee integration policies in Greece and the European Union (EU), emphasizing socio-political, economic, and cultural dimensions. Through a comparative framework, it evaluates Greece’s approach against Germany, Sweden, and Italy, while addressing systemic challenges such as resource allocation, legal fragmentation, and social cohesion. The study draws on EU directives, national legislation, and empirical data to argue that effective integration requires a harmonized EU strategy, tailored local solutions, and robust civil society participation. Recommendations include policy reforms, increased funding, and community-based initiatives.

The Professional Life of Social Workers Working in the Refugee Field in Greece

The purpose of the current qualitative research is to capture the working conditions of social workers employed in the refugee field in Greece. Fifteen social workers working in the refugee sector participated in the research. The survey data was analyzed using the method of thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated the difficult conditions experienced by social workers: excessive workload, limited professional recognition, the need for supervisory support and continuous training, precarious employment contracts, refugees’ limited access to goods and services, and others. Broader conditions such as the immigration policy in Greece and the European Union, deficient integration policies and substandard support for refugees through social policy programs negatively affected working conditions and the quality of services provided.

Between path-dependence and path-evolution: a historical comparative analysis of teachers’ and schools’ evaluation policies in Greece (1974–2022)

ABSTRACT The global implementation of evaluation policies in education often differs widely among national contexts, sparking controversy. This study adopts the historical institutionalism framework, employing concepts of path-dependence and path-evolution to examine the ongoing evaluation policies related to teachers’ and schools’ performance in Greece from 1974 to 2022. It investigates the complex interaction between global influences and national realities, identifying how Greece’s administrative history, particularly its top-down, inspectorate-driven system, has shaped such policies. The deep-rooted ideological perspectives – marked by longstanding mistrust between governments and teachers’ unions – further constrain reform initiatives. The development of Greece’s evaluation policy reflects a broader struggle between global trends and national specificities, thus demonstrating how these dynamics influence policy sustainability. The study argues that to achieve long-term and effective educational reforms, Greece must shift away from existing barriers and embrace evidence-based, participatory planning that encourages sustained stakeholder engagement. This approach would promote a more adaptive, context-sensitive evaluation framework.

Social policy in Greece: The state regulations and the reasons behind the people’s satisfaction level

Social policy in Greece: The state regulations and the reasons behind the people’s satisfaction level

Digital Higher Education and Adult Education in Greece and Other Balkan Countries

Digital innovation has paved the way for new educational opportunities and enhanced lifelong learning in Greece and other Balkan countries, aiming to bolster digital literacy and competencies. There is a discrepancy between developed countries, which seamlessly integrate technological advancements, and developing countries, which face unique challenges. This article examines the state-of-the-art in higher digital education and adult continuing education in Greece and the Balkans, identifying key factors contributing to digital gaps and suggesting strategies for successful digital transformations. Significant progress has been made through EU-funded programs and national initiatives like the Digital Transformation Strategy and the National Digital Policy in Greece. It has enhanced digital literacy and online education in the country. Nevertheless, there are still challenges such as insufficient lifelong learning strategies and digital skills development. Other Balkan countries, on the other hand, face similar issues, with varying degrees of success in adopting digital technologies. This review underlines the need for comprehensive, inclusive policies and investments to bridge digital divides and ensure sustainable digital education across the Balkans.

The Curricula of Primary Education and Neoliberal Educational Policy in Greece : A Critical Analysis

Abstract The purpose of this article is to contribute to a critical approach to analysing the new curricula and to outline student-centric approaches through an examination of legislation on educational policy applied by the Greek government in the last five years. After twenty years from the last curricula (2003), the new curricula were published in a period when the government was introducing new legislation and promoting assessment in education. The curricula for primary education, according to the authors, focus on a student-centric approach but this is not confirmed in the content and objectives, as the analysis of the curricula in this article shows. The critical analysis in this article is conducted from the perspective of critical pedagogy and contributes to the highlights on the control mechanism and the neoconservative politics on education as a control mechanism.

Caught in the Labyrinth of Unemployment: A Legal Analysis of Technology’s Transformative Role in Reshaping Active Labor Policies in Greece

Caught in the Labyrinth of Unemployment: A Legal Analysis of Technology’s Transformative Role in Reshaping Active Labor Policies in Greece

Changes in Greek Attitudes and Policies Towards Refugee Reception Between 2020 and 2024

The study examines changes in policies and attitudes related to refugee reception and survival migration in Greece between 2020 and 2024. We analysed the changes in migration policy in Greece during the 2020-2021 pandemic, the situation in refugee camps and the government’s response measures. Putting the information together, we can see that Greece has been handling refugees and migrants in accordance with international and EU standards. Greece is constantly improving conditions in refugee camps and improving life security. By understanding the situation of Greece’s reception of refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East from 2023 to 2024, we can also understand that Greece has linked its policy on refugee immigration with its national conditions, striving for mutual benefit, and providing assistance to displaced refugees as much as possible. The study sorted out and analysed the refugee migration policies and government measures in Greece from 2019 to 2024, and more directly compared the changes in Greek policies and laws under different challenges. At the same time, we also analyse the impact of these changes from a sociological perspective.

Housing Crisis and Neoliberal Social Policy in Greece

Housing Crisis and Neoliberal Social Policy in Greece

Recontextualising Stenhouse: Instantiations of the ‘teacher as researcher’ metaphor in Greece and Cyprus

AbstractThis paper explores the transfer, translation and recontextualisation of Laurence Stenhouse's work, as encapsulated in the ‘teacher as researcher’ metaphor, to the Greek language and in the fields of research and policy in Greece and Cyprus. We first briefly frame action research work as emerging through and within a specific space‐time (and in conversation with others in North America, Australia and Europe). We then trace its translation from English to Greek in specific key publications in books and articles (including his 1975 seminal work An introduction to curriculum research and development), which have since been central to curriculum studies as an academic field in both countries. We then construct four vignettes as cases of different uses of the metaphor in different fields. The first two refer to the institutional context of a new type of school called ‘second chance schools’ and a state policy for the professional development of teachers in Greece. The other two refer to an initial teacher education university programme and to the most recent school curriculum change in the Republic of Cyprus. We conclude by discussing certain patterns of constriction across the four vignettes in the recontextualisation of the ‘teacher as researcher’ to particular aspects of the metaphor as it morphed in two rather centralised contexts with a strong historical presence of a formal, state‐mandated curriculum and of teachers as public servants. Despite these patterns of constriction, we also note how other aspects of the metaphor provided conditions for some transformation.

USING A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL TO EXPLAIN WHY SOCIAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN GREECE USE CHATGPT: AN APPROACH TO SERIAL MULTIPLE MEDIATION THAT MODIFIES KNOWLEDGE SHARING

The emergence of productive artificial intelligence, exemplified by ChatGPT, has catalyzed a paradigm shift within the educational domain. Specifically, scholarly and practical discourse has been sparked regarding the potential ramifications of ChatGPT on student learning, particularly concerning its capacity to generate contextually relevant responses that closely mimic human language. Empirical studies on ChatGPT's adoption among college students have not focused substantially on its impact, despite the rising interest and concerns in the academic and professional areas. This research utilizes an adapted version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and involves a cohort of 129 higher education students selected from a Department of Social Policy in Greece, employing a convenience sampling methodology. The results of the analysis showed that for these students through performance expectancy, effort expectation not only influences their actual ChatGPT usage but also tangentially improves their behavioral intention to use ChatGPT. Moreover, the results showed that university students' progression from the point of intention to the actual use of ChatGPT was significantly influenced by knowledge exchange produced by the use of Chat GPT. As the consequences of this use are unprecedented this article will try to clarify the intentions of the users and detect their expectations.

From sustainability to resilience: tracing the transition path for spatial planning policy in Greece

Sustainability and resilience are currently key analytical concepts with wide acceptance among different disciplines. This study initially attempts a comprehensive analysis of the current policy to specify the meaningful elements for integrating these concepts into spatial planning theory and practice. Then, a critical review of the Greek spatial planning policy aims to shed light on its evolution in relation to the two paradigms. The findings show that the actual shift from sustainability to resilience remains to be observed and that more attention should be focused on the political rather than the administrative aspect of planning.

The Absence of a Rationalized Migration Data Policy in Greece and the Discontinuity of Greek Migration Policy: A Glance at the First Results of the PreMiGro Project

The aim of this paper is to present the first findings of a funded project (PreMiGro) that concerns the development of a start-up pilot prediction model of short and long-term migration flows in Greece using machine-learning tools. During the first phase of the project, which focused on the examination of data regarding historical number of immigrants to Greece associated with country of origin and its political status for the period 1990-2022 through a range of primary and secondary sources, a vital finding surfaced. The discontinuity of the Greek migration policy seems to be related, among others, to the absence of a consistent data policy on migration, ever since Greece became a host country of migrants in the 1990s up to 2022 when Greece had already witnessed major transformations in its migration policy domain. A first reading of PreMiGro’s initial research outcomes sheds some light on the peculiarity of the Greek migration policy. Indeed, the securitization of migration in Greece, the (at times negative) perception of migrants and refugees from parts of the Greek Society and Public Sphere and the fragmented Greek migration policy per se, could be explained through the lens of the absence of a rationalized migration data policy in Greece, among other things.

From Protesting Against Troika Bailouts to Pro‐EU Governing in Greece and Portugal: Europeanisation and Institutionalisation Processes

AbstractFollowing bailouts by the Troika (EC, ECB and IMF) due to the 2008 global financial crisis, between 2010 and 2013, new anti‐austerity movements, left‐wing parties and trade unions led large mobilisations against austerity policies in Greece and Portugal, with a deep impact in the political landscape of both countries. Besides the relevance of transnational decisions, these mobilisations mostly addressed national political institutions, whereas the governments that emerged from the protest period showed a clear pro‐European stance. Against this background, using two case studies with primary data on anti‐austerity protests and interactions amongst contentious and institutional actors, this article aims to shed light on a relatively unexplored aspect of Europeanisation in the context of the crisis, focusing on the relation between social movements and institutional politics. Explaining the critical pro‐EU positions that have been adopted in Greece and Portugal, it thereby contributes to the related debates on anti‐austerity social movements and their impact in times of crisis.

Mapping the two-way relationship between management practices and firm innovation: the mediating role of business environment, degree of competition, and energy policies

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the two-way relationship between management practices and firm innovation along with the dual mediation of business environment, degree of competition and energy policies in Greece, Italy, Turkey and Portugal.Design/methodology/approachThe study has derived data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey 2019 for Greece, Italy, Turkey and Portugal and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to find results.FindingsThe outcomes of PLS-SEM revealed that management practices and firm innovation have two-way positive significant relationship with each other in Greece, Italy, Turkey and Portugal. The results exposed that the management practices and firm innovation have two-way positive significant relationship with the business environment, degree of competition, and energy policies in Greece, Italy, Turkey and Portugal. The findings also clarified that the business environment, degree of competition and energy policies have dual mediating role between management practices and firm innovation in Greece, Turkey and Portugal. Surprisingly, business environment does not have dual mediation in Italy.Practical implicationsThese useful insights would enable practitioners and direct policymakers to develop and apply more magnificent management practices to boost up innovation among firms.Originality/valueAlthough the topics of management practices and innovation have received a great concern of academia, but this is the first study that offers a comprehensive model of the relationship in these domains.

Prevailing Religion as a Factor in Enhancing the Right to Education: The Example of Educational Policy in Greece

It is clearly stated by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that provided education should not follow or consist of a means of catechism contrary to the religious or philosophical perceptions of the parents. Consequently, a specific negative claim is established: the state, through its educational policy, must refrain from transmitting information that is contrary to the philosophical and religious beliefs of the parents. In Greece, education policy is not neutral. It has a clear Christian orientation, primarily due to the constitutional establishment of the prevailing religion. It is not a constitutional paradox but a choice of the legislator based on cultural and social characteristics. This article aims to present an analysis of the effect of the constitutional establishment of the Christian faith in the national educational policy, which aims at the development of national and religious consciousness. Given that religious education is more freely formulated, the influence of the prevailing religion proves to be catalytic. In Greece, the catechism is preferred, according to the teachings of the prevailing religion. This choice makes it easier for parents to raise their children based on their beliefs, effectively reinforcing the fundamental right established by Article 2 of the additional protocol of the ECHR.

Greek kindergarten children’s motivation for reading

The aim of the present study was to investigate Greek kindergarten children’s reading motivation and their gender differences in reading motivation during kindergarten attendance. The sample of the present study consisted of 100 kindergarten children enrolled in public schools in Crete. The “Me and my reading profile” (MMRP) reading motivation tool was used. The MMRP was adjusted to Greek and was given to sample children in the beginning and at the end of the school year. Data analysis conducted with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 5-scale factorial structure in children’s reading motivation. Results showed that kindergarteners enhanced their reading motivation throughout the school year in the 3 out of the 5 extracted factors, while significant differences were found in the degree of reading motivation improvement between boys and girls. The results are important because they present data related to children’s reading motivation development at the first stages of literacy acquisition and are useful for making specific suggestions about educational practice and policy in Greece.

Linguistic policy in Greece and teacher’s training in question

After the 1980s, Greece, as a member state of the European Union (EU), entered in a series of educational reforms that compiled to the EU’s agenda on societal modernization and fiscal economy. In relation to language, the reforms dealt with the teaching of standardized Greek as a mother tongue, as a second/foreign language, of traditional foreign languages (e.g., English, French, German), and recently, of immigrant languages. Gradually, the official language curriculum is transformed in a multilingual and multimodal one, calling the student to learn and the teacher to teach multiliteracy, within a multilingual and multicultural context. The paper discusses Greece’s language policies in parallel to the indigenous curriculum as a minority curriculum that is based on two contrastive concepts: the societal (hence, educational) multiculturalism, and the monolingual homogeneity of its corresponding community.

Probabilistic Wildfire Risk Assessment and Modernization Transitions: The Case of Greece

Wildfire is the primary cause of deforestation in fire-prone environments, disrupting the forest transition process generated by multiple social-ecological drivers of modernization. Given the positive feedback between climate change and wildfire-driven deforestation, it seems necessary to abstract the primary- or micro-characteristics of wildfire event(s) and focus on the general behavior of the phenomenon across time and space. This paper intends to couple wildfire self-organizing criticality theory (SOC) and modernization statistics to propose a verisimilar explanation of the phenomenon’s evolution in the past decades and a prediction of its trends in Greece. We use power law distributions of the fire frequency–magnitude relationship to estimate the basic SOC parameters and the Weibull reliability method to calculate large-size wildfires’ conditional probability as a time function. We use automatic linear modeling to search for the most accurate relationship between wildfire metrics and the best subset of modernization predictors. The discussion concentrates on reframing the political debate on fire prevention vs. suppression, its flaws and limitations, and the core challenges for adopting more efficient wildfire management policies in Greece.

Challenges and Adjustments of Healthcare and Labor Policies in Greece During the COVID-19 Era: A Critical Assessment of the Key Social Policy Responses

The welfare state in Greece even before the outbreak of the global pandemic experienced multiple challenges and problems mainly as a result of its chronic structural, administrative, and financial problems which were further deteriorated by austerity measures. The pandemic that followed the ten-year economic crisis led to a new multifaceted crisis, adding further pressure on the National Health System as well as on the labor market, and precipitating the uptake of targeted measures and policies to support both the NHS with equipment, staff, and employment due to the imposition of national and local lockdowns. Confronted with such weaknesses, the establishment of a new welfare state would need to bear a higher degree of flexibility, inclusivity, and efficiency in order to live up to the increasing societal, health, and economic demands. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to explore the variations in health and labor policies (two key pillars of the welfare state) during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess whether there is a need for further interventions with regard to social security and prosperity of citizens. The methods followed include the analysis of secondary quantitative data collected from a range of international and national databases. The analysis shows that – among new challenges such as telework - in the labor market policies, while there is a trend during the pandemic of decreasing in-work poverty and unemployment, still Greece faces more problems than the majority of the EU member states, in terms of job inclusion and poverty reduction. At the level of healthcare policy, during the crisis, although Greece increased its spending on NHS support compared to the pre-pandemic era in 2020, these increases were below those of the majority of EU Member States and structural problems still exist.