Welfare State Research Articles

Pacifying the Battlefield of Industry: Warfare and Social Rights in 1848 France

Abstract This study delves into the intricate relationship between warfare and social rights during the Second French Republic. As recent scholarship suggests that the emergence of social rights in the 18th century involved a transition from Christian charity principles to secular obligations, primarily influenced by proponents of free markets, this research uncovers a distinct path during the July Monarchy. Here, socialists framed social rights using a unique language centered on warfare, which was overtly at odds with the prevailing free-market discourse. This transformation led to the concept of “guerre industrielle” or industrial warfare, portraying industrial workers as modern soldiers in the international economic competition among nations. Such a narrative significantly molded the political demands of the emerging French working class, focusing on securing decent employment and extending to workers the social provisions already granted to the military. These demands gained substantial momentum during the tumultuous 1848 Revolution, fueling a call for comprehensive societal transformation, emphasizing cooperative production and mutual assistance. Nevertheless, the rejection of these radical ideas was primarily attributed to the reluctance of moderate republicans to embrace the profound societal changes implied by such demands. By delving into the intricacies of this relationship, the article offers fresh insights into the development of social rights before the emergence of the Welfare State and their impact on the construction of tools of socioeconomic governance during the last two centuries.

Towards a Re-insurance union? SURE as an EU response to preserve jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic

Is the EU evolving towards a Re-Insurance Union? The creation of SURE, an EU financial tool to support national short-time work (STW) schemes in the midst of the pandemic, has revitalized debates on fiscal stabilizers as a means to counter economic downturns and protect jobs within the European Union. Drawing from document analyses and 17 interviews with EU and national stakeholders, this study explores the politics underpinning SURE’s adoption following a decade of heated and unsuccessful debates on the European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme (EURS). Through the lens of ‘purposeful opportunism’, the article illustrates how the European Commission leveraged prior EURS insights and the emerging consensus on STW schemes to craft SURE in a way which addressed national concerns about EU-wide welfare harmonization, while positioning the EU as a holding environment for national welfare states. Looking ahead, making SURE a permanent ‘second line of defence’ against macroeconomic shocks could contribute to further substantiating new, EU-wide, social rights codified in the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Rediscovery of small-scale fisheries in the era of crises

This article analyses the role of small-scale fisheries in the era of crises that increase fisheries’ vulnerability. Crises may also trigger a reconsideration of the value of small-scale fisheries. Thus, our main research questions are twofold: 1) How do the recent crises directly affect small-scale fisheries? and 2) What are the opportunities for reinventing the societal and environmental benefits of small-scale fisheries? Answers to the research questions are based on a selection of interviews, email inquiry, research articles and reports in the context of Finnish small-scale fisheries. By focusing on these fisheries, operated in a Northern European welfare state, we study the potential that the new turbulent and uncertain circumstances could lead to acknowledgement of the multifunctional character of small-scale fisheries. The results show that climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine have challenged the resilience of Finnish small-scale fishing livelihood, albeit moderately. The prospects for new policies triggered by these crises stem from acknowledgement of small-scale fisheries’ contribution to food security, environmental benefits and short supply chains. The best way to secure fish-based food security and sustainability during crises, is to keep the fishing sector and the production and distribution chains vital in normal conditions. We conclude that in a society like Finland the rediscovery of small-scale fisheries’ future necessitates wide societal and political discussion about the pros and cons of the livelihood, together with inclusive governance that recognizes the multifunctional roles of small-scale fisheries in the era of crises.

‘We are here to put the past behind us’: violence and welfare governmentality in Finnish family law

ABSTRACT Family justice occupies a complex space where public social (welfare) law intersects with private family law. These two legal domains bring distinct perspectives on subjects, rights, responsibilities, and entitlements. This article draws on interview data and previous research to examine welfare governmentality in family law, particularly in Finland and more broadly in the Nordic welfare states. Using intimate partner violence (IPV) as the lens of analysis, the article studies family law’s exclusionary structures that render particular forms of loss resulting from the relationship non-addressable. The rationales embedded in law, as evident through welfare governmentality, significantly impact the production of specific types of vulnerable, autonomous, gendered, and relational subjects. Moreover, these rationales shape our understanding of the law’s operations, categories, truth claims, knowledge development, and regulatory practices. Notably, family law-as-knowledge falls short in recognising violence and the subsequent losses suffered by victims within the contexts of financial settlements and child custody and access. This failure can be attributed to conceptual distinctions within family law, an overriding focus on the child’s interests, and the law’s national orientation.

Welfare solidarity in multi-ethnic societies: can social investment reduce the anti-immigrant bias?

Migration flows have diversified western societies, challenging the political viability of inclusive welfare states. This is very clear in research on perceptions of deservingness to social benefits, which consistently shows that immigrants are considered as less deserving of collective help than natives. At the same time, welfare states are being reoriented towards social investment, putting more emphasis on services that strengthen human capital and improve access to employment rather than on redistribution. In this article we ask whether the shift towards a social investment welfare state is likely to reduce the immigrant deservingness penalty. Theoretically, we rely on two perspectives: social trust and identity theory. Following the literature on social trust, we expect the reorientation of welfare states towards social investment to reduce the negative impact of diversity on solidarity, as those interventions are to an extent immune to free-riding. Alternatively, according to social identity theory, we expect a similar in-group bias independent of the intervention. We rely on vignette experiments conducted in 2021 in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US to compare the immigrant deservingness penalty between social compensation and social investment interventions. Results show no difference between the immigrant deservingness penalty across the social intervention types, suggesting exclusionary attitudes are driven by in-group favouritism.

Becoming “Welfare Island”

Abstract From the era of enslavement to contemporary structures of debt, governing entities and capital have denied state support to Puerto Ricans, demanding instead that payments flow from the archipelago first to Spain and then to the United States. While the US welfare state is notoriously stingy, even its limited benefits have never gone to Puerto Ricans on an equal basis to residents of the states. How, then, have Puerto Ricans been perennially accused of receiving too much welfare? This article argues that Puerto Rico marks the vanishing point of the coherence of the discourse of the “welfare queen” and reveals its underlying logic: it marks Black and impoverished people’s resistance, and the refusal to birth babies and raise children who are docile participants in the kind of labor force sought by capital. The “welfare queen,” generalized to the archipelago as a whole, marks rebellion and fugitivity.

Book Review: Sick Note: A History of the British Welfare State by Gareth Millward

Book Review: <i>Sick Note: A History of the British Welfare State</i> by Gareth Millward

Welfare state transformations in East Asia: an analysis post-2000s

Resumo Este artigo oferece uma análise sobre as transformações qualitativas nos Estados de bem-estar do Leste Asiático a partir dos anos 2000. Primeiro, distingo os legados institucionais à luz das tipologias formuladas na literatura: “desenvolvimentistasinclusivos” (Japão e Coreia do Sul)”; os “individualistas” (China, Hong Kong, Malásia e Singapura) e os “incipientes” (Filipinas, Indonésia, Tailândia e Vietnã). Argumento que o primeiro grupo aprofundou o processo de expansão de suas políticas sociais, sob uma abordagem universalista, mas reconfigurou a articulação entre política industrial e política social, bem como desenvolveu substantivamente as políticas de desfamiliarização. A China desloca-se do grupo “individualista” em direção a um tipo “híbrido”, ao ampliar consideravelmente a provisão pública, reproduzindo, contudo, um sistema dual e estratificado. Finalmente, os “individualistas” e os “incipientes” promoveram mudanças residuais, ampliando o papel do Estado sobre os riscos sociais por meio de políticas focalizadas em famílias de baixa renda. JEL: H51, H52, H53, H75, P16.

Analisis Mengenai Diskresi dengan Freies Ermessen

This discretion has consequences from the concept of a welfare state law, where discretionary authority is a necessity for the state to implement welfare for society effectively and efficiently. Discretion also acts as a substitute or workaround for weaknesses in regulations, enabling governments to respond and handle unforeseen situations in a manner consistent with general principles of good governance. The aim of this research is to investigate and identify effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms for the use of Freies Ermessen in the legal system in order to increase integrity and fairness in decision making. The research method used in this research is a qualitative approach with descriptive methods and literature studies. A qualitative approach was chosen because it provides the ability to deepen and understand complex phenomena and allows researchers to explore various perspectives and relevant contexts. The research results show that regarding the use of Freies Ermessen in the legal system, there is a need to develop effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms. Transparency in the decision-making process, setting clear standards, and community involvement are key to ensuring that discretion is used with integrity and in accordance with legal principles. In addition, the role of an independent court system in examining decisions taken and strengthening accountability mechanisms for authority holders is essential in preventing abuse of power.

‘정의로운 전환(Just Transition)’과 분배 갈등

The issue of climate change in political science has mainly been addressed at the international or global level, viewing environmental sustainability as a public good, and focusing on why intergovernmental cooperation to address climate change has often failed. However, it is necessary not only to analyze climate change at the global level but also to examine them at the domestic level, focusing on the conflicts of interest among various actors. With the widespread recognition that solving climate issues and transitioning to sustainable energy are inseparable, the recently emerged concept of 'Just Transition' is a suitable topic for approaching through frameworks developed in international political economy and comparative political economy. This paper explores how the issue of just transition intersects with important research in international political economy such as trade politics, as well as with social protection and welfare politics in comparative political economy. It argues that analyzing political conflicts surrounding just transition from a political-economic perspective is essential to establish effective governance for climate change mitigation.

A Discursive Institutionalist Analysis on the Transformation of the Welfare State in South Korea* : Focusing on the Productive Welfare of the Kim Dae-Jung Government

A Discursive Institutionalist Analysis on the Transformation of the Welfare State in South Korea* : Focusing on the Productive Welfare of the Kim Dae-Jung Government

Who lives there now? Residualisation of social housing in Austria

Across Europe, there is a trend to re-focus social housing on the most economically vulnerable groups (“residualisation”). We investigate whether this trend is also observed in Austria, a conservative welfare state with a social housing system open to a broad range of households and a long tradition of municipal housing. Using data from 1995 to 2018, we estimate residualisation indicators that compare the income of social housing tenants with other housing sectors. Based on tenants’ income, we find that municipal housing has become more residualised. This contrasts with Austria’s social housing allocation policy, where generous income limits remain important cornerstones. For limited-profit housing associations (LPHAs), we observe a smaller residualisation trend (mainly outside the capital Vienna), which has gained momentum since the early 2010s. This remedies the Austrian peculiarity that the LPHA sector was a middle-income tenure rather than a safety net for the poor. For both types of social housing, a growing income gap with owners is noticeable.

Approaches to spatial inequalities in a Nordic welfare state – the case of Norway

In this article, the position of the core ideas of equity and equal opportunities within the Nordic model of education today is problematized, using Norway as the case of interest and spatial dividing lines as the main variable in question. I am specifically preoccupied with geographical education differences as part of the ‘unequal opportunity problem’ in Nordic education. Focusing on spatial inequalities in education, something that is rarely addressed by educational authorities, brings light to the assertion that aims that used to be the foundation for the Norwegian education system, are harder to see as guiding principles in education policy today. Through highlighting this, the aim is also to contribute to a discussion of how research related to education in rural areas is situated in the Norwegian context, viewing this in light of Norway as a representative of the Nordic model of education. In the article understanding the agential doings behind the paradox of the Nordic education equality ethos on the one side and the persisting and empirically documented spatial education inequalities on the other, represents the analytic intake.

A European labour market and nationally bounded welfare states. EU emigration and challenges to social citizenship

ABSTRACT Access to the EU’s labour market and the principle of freedom of movement for persons (FMP) produced a mismatch for some countries of origin of migrants: Emigration of s cale decreased the resource base for the welfare state nationally while not sharing responsibility for social citizenship with the EU level. The countries of Lithuania and Romania are insightful for studying the political consequences of this mismatch. Surprisingly, collective actors from politics, social partners, and civil society hardly identified EU responsibility for emigration and its externalities. In contrast, solutions for the mismatch are sought at the domestic level. There, actors find themselves in a conundrum: Options for restricting FMP are politically unfeasible, measures for retaining the population hard to finance, and a cut back of some benefits unavoidable. Ultimately, this mismatch may lead to a vicious cycle in which emigration and the decreasing quality of social citizenship reinforce each other.

CARL SCHMITT AND FRIEDRICH HAYEK ON DEMOCRACY: ELECTIVE AFFINITIES?

The aim of the present paper is to disclose the structural affinities between Carl Schmitt and Friedrich Hayek regarding the concept of parliamentary democracy. Identifying Hayek’s neoliberal thinking with Schmitt’s theoretical justification of fascism would apparently be an a-historical overgeneralization. While Schmitt develops a model of absolute sovereignty relying on the sovereign’s decision on the state of exception, Hayek envisages the historical realization of those conditions allowing the market competition to flourish. Schmitt’s model subjugates market to an omnipotent state whereas Hayek views the latter as an engine abetting the free market competition. &#x0D; A closer reading, however, could discern affinities behind the seemingly opposed models of the two thinkers. &#x0D; Schmitt’s model of an emergency dictatorship and Hayek’s nomocracy are two different responses and attacks to the Left’s attempt to construct a democratic welfare state in the Weimar Republic and postwar Europe. Schmitt advocates the concentration of political power in a totalitarian state as the sole “remedy” to the democratic contamination of liberalism induced by the politicization of civil society. Similarly, Hayek castigates any state intervention taking the form of the welfare state but endorses a powerful state entrusted with the role of securing the conditions of market competition.

Evaluasi Program Rumah Sejahtera di Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Selatan

Implementation of the Prosperous Home Program (PRS) as an implementation of the welfare state concept in alleviating poverty and creating a livable area is the government's effort to realize the nation's prosperity. In this study, the researcher aims to comprehensively analyze and describe how the distribution of the Prosperous Home Program (PRS) grant assistance to poor communities in Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency is implemented. This research uses the method qualitative to comprehensively examine the results of the achievement of the Prosperous Home Program (PRS) without using statistics in the analysis procedure. The data collection process carried out was direct observation, structured interviews and documentation. The results of the research show that the target that the Regional Government wanted to achieve through the Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency Social Service in 2014 has been realized, by repairing around 6,077 units of uninhabitable houses by 2023. Apart from achieving the target, in its implementation there are several obstacles such as failure to provide craftsmen who have an impact on the home repair process and can influence the reporting process for the implementation of the Prosperous Home Program which results in delays in the home repair process.

Does Performance Matter? The Influence of Attitudes Towards Welfare State Performance on Voting for Rightwing and Leftwing Populist Parties

Abstract In recent decades, populist parties and leaders have obtained great political success. Since populism plays on voter dissatisfaction with the political elite, we might expect that dissatisfaction with the welfare state should also play a role. In this study, we suggest measures to assess welfare state performance (WSP), and we examine how assessment of WSP helps to explain support for the populist political parties – both rightwing and leftwing. Our findings are based on the sixth round of European Social Survey data that has a special module on democracy, which includes questions that enables us to measure WSP. This article shows that WSP is a significant predictor in explaining support for populist parties, but the dynamics differ between how WSP influences support for leftwing populist (LWP) and rightwing populist (RWP) parties.

Wysłuchanie małoletniego w postępowaniu cywilnym. Refleksje de lege lata i de lege ferenda

The purpose of this article is to acquaint the reader with the procedure of a minor’s hearing in civil proceedings. The location of the provisions in Polish and international law concerning: the basic norms regulating the rights of the child, the definition of a minor, the rights afforded to them, and the process of their hearing by the court will be presented. The conditions that must be met in order for a minor’s hearing in a civil process to take place will be indicated. The procedure for a court hearing, which is significantly more complicated than the examination of an adult, will be described. This is due to the fact that the child’s welfare and psychological state, which are still developing in childhood, must be taken into account, thereby providing them with a proper sense of security. The article will discuss issues related to changes arising from the draft act of May 11, 2023 – amending the Family and Guardianship Code and some other laws aiming to provide more favorable conditions for minors than has been the case so far.

ANALISIS KELAYAKAN AIR TERJUN MANTOWU SEBAGAI WISATA ALAM DI WILAYAH KPHP UNIT II LASALIMU, SULAWESI TENGGARA

The challenge of the Production Forest Management Unit (KPHP) Unit II Lasalimu as a forest management unit at the site level is the management of forests that can support community welfare and increase state foreign exchange. Mantowu Waterfall is one of the tourist destinations in the KPHP Unit II Lasalimu area which is administratively located in Pasarwajo District, Buton Regency. The development of Mantowu Waterfall as a natural tourism needs to be supported by a feasibility analysis. This study aims to analyze the feasibility of Mantowu Waterfall as a natural tourist attraction. The research was conducted through data collection, observation, interviews, Focus Group Discussion. Data analysis using the Guidelines for Analysis of the Operation Area of Natural Tourism Objects and Attractions (ADOODTW) modified based on natural attractions. The results showed that Mantowu waterfall is worth developing with a value of 67.72%. The greatest value is obtained from the attractiveness indicator owned by the waterfall but not supported by infrastructure and accommodation. In addition, the socio-economic condition of people with low welfare levels is a challenge for the development of Mantowu Waterfall as a natural tourist attraction. Involvement of society as a subject to creating an independent productive society.

Introduction: Science anywhere and anyhow

Today's society enjoys a welfare state that is largely a consequence of the scientific and technological advances of previous eras (especially the last century). Currently, (non-specialist) citizens interested in scientific topics have access to them in a variety of ways, from the classic formats of books and popular science magazines, television, and radio programmes, to internet platforms and social networks. And while being published is not synonymous with being worthwhile and reliable, the visibility that science can gain from these media is a welcome change. In addition to reporting on scientific and technological advances, an important part of the content offered by these media consists of recreational science activities, which provide an opportunity to acquire scientific knowledge in an entertaining way.