Willibrord de Graaf

The Governance of Active Welfare States in Europe

List of Tables and Figures Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements The Governance of Active Welfare States R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovatka The Administration of Income Provision and Activation Services R.van Berkel Accelerating Governance Reforms: The French Case A.Eydoux & M.Beraud Fragmented Governance Continued: The German Case I.Dingeldey Steering with Sticks, Rowing for Rewards: The New Governance of Activation in the UK S.Wright The Governance of Activation Policies in Italy: From Centralized and Hierarchical to a Multi-level Open System Model? P.R.Graziano & A.Raue The Liberal Governance of a Non-liberal Welfare State? The Case of the Netherlands R.van Berkel & W.de Graaf Marketization in a Federal System: New Modes of Governance in Unemployment Insurance and Social Assistance in Switzerland F.Ehrler & F.Sager Governance of Activation Policies in the Czech Republic: Uncoordinated Transformation T.Sirovatka & J.Winkler Decentralization and Back to Centralization: The Swedish Case R.Minas Governance of Integrated Activation Policy in Finland V.Karjalainen & P.Saikku The Governance of Active Welfare States in Europe in a Comparative Perspective R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovatka

Governance of the activation policies in Europe: introduction

Purpose – The purpose of this introduction to the special issue is to give an overview of the key aspects of the governance of activation policies as discussed in the existing literature. It explains the focus and contribution of this special issue and provides a brief summary of the main findings in the individual articles.Design/methodology/approach – In this special issue the comparative analysis of the key aspects of governance of activation policies like centralization/decentralization, new public management, marketization and network governance is covered, accompanied by an assessment of the role of implementation conditions in shaping the real trends of governance reforms of activation policies. Further, the effects of governance reforms and the influence of EU governance on the dynamics of national activation policies are discussed. This comparative analysis leads to a typology of the “worlds of governance” of activation policies in Europe.Findings – All the countries show certain comparable conve...

The Governance of Active Welfare States

All over Europe, activation or active labour-market policies have become important instruments to promote the transition from welfare to work, that is, to (re)integrate unemployed people dependent on social insurance or social assistance in the labour market. Activation policies, that is programmes and services aimed at promoting the employability and labour-market participation of unemployed people, play a key role in making welfare states more activating and in reducing welfare state dependency. The European Employment Strategy, which contains specific guidelines with respect to the introduction of activation programmes, clearly endorses this orientation of social policies. European countries reveal significant variety in their activation strategies and polides: in the public expenditure on activation,1 in the nature and content of activation programmes, in the coverage of programmes and in the treatment of various target groups, and so on (Barbier, 2004; Dingeldey, 2007). Nevertheless, the social problems of unemployment and welfare state dependency are dealt with in quite different ways nowadays in the European countries compared with, say, two decades ago.

Segmented assimilation in the Netherlands? Young migrants and early school leaving

Abstract There has been ongoing debate in the Netherlands in recent years about second-generation immigrant youth, a debate fuelled by two rather persistent phenomena: high school dropout and unemployment among migrant youth. Fear exists that migrant youth will become marginalized. This raises the question: to what extent the position of migrant youth can be viewed as manifesting downward mobility, leading to a form of segmented assimilation? This article examines the problems of education and dropout, and discusses the significance of the many statistics which either prove or refute the assumed gravity of the problem. Then follows an outline of the policy landscape and the concomitant discriminatory effects to complete the picture. We conclude that downward segmented assimilation is not the dominant trend, and end with a discussion of new forms of ethnic exclusion that lay the blame for not integrating well into Dutch society on migrant youth themselves.There has been ongoing debate in the Netherlands in recent years about second-generation immigrant youth, a debate fuelled by two rather persistent phenomena: high school dropout and unemployment among migrant youth. Fear exists that migrant youth will become marginalized. This raises the question: to what extent the position of migrant youth can be viewed as manifesting downward mobility, leading to a form of segmented assimilation? This article examines the problems of education and dropout, and discusses the significance of the many statistics which either prove or refute the assumed gravity of the problem. Then follows an outline of the policy landscape and the concomitant discriminatory effects to complete the picture. We conclude that downward segmented assimilation is not the dominant trend, and end with a discussion of new forms of ethnic exclusion that lay the blame for not integrating well into Dutch society on migrant youth themselves.

Toward a Neoliberal Europe? Pension Reforms and Transformed Citizenship

The authors argue that starting from a welfare state, based on specific assumptions regarding generations, gender, and labor markets, two extreme directions of possible development—toward privatization and toward solidarity—are currently being taken. European welfare reforms transfer many services, needs, and responsibilities to the market, examples of a neoliberal tendency. However, there is also a contrasting and striking development toward solidarity, based on extensive regulatory policies, examples of a neoetatistic tendency. Focusing on pension reforms, the authors analyze this twofold development which the authors observe in reform measures and discourses; it redefines social rights, and therefore transforms social identity and citizenship.

MALE NORMS AND FEMALE ADJUSTMENTS: THE INFLUENCE OF CARE CREDITS ON GENDER PENSION GAPS IN FRANCE AND GERMANY

ABSTRACT European pension systems are in the process of change. A general development is the retrenchment of public schemes. In combination with the aim of individualizing pension entitlements, it is crucial that the pension situation of women, and of mothers in particular, be improved. Some European countries attempt to reduce the gender pension gaps with child care credits. This paper takes a closer look at the French and German systems. Can adjustments to the pension norm, in terms of different allowances for child care as introduced in both countries, balance gender pension gaps? Following the logic of the individual factors, the duration of insurance and the level of paid contributions, the main factors are analysed to evaluate the efficiency of care credits. Within the complexity of pension-related factors, adjustments to the originally male pension norms have very ambiguous effects, and they are insufficient to de-gender pension gaps.

Governance reforms and their impacts on the effects of activation policies

In this paper we are dealing with the question whether the expectations of improved effects due to governance reforms have been met in nine EU countries and how they are associated with the specific characteristics of the governance of activation. We conclude that the effects of the governance reforms are not unequivocally in favour of the reforms.

POLICY FOR THE ‘PEAK HOUR’ OF LIFE: LESSONS FROM THE NEW DUTCH LIFE COURSE SAVING SCHEME

ABSTRACT The Dutch government attempts to base its social policy on a life course perspective, and it promotes such a perspective in Europe. This has led to the introduction of a Life Course Saving Scheme (starting in 2006), which aims to enable good management of the ‘peak hour’ of life and to facilitate transitions between and combinations of the activities of working, caring and learning. This important and ambitious policy can be seen as a pioneering example for European countries, however, the present realisation is not sufficient according to research and problems to deal with. This article examines (1) whether the Dutch governments life course policy is based on a sound scientific basis and (2) whether the new Life Course Saving Scheme can realise the policy aims as formulated.

School–work transition: the interplay between institutional and individual processes

This study examines how problems with the transition from school to work, such as early school leaving and youth unemployment, are dealt with in the Dutch vocational education and training (VET) system. School–work transition has become more complex and fragmented with more room for individual manoeuvring. This leads to a more individualised perspective on school and labour market outcomes and on the reasons for transition failures. However, at the same time, the transition is still shaped by structural factors such as how the VET system and the labour market are organised. Our quantitative and qualitative empirical studies on VET schools confirm this tendency towards individualisation: professionals, including teachers, generally ascribe school failure to individual problems such as psychosocial problems or choosing the wrong course of study. The students themselves actually reinforce this, and display a strong belief in individual agency and feel in charge of their own learning and labour market outcomes. Structurally established barriers such as early selection mechanisms and ineffective school reforms do not interfere with this perception of individual strengths and failures.

The Liberal Governance of a Non-Liberal Welfare State? The Case of the Netherlands

In the literature on welfare state regimes, the Netherlands has been characterized as a hybrid welfare regime. According to Esping-Andersen (1999), this is due to its mixture of social democratic and conservative welfare regime characteristics. Esping-Andersen argues that when looking at income protection systems, the Netherlands are social-democratic as its systems are universalist, provide comprehensive coverage and are generous and de-commodifying. However, these characteristics are mixed with Catholic familialism, which becomes manifest in female labour-market participation and the level of services provided to encourage participation in paid work for women. To these conservative characteristics could be added policies aimed at reducing the labour-market participation of older workers, which were especially popular in the 1980s and 1990s.