Mathias Herup Nielsen

Acting on welfare state retrenchment: in-between the private and the public

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an unexploited conceptual pragmatic sociological framework for analyses of action strategies among social assistance recipients, who are affected by contemporary politics of retrenchment. Design/methodology/approach – Noting that existing literature on resistance and coping is mostly concerned with either collective public resistance or sub-public individualised coping strategies, the paper turns to theoretical insights from newer French pragmatic sociologist Laurent Thevenot, enabling the researcher to dissolve the stark boundaries between private/public and coping/resistance. The use of the concepts is demonstrated through a case study analysis of the various actions of Danish social assistance recipients, who were recently affected by a harsh workfare initiative. Findings – The empirical demonstration points to a plurality of individualised strategies of action, taken on by the affected social assistance recipients. Thereby it points to some advanta...

Four normative languages of welfare: a pragmatic sociological investigation

ABSTRACTThis article explores the normative languages used by ordinary citizens to measure ongoing welfare state transformations in Denmark. Empirically, the article turns to qualitative data from a deliberative democratic forum where 35 citizens gathered to reflect upon and discuss the future of the welfare state. Conceptually, it relies upon the order of worth-framework derived from the French pragmatic sociology of Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thevenot. The analysis shows how citizens use a number of orders of worth when discussing the future of the welfare state. Four standards of worth seem to be of particular importance: (1) A civic order of worth, defining individualism and welfare consumerism as the big problems while emphasizing the need for every citizen to mentally step out of their selfish state of mind and care more for others and society as such. (2) A domestic order of worth stating that the problems of the current welfare state are particularly located within groups of ill-mannered and anti-s...ABSTRACT This article explores the normative languages used by ordinary citizens to measure ongoing welfare state transformations in Denmark. Empirically, the article turns to qualitative data from a deliberative democratic forum where 35 citizens gathered to reflect upon and discuss the future of the welfare state. Conceptually, it relies upon the order of worth-framework derived from the French pragmatic sociology of Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot. The analysis shows how citizens use a number of orders of worth when discussing the future of the welfare state. Four standards of worth seem to be of particular importance: (1) A civic order of worth, defining individualism and welfare consumerism as the big problems while emphasizing the need for every citizen to mentally step out of their selfish state of mind and care more for others and society as such. (2) A domestic order of worth stating that the problems of the current welfare state are particularly located within groups of ill-mannered and anti-social people that must be educated and disciplined. (3) An industrial order of worth, leading participants to problematize bureaucratic inefficiency and waste of resources. (4) And finally, a market order of worth stating welfare dependency to be one of the big problems and stressing the need for individual responsibility and for giving structural incentives for such behaviour.

European Welfare Nationalism: A Democratic Forum Study in Five Countries

Immigrants’ entitlement to social rights emerges as a major issue in the UK, Germany, Norway and Denmark, but the question of how to attract highly qualified labour dominates discussion in Slovenia. When it comes to justifying nationalist attitudes, it is only in the UK that people are willing to openly cite self-interest in competition for jobs, housing and school places as a reason. Elsewhere the issue is one of effective integration. Concerns about economic impact are most prominent in the UK—where people see immigrants primarily as a burden—in Denmark and Norway—where they are seen as, on balance, an economic benefit—and in Slovenia, where the main concern is to attract higher skilled immigrants. In Germany the debate is more about retaining an authentic national culture. Tensions over immigration are real but in most countries resoluble.