Changing regimes?

Accounting for divergent convergence

International Symposium„Reforming Unemployment Policy in Europe“May 15-16 2009, Hamburg

Patrizia Aurich

Introduction

Aim:

• Compare changes in diversity under common frame of activation

Activation in different welfare states?• Differences in the degree of activation (Gilbert 2002, Hvinden 2003)

• Differences in nature of activation (Serrano-Pascual 2007, Barbier and Ludwig-Mayerhofer 2004, Lødemel and Trickey 2001)

• „divergent convergence“ (Kitschelt 1999; Seeleib-Kaiser 2007)

Central Questions

• How can divergent convergence towards activation be compared?

• How have welfare states developed differently?• How can these differences in development be explained?

Structure of the presentation

I. Theoretical and methodological framework II. Findings of the comparative analysis of changeIII. Approach to explaining differences

Part I

Theoretical and methodological framework

Conceptualising welfare state change part I

• Retrenchment, re-commodification and re-calibration (Pierson 2001)

• Activation instead of income compensation: re-calibration

• Symbolical convergence (Serrano-Pascual 2007)

Definition of activation part I

Activation can be defined as a policy aimed at increasing activity levels of the unemployed.

It is:

• aimed directly at the benefit recipient …• … affecting rights and/or obligations during benefit receipt.

Conceptualising welfare state change part I

Comparative framework: scope for diversity?

• 2 perspectives on activation• Increase social inclusion of the unemployed by bringing

them into work and training activities (Giddens 1998)• Increase labour market participation by reducing

disincentives (Streeck and Heinze 1999, Murray 1994)

Conceptual framework

low

Coercion

Autonomy

high

Coercive Welfare Re-commodification

Enabling De-commodification

Construction of individual action situation

Active support

• Most active

• human resource development

• strict benefit regime

• Partly active

• strict benefit regime

• Partly active

• human resource development

• income compensation

• Least active

• income compensation

part I

Methodological approach part I

Three countries (DE, DK, UK) representing:• Different types of welfare regimes• Different reform dynamics

Different programmes:• Unemployment Insurance (UI)• Unemployment Assistance (UA)• Social Assistance (SA)

Data• Institutional regulation from 1990 - 2008• MISSOC, OECD Country Reports etc.

Methodological approach part I

• Input – ideas and discourse

• Legal output – institutional change in legislation

• Administrative output – practices, implementation

• Outcome – effects of policies in social settings

Methodological approach part I

Policy indicators

Income replacement

Range of activities encouraged

Transfer reduction rate

Definition of reasonable jobs

Sanctions

Code of conduct

Activities offered

Case managementactivity provision through state

Degree of active support

Indices

Social Rights

Balance of coercion and

autonomy

Conditionality

Part II

Findings of comparing activation in different welfare regimes

DK-SA-old

DK-UI-old

DE-SA-old

DE-UA-old

DE-UI-old

UK-SA-oldUK-UI-old

DK-SA-new

DK-UI-new

DE-SA-new

DE-UI-new

UK-SA-new

UK-UI-new

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

DK-SA-oldDK-UI-oldDE-SA-oldDE-UA-oldDE-UI-old UK-SA-oldUK-UI-oldDK-SA-newDK-UI-new DE-SA-newDE-UI-newUK-SA-newUK-UI-new-5-4-3-2-1012345-5-4-3-2-1012345

Policy trajectories in Denmark part II

Coercion

Autonomy

Active support

high

low

Coercive Welfare Re-commodification

Enabling De-commodification

Construction of individual action situation

DK-SA-old

DK-UI-old

DE-SA-old

DE-UA-old

DE-UI-old

UK-SA-oldUK-UI-old

DK-SA-new

DK-UI-new

DE-SA-new

DE-UI-new

UK-SA-new

UK-UI-new

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

DK-SA-oldDK-UI-oldDE-SA-oldDE-UA-oldDE-UI-old UK-SA-oldUK-UI-oldDK-SA-newDK-UI-new DE-SA-newDE-UI-newUK-SA-newUK-UI-new-5-4-3-2-1012345-5-4-3-2-1012345

Policy trajectories in the UK part II

Coercion

Autonomy

Active support

high

low

Coercive Welfare Re-commodification

Enabling De-commodification

Construction of individual action situation

DK-SA-old

DK-UI-old

DE-SA-old

DE-UA-old

DE-UI-old

UK-SA-oldUK-UI-old

DK-SA-new

DK-UI-new

DE-SA-new

DE-UI-new

UK-SA-new

UK-UI-new

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

DK-SA-oldDK-UI-oldDE-SA-oldDE-UA-oldDE-UI-old UK-SA-oldUK-UI-oldDK-SA-newDK-UI-new DE-SA-newDE-UI-newUK-SA-newUK-UI-new-5-4-3-2-1012345-5-4-3-2-1012345

Policy trajectories in Germany part II

Coercion

Autonomy

Active support

high

low

Coercive Welfare Re-commodification

Enabling De-commodification

Construction of individual action situation

Unravelling divergent convergence part II

Denmark United Kingdom Germany

Divergence in active support (intensity of ALMP and placement, range and quality of activities)

(++) right and obligation to participate in ALMP

(++) training, longterm education and job subsidies

(++) intensive placement and supervision (IAP after 9 months)

(++) right and obligation to participate in ALMP

(+) activity options (training included)

(+++) most intensive placement and supervision (IAP after 2 weeks, 13 weeks of gateway counselling)

(+) discretionary access

(+) low end activities (1-€-Jobs)

(+) increased case management

part III

An attempt of explanation

How can we explain similarities and differences?

Explanations? part III

Cases Explanation

Denmark Institutional corporatism (Larsen/Mailand 2007) Favourable labour market context (Andersen 2002)

UK Focus on social inclusion in New Labour discourse (Giddens, Layard)

Favourable labour market context

Germany Formerly quite active (access to “Arbeitsförderung”) High unemployment “Selective Activation” (Clegg 2007) Focus in discourse on disincentives (“no right to being lazy” Chancellor Gerhard Schröder)

Thank you for your attention!