Hybrid journal * Containing 7 Open Access article(s) in this issue * ISSN (Print) 0144-333X - ISSN (Online) 1758-6720 Published by Emerald[360 journals]
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Authors:
Andrea Lawlor
,
Tyler Girard
,
Philippe Wodnicki
,
Miranda Goode
Abstract: Crises precipitate strong fiscal responses by government – sometimes toward austerity, other times toward renewed social spending. This variation in approaches to crisis handling has the potential to highlight factors that drive public opinion toward government interventions that may be quite different from those in non-crisis times. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned issues. This article brings together theories of government policymaking in crises, policy responsiveness and economic voting to assess how personal financial (egocentric) concerns and/or national financial (sociotropic) concerns may influence opinions toward government handling of direct financial supports in a crisis and, more generally, opinions toward social policy interventions. The authors assess this dynamic in the Canadian context using original national survey data collected in the initial stage of the pandemic-based crisis in June and July of 2020 (N = 1290). The authors find strong evidence in support of sociotropic concerns shaping government approval and support for greater social policy interventions, but limited evidence to support egocentric concerns, suggesting that social policy attitudes may be more insulated from personal factors than anticipated. The authors’ findings suggest that crises may prompt enhanced support for interventionist social policy measures that may lack broad-based support in non-crisis times. The authors’ findings speak to the ongoing discussion around the possibility for crises to function as policy windows for enhanced social spending and for entrenching targeted financial supports for vulnerable individuals. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-10-04
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0184 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Sehrish Ilyas
,
Ghulam Abid
,
Fouzia Ashfaq
Abstract: In today’s challenging world, achieving professional commitment among healthcare workers is becoming the need of time. Drawing on self-determination theory, the current study examines how and under which boundary conditions perceived organizational support affects professional commitment. Data was collected from doctors and nurses employed in public and private sector hospitals by employing a split-questionnaire design. The authors’ study findings demonstrate that perceived organizational support has a positive and indirect effect on the professional commitment of nurses and doctors via mediating the role of subjective well-being. The authors also found that these findings depend on healthcare workers’ burnout levels. The positive relationship between perceived organizational support and subjective well-being is attenuated by burnout syndrome. The current study poses implications for policymakers and administrators of healthcare institutions as well as to develop a supportive culture to evoke more professional commitment among healthcare workers. Implications for nursing managers and policymakers are discussed in light of the study findings. Healthcare institutions are increasingly paying attention to raising the professional commitment of their workforce, especially in the wake of a crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak. The current study will add to the body of literature on nursing management, healthcare studies and organizational psychology in the South Asian context by explaining the relationship between POS and professional commitment, drawing on self-determination theory. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-10-03
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0170 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Mara Mațcu
,
Adriana Zaiț
,
Rodica Ianole-Călin
,
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic
Abstract: This paper aims to explore the prevalence of undeclared activities conducted on digital labour platforms, and then to discuss what policies are likely to be more effective in order to prevent the growth of the informal activities on these platforms. To depict the profile of the digital worker conducting undeclared activities, the sectors where undeclared activities are more prevalent and the effectiveness of deterrent policies, data are reported from 2019 Special Eurobarometer survey covering the European Union member states and the UK. The finding is that 13% of undeclared activities are conducted on digital labour platforms. This practice is more common amongst men, those married or remarried, those living in small/middle towns, in sectors such as repairs/renovations, selling goods/services, assistance for dependant persons, gardening and help moving house. The higher the perceived sanction, the lower the likelihood of undertaking undeclared activities on digital labour platforms. Intriguing, a higher risk of detection is associated with a higher likelihood to use digital labour platform for undeclared activities. The attitudes toward risk can be interpreted closer to the gaming context, and not to the working environment, looking at platform workers as being involved in a state versus individual game. Policy makers should consider improving the correspondence of laws and regulations between countries and offering operational assistance for suppliers and consumers. This is the first paper to explore the prevalence of undeclared activities conducted on digital labour platforms and to outline the policy measures required to reduce this practice. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-27
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0186 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Tauchid Komara Yuda
,
Misbahul Munir
Abstract: This study is aimed at developing an understanding of the consequences of the pandemic on families' socioeconomic resilience, and the strategies adopted by the families in overcoming social vulnerabilities amid uncertainty. The materials for this study consist of semi-structured interviews with 21 families spread across the South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Families in the study represent four different income levels, namely very high, high, middle and low, and who also work in the informal sector. Each family has at least 1 or more members who fall into the vulnerable category (children, the elderly, people with disabilities unemployed or having potential economic vulnerability). Two main findings are outlined. Regardless of their socioeconomic status, many of the families analyzed adopted similar strategies to remain resilient. Among the strategies are classifying the urgency of purchasing consumer goods based on financial capacity rather than needs, leveraging digital economic opportunities as alternative sources of income, utilizing more extensive informal networks and going into debt. Another interesting finding shows that the pandemic, to some extent, has saved poor families from social insecurity. This is supported by evidence showing that social distancing measures during the pandemic have reduced the intensity of sociocultural activities, which require invited community members to contribute financially. The reduction of sociocultural activities in the community has provided more potential savings for the poor. In this study, informants who provided information about their family conditions represent a major segment of the workforce and tend to be technologically savvy and younger, due to the use of Zoom as a platform for conducting interviews. Therefore, there may be a bias in the results. Another limitation is that since the interviewees were recommended by our social network in the fields, there is a risk of a distorted selection of participants. This study offers insights that are critical in helping to analyze family patterns in developing countries in mitigating the risks and uncertainties caused by COVID-19. In addition, the literature on social policy and development could benefit from further research on COVID-19 as an alternative driver to identify mechanisms that could bring about change that would result in “security.” Critical questions and limitations of this study are presented at the end of the paper to be responded to as future research agenda. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-27
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2022-0201 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Tine Haubner
Abstract: In the context of a care crisis in Germany, care work done by volunteers is increasingly being semi-formalized by the state and used in professional care work contexts to relieve families and professionals. However, voluntary care has not yet been adequately studied from a care-specific perspective. This study examines in what way voluntary care can be considered decent care from a care-ethical and empirical perspective. Considering findings of a qualitative interview study, the study examines the special features of voluntary care, addresses its socio-political expansion, and asks about the decency of voluntary care in elder care and social work. Care work done by volunteers is a special kind of care work, which has advantages but also disadvantages regarding care-ethical requirements of decent care. The study examines under which conditions voluntary care violates these requirements and how this can be countered in socio-political terms. Voluntary care is an under-researched phenomenon despite its increasing socio-political importance. While its state-led expansion can informalize and deprofessionalize care work at the expense of users, professionals, and volunteers, its analysis can help to illuminate the preconditions for decent care. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-26
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0012 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Bettina Leibetseder
Abstract: Concerning the decision-making of frontline bureaucrats, research has suggested that caseworkers take into account a broader range of legal, organisational, professional and personal aspects. Their decision-making can offset social rights, when it neglects policy goals, but it can support social rights if the decisions consider clients' perspective. Based on a factorial survey experiment with 197 Viennese caseworkers of the employment service, the caseworkers were asked how likely they would be to refer nine different typical clients to the introductory session for the programme “Women into Technical and Craft Professions”, whereby different dimensions were altered to grasp regulations and clients' perspective. In the multilevel analysis, the interest of the clients in a technical-educational programme demonstrates the strongest positive effect, which complies with the programme's political intention. Other pertinent criteria may support clients' interests and the organizational performance goals, but neglect clients' position, when they counteract performance goals. Primarily, caseworkers do what they must and follow mandatory and performance criteria. On the caseworker's level, further research should aim to reach larger samples. Furthermore, the impact of performance goals on caseworker's decision making has to regard different professional groups beside personnel and labour market experts. The findings suggest that a focus on the micro-level is needed to evaluate the impact of social policies. The practitioner's position is crucial to juggling legal goals and client's need. Performance goals ought to better reflect social rights on a broader scale. This article provides new evidence on the level of discretion caseworkers execute. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-19
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-03-2022-0075 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Adi Binhas
,
Yaffa Moskovich
Abstract: This paper aims to analyze the unique dilemmas and challenges of ultra-orthodox men in academia. This research is conducted in the phenomenology approach. It explores the experience and the process that shape the social identity of higher-educated Haredi men through the life stories of twenty individuals. The research found the developmental path of Haredi-educated males, till they adopted a hybridist identity. The research uses a new term of hybridist identity, to better analyze the components of this new identity structure that, to the best of the authors knowledge, has not been examined as such in the literature. The study population is not large and therefore the number of participants is not large. From this, we can also learn about other conservative groups that integrate into academic institutions. This is a group that has been researched, through which it will be possible to learn about trends of diversity in academia and other public institutions. From the findings, it will be possible to design a policy that will suit the sociological, social and cultural composition of the students, in order to enable access to higher education for more diverse groups. This is a group that has been researched, through which it will be possible to learn about trends of diversity in academia and other public institutions. From the findings, it will be possible to design a policy that will suit the sociological, social and cultural composition of the students, in order to enable access to higher education for more diverse groups. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-14
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0173 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Sadia Batool
,
Muhammad Kashif
Abstract: This study investigates occupational segregation, microaggression, and social exclusion as antecedents of social invisibility to predict employee intentions to leave. Furthermore, the authors question whether felt obligation moderates the relationship between social invisibility and intentions to leave. Finally, researchers explore various forms of occupational segregation, miscoaggression, and social exclusion from employee's perspective. Two studies are conducted. Study 1 is quantitative where the data were collected from 273 nurses employed in various hospitals in Pakistan. Study 2 is qualitative where twelve confirmatory interviews were conducted to enrich our contextual understanding of the proposed relationships. The quantitative data are analyzed using partial least square methods via SmartPLS. The qualitative data analysis is based on a content analysis of interviews. Surprisingly, occupational segregation does not predict social invisibility. Moreover, the relationship between occupational segregation and intentions to leave is not mediated via social invisibility. The issues such as social hierarchy and high power distance are reflected via the findings of the qualitative study. The results provide insightful strategies to counter feelings of social invisibility among individuals performing those jobs which are considered stigmatized occupations. This study uniquely presents three antecedents of social invisibility, its mediating role, and the moderation of felt obligation between social invisibility and intentions to leave. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-06
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0190 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Tom Montgomery
,
Francesca Calo
,
Simone Baglioni
Abstract: In this article focused upon the UK context, the authors sought to better understand how political elites shaped public debate to reinforce rather than challenge the hostile policy environment for those seeking asylum. The authors undertook a political claims analysis (Koopmans and Statham, 1999) focussing on a venue that has been pivotal in shaping the discourse around asylum issues in the UK, namely the print media. This work adopts a theoretical frame informed by the work of Stuart Hall to uncover the extent to which debates on asylum during the key period of the refugee emergency in Europe were shaped by political elites. The study’s findings reveal the extent to which political elites acted as “primary definers” of the “crisis” and utilised that position to cast those arriving in Europe as a threat to be managed. This research offers a contemporary worked example of political claims analysis in a topical subject area that colleagues across disciplines and contexts may find informative for their own research agendas. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-31
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-05-2022-0130 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Eric Dahlin
,
Samantha K. Ammons
,
Jacob S. Rugh
,
Rachel Sumsion
,
Justin Hebertson
Abstract: While current scholarship on innovation typically examines its antecedents, the purpose of this paper is to provide a more complete account by advocating for social impacts as a critical component of the sociological study of innovation. This study adopts a conceptual approach to illustrate the ways in which innovation may generate unequitable outcomes. The authors illustrate the purpose of the paper by discussing strategically selected examples that are intended to reflect prominent themes and topics in the relevant literature. The analysis suggests that while innovation yields many positive benefits, pervasive narratives about its virtues can be overstated when, in fact, innovation may generate adverse effects for particular social groups by reproducing or exacerbating inequality. The authors provide a more complete account of innovation by naming social impacts as a critical component of its sociological study and discussing examples that illustrate how innovation can produce disadvantageous effects by race, gender and social class. The authors move forward the discussion of social impacts by elaborating conditions in which innovation is likely to reproduce the status quo as well as ameliorate negative impacts. While many studies have explained the conditions that foster innovation, this study pushes the boundaries of the study of innovation – a timely topic for practitioners and scholars in the fields of not only sociology, but management, education and public policy. Accordingly, we move forward the discussion of the social impacts of innovation by identifying the ways in which innovation is likely to reproduce structural inequalities. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-22
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0145 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Emmanuele Pavolini
,
Giovanna Fullin
,
Gemma Scalise
Abstract: This article contributes to the debate on how social policies and labour market regulation have been used to limit the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic by focusing on one specific economic segment of European labour markets: private consumption services, such as trade, tourism, catering and other support services. The analysis combines mixed methods and a variety of sources. First, we built a set of indicators from the EU-LFS microdata for 2019 and the 2018 Eurostat “Structure of earnings survey” and performed a cluster analysis (k-means) on the dimensions and indicators considered. Second, we elaborated EU-LFS data covering 2019 and 2020 (by quarter) and OECD 2020 data, and finally we traced Covid-related policy reforms for the period March 2020–December 2021 and analysed documents and information collected in different policy repositories. The paper shows the relevance and characteristics of private consumption services in different countries, demonstrating that so-called labour market “outsiders” are highly represented in this sector and illustrates the policies adopted to respond to the pandemic in different European countries. The paper asks whether this emergency has been a window of opportunity to redefine regulation in this sector, making it more inclusive. It demonstrates, however, that the common approach in Europe has been dominated by temporary, short-term and one-off measures, which do not represent major changes to the social security schemes that were in place before the pandemic. This article builds on the literature on labour market dualization, but approaches the concept from a different perspective – one not centred on the nature of employment relations (stable/unstable) but on economic sectors/branches. This article does not, therefore, discuss in general terms what happened to labour market outsiders during the pandemic, but rather focus attention on a specific group of workers who are highly exposed to risks stemming from dualization: those employed in the private consumption services. The economic sector perspective is an integrative way of framing dualization which is still under-researched. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-16
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-03-2022-0074 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Chau-kiu Cheung
Abstract: The study aims to examine the effectiveness of socially available measures such as concessive messaging, deradicalizing messaging, punishment, and reward in deradicalization, which remains theoretically debatable and empirically unclear and concern social policymakers. This study surveyed 4,385 Chinese youths in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, to clarify the effectiveness. Results show that receiving concessive messages about radicalism raised radicalism in 2020. Meanwhile, receiving deradicalization messages and rewards reduced radicalism. Receiving punishments for radicalism reduced radicalism when radicalism in 2019 had been high. These results support social learning theory and imply its usefulness for deradicalization. That is, deradicalization can rely on messaging countering as opposed to conceding to radicalism and reinforcement for deradicalization and against radicalism. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-16
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-05-2022-0121 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Sarah Marie Nogues
,
Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay
Abstract: As employed carers tend to experience work interruptions and conflict between work and care, especially women, this paper aims to assess the availability and accessibility of carer-friendly workplace policies (CFWPs) in Quebec workplaces. An online survey was distributed to members of the Association of Human Resources Management Counsellors in Quebec. The authors used a validating quantitative data design. The data was collected between October 2019 and the end of February 2020 and the questionnaire yielded 122 valid responses. Adult/elder care responsibilities remain systematically perceived less important than childcare or general work-life balance needs. The current distribution of CFWPs within Quebec workplaces is unlikely to ensure carers sufficient support to prevent or significantly mitigate negative repercussions. Notable differences were found between organization type and size. There is a need for expanding CFWPs through increased support services, educational workshops, broader access to flexible work arrangements and manager training. The results support recent research findings pointing that women with caring responsibilities face important opportunity costs and risk falling in precariousness. Carers should be able to maintain a social income from other sources to compensate a reduced activity on the labor market. By investigating the availability of CFWPs in Quebec workplaces, this paper adds insights regarding the availability and access to CFWPs regionally and in small and medium size workplaces, rather than identifying best practice from workplaces across the globe. Workplace policies are analyzed for adult/elder care specifically. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-15
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2021-0308 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Filip Majetic
,
Miroslav Rajter
,
Chiara Bassetti
Abstract: This explorative study aims to investigate work precariousness (WP) among EU27-based economically dependent solo self-employed, i.e. those with no employees and usually relying on just one client. Univariate and multivariate analyses of European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) (2015) and Eurostat data. The analyses yielded Disempowerment, intended as lack of job autonomy and money-induced Vulnerability as the dimensions of WP. Disempowerment was found positively influenced by workers' threat of losing the job and negatively by the enjoyment from being their own boss. Vulnerability was negatively influenced by workers' age, perceived easiness to find new customers, household's financial well-being as well as the country's employment rate. The study represents pioneer exploration of the phenomenon's dimensionality and main determinants. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-02
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-05-2022-0126 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Angelina Parfenova
,
Maria Kozlova
Abstract: This research is devoted to the study of social expectations, and the purpose of this paper is to elaborate the instrument of their measurement based on the main spheres of influence. The research was conducted using a mixed methodology: a series of semistructured interviews and a survey. In the first stage, 15 interviews, and in the second phase, both online and offline surveys (306 participants) were conducted to test the social expectations scale designed. The qualitative phase highlighted the most important areas of social expectations, identifying how they can influence individual behavior. Afterward, the scale of social expectations was developed, and its prognostic function was confirmed. It was revealed that expectations influence goal setting, motivation, public opinion orientation, emotional experience and decision-making. This study is an attempt to construct a measurement tool for social expectations and close the gap for many studies that used the concept without operationalization. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-07-21
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0139 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Kristian Bloch Haug
Abstract: This article examines the overlooked literature on algorithmic profiling in public employment services (APPES) in the field of public administration. More specifically, it aims to provide an overview and connections to identify directions for future research. To understand the existing literature, this article conducts the first systematic literature review on APPES. Through inductive coding of the identified studies, the analysis identifies concepts and themes, and the relationships among them. The literature review shows that APPES constitutes an emerging field of research encompassed by four strands and associated research disciplines. Further, the data analysis identifies 23 second-order themes, five dimensions and ten interrelationships, thus suggesting that the practices and effects of algorithmic profiling are multidimensional and dynamic. The findings demonstrate the importance of future research on APPES undertaking a holistic approach. Studying certain dimensions and interrelationships in isolation risks overlooking mutually vital aspects, resulting in findings of limited relevance. A holistic approach entails considering both the technical and social effects of APPES. This literature review contributes by connecting the existing literature across different research approaches and disciplines. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-07-12
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-03-2022-0085 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Zita Wahyu Larasati
,
Tauchid Komara Yuda
,
Akbarian Rifki Syafa'at
Abstract: The penetration of technology and the strengthening of evidence-based policies have paved the way for the automated delivery of social services. This study aims to discuss the inherent risks of this automatization, particularly those associated with the discrimination, exclusion and inequality problem, which the authors package under the theoretical umbrella of a digital welfare state (DWS). This conceptual article reviews the literature on the welfare DWS, with an empirical focus on the recent experience of selected countries from India, Kenya and Sweden. These countries reflect three different types of welfare regimes but are connected by the same digital social risk. The authors’ exploration also includes questions about what this DWS has in common with and how it differs from the previous era. This article illustrates that there has been a very similar trajectory in regards to the development of the DWS and the associated risks in the examined countries. DWS has triggered new social risks (e.g. discrimination, exclusion and inequality in welfare access) that are a result of data breaches experienced by citizens. Further, vulnerable groups in the digital age should be viewed not only as those who lack access to welfare services, such as education, health and employment, but also as those without internet access, without digital skills and excluded from the DWS system. The article calls for the development of scholarly research into the DWS in particular and the contemporary one in general. The authors also predict that a critical aspect of the future regime typology rests in the ability to mobilize resources to address contemporary digital risks, as every country is equally vulnerable to them. Overall, this article can be considered to be one of the initial works that focus on cross-national comparison across different meta-welfare regimes. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-07-05
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-05-2022-0122 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Niko Väänänen
,
Jyri Liukko
Abstract: Increasing longevity and lower birth rates put pressure on the sustainability of pension systems. This compels countries to reform pension schemes. Different countries opt for different types of reforms. This article examines the scope of possibilities for a pension reform in two countries with distinct institutional and ideational setup: Finland and France. The authors utilise the framework of different modes of justification presented by Boltanski and Thévenot to reveal the reasoning used in pension reform discussions in both countries. The authors study expert reports to analyse how nationally constructed ideas and local institutions frame and shape the different logics and justifications. In Finland, the approach to pensions is dominated by industrial and market justifications. The pension system is institutionally separated into two different blocks: one addressing poverty and the other income maintenance. The separation enables the prevalence of these logics and makes it easier to promote reforms that emphasize efficiency and individual responsibility instead of income distribution. The French report is concentrated around civic and domestic dominated justifications by stressing solidarity and the role of pension systems connecting individuals and generations together. Any reform needs to consider these issues. The article uses a novel research design to study pension reform processes. The article distinguishes the roles that ideas and institutions have in shaping expert reasoning and reform options. The authors show how ideas and institutions form a mutually reinforcing loop which helps to explain path-dependency in pension systems. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-06-27
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-04-2022-0091 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Vanessa di Paola
,
Arnaud Dupray
,
Stéphanie Moullet
Abstract: The authors aim to explore the link between the gender composition of occupations and women's access to managerial positions in four societal contexts. Using EU-LFS data for 2015, the authors measure the relative gender equality performance of France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK regarding women's access to managerial positions, defined as levels 1 and 2 of the 2008 ISCO classification coupled with the exercise of managerial responsibilities. While gender-mixed working environments offer the largest number of managerial positions, they are also where women are least likely to reach such a position. Overall, except in Switzerland, women fare best in male-dominated occupations. Women do not appear to fare worse than men in female-dominated occupations, except in France. The findings question the relevance of policies aimed simply at reducing occupational gender segregation without providing safeguards against the deleterious effects that gender mixing may have on women's career advancement. The disparities between countries found here show that individual career advancement towards a managerial position may be driven by the social policies, gender ideology and institutions of the societal context. Examining how the societal dimensions involved in the poor performance of women in France and Switzerland are likely to differ sheds light on mechanisms behind the gender gap in management. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-06-20
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2021-0315 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Sigita Doblytė
,
Aroa Tejero
Abstract: Public willingness to pay for extra public benefits and services may demonstrate a tension between the common good (more services) and economic motives (higher taxes for all). In this article, the authors present an analysis of this trade-off by drawing upon the Bourdieusian theory of social reproduction and habitus. Employing the European Social Survey (2016), the authors first examine the patterns of relationships between the agents' position in the social structure and their attitudes across care regimes in Europe. The authors then analyse whether this link is mediated by agents' individual trajectories and dispositions, such as their beliefs towards equality or tradition, political orientation, or religiosity. The findings support the importance of both sociation and individuation in habitus formation, albeit to varying degrees across the regimes. Individual attitudes are therefore shaped not only by interests of reproducing or maximising social positions but also by more reflexive propensities to think about the common good. In this article, the authors draw upon the theory of social reproduction and habitus by Pierre Bourdieu, who has been thus far rarely employed in the study of welfare attitudes. The article also contributes to the literature that studies the trade-off between the expansion and financing of reconciliation policies. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-06-16
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-04-2022-0089 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Abigail Taylor
,
Anne Green
,
Rosie Gloster
,
George Bramley
Abstract: This paper aims to explore challenges and opportunities of shifting from physical to virtual employment support delivery prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It investigates associated changes in the nature and balance of support and implications for beneficiary engagement with programmes and job search. The study draws on longitudinal interviews conducted with beneficiaries and delivery providers from a neighbourhood-based employment support initiative in an English region with a strong manufacturing heritage between 2019 and 2021. The initiative established prior to the Covid-19 pandemic involved a strong physical presence locally but switched to virtual delivery during Covid-19 lockdowns. Moving long-term to an entirely virtual model would likely benefit some beneficiaries closer to or already in employment. Conversely, others, particularly lone parents, those further from employment, some older people and those without computer/Internet access and/or digital skills are likely to struggle to navigate virtual systems. The study emphasises the importance of blending the benefits of virtual delivery with aspects of place-based physical support. Previous studies of neighbourhood-based employment policies indicate the benefits of localised face-to-face support for transforming communities. These were conducted prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the more widespread growth of virtual employment support. This study fills a gap regarding understanding the challenges and opportunities for different groups of beneficiaries when opportunities for physical encounters decline abruptly and support moves virtually. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-06-14
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-03-2022-0086 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Filip Chybalski
,
Agnes Orosz
,
Radosław Kurach
Abstract: The article examines the interplay between welfare state regimes and the distribution of welfare between generations. Using data from 2017 for 24 European countries on six standard of living dimensions, the authors investigate the intergenerational welfare distribution in a two-stage procedure: (1) the authors compare the intergenerational welfare distribution across welfare state regimes using their existing typologies and find a moderate nexus. Therefore, (2) the authors employ clustering procedure to look for a new classification that would better reflect the cross-country variation in the intergenerational welfare division. The authors find a complex relationship between the welfare state model and welfare distribution across generations and identify the policy patterns that shape it. Continental and liberal regimes are quite similar in these terms and favour the elderly generation. Social-democratic and CEE regimes seem to be a bit more balanced. COVID-19 pandemic will probably increase the intergenerational imbalance in terms of welfare distribution in favour of the elderly. In contrast to the majority of previous studies, which employ inputs (social expenditures) or outputs (benefits, incomes), the authors use intergenerational balance indicators reflecting living conditions of a given generation as compared to the reference point defined as an average situation of all generations. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-06-07
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-11-2021-0282 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Rumiana Stoilova
,
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova
Abstract: The focus of this article is on gender justice with respect to opportunities (educational) and outcome (earnings). The main research question is whether educational opportunities are positively converted into fairness of income, and for whom and where this is the case. The importance of this study lies in the understanding that the subjective feeling of justice is a significant measure of quality of life, of the individual's subjective feeling of happiness and of the fulfilment of the goals people have reason to value. The study takes a micro-macro approach, combining macro-level data taken from official statistics and micro-data from the 2018 European Social Survey for 25 European countries; the authors also apply multilevel modelling to the data analysis. At individual level the authors found gender differences in the associations between education and fairness of educational opportunities. With regard to the scope of fairness, the authors emphasise that fairness of educational opportunities and net pay in European countries is less likely to be felt by someone who has a lower educational level. Higher educational expenditures are positively correlated with fairness of educational opportunities but not with fairness of net pay. This article contributes to theoretical, empirical and policy-relevant gender justice research on the link between inequalities and justice perceptions. The authors have expanded the theoretical understanding of the concept of gender justice by taking into account the role of a specific gender norm on fairness perceptions. The norm, when asked about in a gender-neutral way, is not associated with fairness of pay, but when posed as a question specifically to women, has a negative relationship with perceptions of fair pay. The empirical contribution consists in the evaluation of individual and country mechanisms from a gender justice perspective. The policy contribution consists in questioning the belief that longer paid maternity leave is beneficial for women. In countries with long paid leave available to mothers, women reported even lower levels of fairness of net pay than men. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-31
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0065 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Chris Gilleard
Abstract: The aim of the study is to demonstrate evidence that societal ageing and poor economic growth are linked in the advanced economies. It challenges the claim however that secular stagnation represents a serious problem for future prosperity. This paper critically reviews recent formulations of the secular stagnation hypothesis concerning stalled economic growth in the advanced economies and the links between demographic ageing and economic slowdown. It outlines both trends (of ageing and stalled growth) and reviews some of the key empirical studies that have sought to determine the role played by demographic change in accounting for the relative lack of growth in the advanced economies. The advanced economies are ageing and their economic growth is slowing, although a causal link between these two phenomena remains unproven. However, even if no direct causal link can be drawn between these two processes the focus upon the impact of societal ageing serves as a stimulus to re-think the nature of future growth in our increasingly ageing and unequal societies. While the measurement of demographic trends is relatively straightforward, there are more problems in specifying the exact parameters of macroeconomic growth. This makes empirical studies in the area difficult to interpret. However studies in this area have value in widening thinking about the role of ageing and the nature of growth in the future. Rather than fearing the prospect of an age related slowdown in the rate of growth in the advanced economies, these developments offer opportunities to focus upon redistribution more than growth, while supporting a programme of growth with equity in the world's developing economies. While a demographically over-determined model of the secular stagnation hypothesis is dubious, the future ageing of the advanced economies is certainly a challenge. It is also an opportunity for rethinking ideas about ageing, growth and development. Adopting such a more nuanced perspective offers a counter-narrative to the demographic catastrophising that is often evident when discussing 'societal ageing'. It also suggests the value of shifting the perspective of seeking ever increasing growth toward a greater focus upon redistribution, between and within the generations. There has been very little engagement with the secular stagnation hypothesis outside economics. Behind its macroeconomic formulation, however, lie assumptions about the ageing of society that can easily become examples of unwarranted demographic catastrophising. By bringing this topic to the attention of the social sciences, the paper can serve as a stimulus for rethinking both ageing and growth. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-31
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-09-2021-0228 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Nisha Bamel
,
Satish Kumar
,
Umesh Bamel
,
Vidhu Gaur
Abstract: This paper aims to synthesize the knowledge published in the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy since its inaugural issue to current issue, i.e. from 1981 to 2021, using a structured and systematic review technique. In order to achieve the objective of this paper, the authors have analysed the bibliometric metadata of 1,583 research documents published during the last four decades in International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy by employing a structural and quantitative literature review technique, i.e. bibliometric. Particularly, the authors used performance analysis and network analysis (intellectual and social network analysis). Findings reveal the performance metrics, i.e. productivity and citation performance of various constituencies of IJSSP such as authors, institutes, research articles etc. In addition, the authors constituted certain knowledge networks such as keywords co-occurrence, strategic map and social network. Present systematic and objective review reveals the evolution and pattern of research publication in IJSSP, and this will help in predicting and setting the future course of knowledge creation such as emphasis on a particular theory or framework, reexamining the established assumptions and so on. In the wake of changing social policy dynamics, the present systematic synthesis helps in understanding the possible emerging areas of concerns both for practitioners and policymakers. The present study is a first attempt that considers the entire research corpus of the journal and synthesizes it objectively and systematically. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-25
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0031 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Gary Parker
,
Ellen Hutti
Abstract: The 2020 election season brought with it a global public health pandemic and a reenergized racial justice movement. Given the social context of the intertwined pandemics of COVID-19 and racialized violence, do the traditional predictors of voter turnout – race, poverty rates and unemployment rates – remain significant' Using county-level, publicly available data from twelve Midwest states with similar demographic and cultural characteristics, voter turnout in St. Louis City and St. Louis County were predicted using race, poverty rates and unemployment rates. Findings demonstrate that despite high concentration of poverty rates and above average percentages of Black residents, voter turnout was significantly higher than predicted. Additionally, findings contradict previous studies that found higher unemployment rates resulted in higher voter participation rates. This study suggests that the threat of COVID-19 and fear of an increase in police violence may have introduced physical risk as a new theoretical component to rational choice theory for the general election in 2020. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-24
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0061 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Lene Gissel Rasmussen
,
Halfdan Thorsø Skjerning
,
Viola Burau
Abstract: The present paper describes the interplay between the “why” and “how” in co-production based on a case study of community-based healthcare in Denmark involving municipalities and voluntary sports clubs. So far, policy practice and research have focussed on the “why” – the rationales and pre-requisites – of co-production. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge about the “how” of co-production in the interplay between professionals and volunteers. The paper asks how co-production is being perceived and practised according to existing norms and objectives of public healthcare and civil society, drawing on the theory of institutional logics. The paper uses a critical case study approach to examine the practice of co-production. The analysis builds on qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews, two information interviews and project documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded. This paper demonstrates that compatibility of institutional logics was not given, nor did the co-existence of potentially competing logics necessarily result in conflict in co-production. Instead, in this case study co-production emerged as highly contingent, reflecting the dynamic interaction between logics and context-specific management. This paper makes an original contribution to the conceptual understanding of co-production in emphasising the benefit of paying attention to the network logic when building bridges between public healthcare and civil society – and to unite the seemingly contradictory “why” and “how” of co-production in practice. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-10
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0027 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Muhammad Shehryar Shahid
,
Lalarukh Ejaz
,
Kiran Ali
Abstract: The policy approach in Pakistan with regard to combating the informal economy has remained quite myopic and skewed in its reliance on measures informed by the rational economic-actor theory as opposed to the social-actor approach. Thus, this study attempts to evaluate and synthesise the two alternative policy approaches and formulate a more theoretically integrative understanding of the subject. The authors gather data from 600 micro-entrepreneurs operating in the retail and wholesale sector of Lahore, Pakistan, which is then analysed using an ordered logit regression technique. In contrast to more developed countries, the finding here is that higher perceived penalties have a highly significant and positive impact on the level of formality of Pakistani micro-entrepreneurs. The perceived risk of detection, meanwhile, has only a moderately significant impact on the micro-entrepreneurs level of formality. Likewise, the level of vertical and horizontal trust has a positive but moderately significant impact on the level of formality. Nonetheless, both the vertical and horizontal trust exhibit a very significant moderating effect on the relationship between the use of penalties and the level of formality, that is, the higher the level of trust that the micro-entrepreneurs have in the state and other businesses, the lower is the effectiveness of punitive measures. Deterrence is an effective way to enhance the level of formality in the case of the Pakistani context. Nonetheless, the authors imply that without building trust, this overreliance on punitive and detective measures can actually be counter-productive. A combined and congruent (not sequential) use of voluntary compliance measures is thus warranted. It is a unique attempt to evaluate and synthesise the global policy theorisations in a non-mainstream and antagonistic climate, such as Pakistan. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-04-21
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0042 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Mekhraly Shakhbazov
,
Ahmed Badreldin
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether ethnic discrimination is present in the Russian labor market and whether it has a significant economic effect on the potential salaries of applicants. Data were collected using a correspondence audit for four experimental male applicants with identical professional and personal characteristics while differing only in applicant name as a signal of applicants' ethnic background. Implied ethnicities include Russians, Armenians, Jews and North Caucasians. Résumés were sent out to 800 real unique vacancies on behalf of the experimental applicants with a geographic focus on the capital Moscow. The results of the analysis suggest that there is a significant difference in treatment in both response rate and potential average salaries on ethnic grounds. Disadvantaged groups were found to be systematically pushed into jobs paying 15% less monthly wage. The study investigates the existence of ethnic discrimination in the Russian labor market and furthermore economically quantifies the effects of discrimination. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-04-15
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0039 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Aleksey Anisimov
,
Elena Eltanskaya
,
Agnessa O. Inshakova
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to classify and study the features of the types of non-standard marriages existing in Russia (de facto, sham, same-sex marriages), in order to adjust their legal regulation by the state. The authors of the article examined the theoretical and practical problems of state recognition and regulation of non-standard marriages not recognized by the state, and justified a new strategy of support (in the case of de facto marriages) or counteraction (in the case of sham marriages) of these social phenomena by the state and law. In the light of the negative attitude of Russian citizens to same-sex marriages, the possibility of their support in the future is justified. Having studied three types of non-standard marriages, the authors substantiate the need for a different approach of the state to further legal regulation of these social phenomena. It is proved, that in relation to same-sex marriages, the existing non-recognition and negative attitude of the legislator and society in Russia to their legalization will last until the attitude towards sexual minorities in general, changes in Russian society. De facto marriages should be introduced into the legal field, they should be given a normative definition and outline the general legal framework of the rights of de facto spouses and their children. As for sham marriages, it is proposed to consider the lack of intention to create a family and the selfish interest to be their main features pursued by one or both spouses entering into a sham marriage. The originality and value of the research is stipulated by the consideration of the legal regulation of marriage and family issues in the historical context of the development of the Russian state, as well as the evolution of ideas about morality in Russian society. The changing attitude of society towards de facto marriages, the increase in the number of unregistered married couples indicates the transformation of the moral values of young people and the need for the state to promote the legal protection of such married couples without trying to prohibit or restrict them. Existing approaches to the legal regulation of sham marriages require adjustments, including incorporating the notion of “fictitious divorce” in family legislation. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-04-13
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0043 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Shyam Singh
,
Neha Christie
Abstract: Extant literature indicates that people use existing social networks for various collective activities as there is a cost involved to create and maintain separate networks for different activities. The authors build on the relational sociology framework and test this assertion in by examining a dairy cooperative society, which is a community organization. We hypothesize that the cooperative members are likely to use existing social networks to operationalize their cooperative (dairy-related matters) and other social and personal relations. This study tests the hypothesis by studying information sharing relations among the dairy cooperative members in two different social networks: the dairy information network and social information network. This study uses social network analysis to analyze relational data. The study finds that the members of the dairy cooperative maintain both information sharing networks separately and that each network has different control and efficiency mechanisms. The findings contradict the assertions of existing literature and establish that people ensure their business relations remain separated from their social relations to avoid the possibility of social conflicts affecting their business activities. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-04-06
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-11-2021-0281 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Reetika Dadheech
,
Dhiraj Sharma
Abstract: The purpose of the study is to determine the factors influencing the job choices of Indian women working in the informal manufacturing sector. The informal sector has always played a significant role in emerging and developing countries. This study investigates the effect of social cultural norms influencing women informal workers in the manufacturing sector to participate in home-based work (HBW) or non-home-based work (non-HBW) . Both Quantitative and Qualitative methodology have been used. In accordance with descriptive statistics, a multinomial logistic regression model was employed to assess women's likelihood of participation in home-based activities. To gain a more in-depth insight, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the perspectives of both men and women workers. The data were analysed using narrative analysis. The findings reveal that a high fixed cost is a key driver of HBW. Workers prefer to work from home when the loss of joint household production due to working outside is substantial. Social and cultural standards play a significant effect in job selection for women. These conventions limit women's employment options, and the current study demonstrates that strong social and cultural standards limit women to home-based jobs only. Enhancing women's involvement in the public realm is critical and may be accomplished by affirmative action; but, for women to be treated equally in their homes and in society, an attitude shift is necessary. Despite the government's initiatives and regulations aimed at protecting informal women workers, many of the programmes and legislation fall short. The position of women in this environment cannot be improved until and unless the norms of society are flexible and liberal for Indian women. The first step would be to educate people and make them aware of the need to abandon outdated practices and embrace new progressive ideals. It will not be achievable just via government efforts; rather, both the government and society must work together to achieve the same goal. The author hereby declares that this submission is their own work and to the best of their knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. The author would like to undertake the above-mentioned manuscript has not been published elsewhere or under editorial review for publication elsewhere; and that all co-authors have agreed to have seen and approved the manuscript for submission. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-03-31
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2021-0200 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Katalin Feher
,
Zoltan Veres
Abstract: The goal of the paper is to identify the comprehensive trends, practical implications and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the economy and society, exploring the expectations of Hungarian powerful actors in a global arena. Sociology of expectations framed the theoretical considerations. The explorative research design presents an anonymous qualitative online survey. Respondents represent the Hungarian AI Coalition with a quarter of the members. The key finding is a controversial result. Although AI is interpreted as a decision-supportive and problem-solving technology for the economy, uncertainties and fears for the society are clearly formulated. Interpreting the results and the originality of the paper, trust building and responsibility sharing in cross-industrial collaborations are fundamental to reduce social uncertainties, override the popular or science fiction narratives and increase the future well-being. The length of textual responses did not allow a deeper analysis. However, for professional reasons, participants were committed to completing the survey. The paper suggests for business and policymaking to identify the AI technology as a tool distinguishing from tech-owners’ responsibilities. Therefore, the implications of the study support a reliable AI and also potential for cross-industrial collaborations. The paper highlights the uncertainties of business investment and policymaking to encourage a comparative research project in the EU for trustworthy AI. Similar exploratory studies with the same focus, sample and outcome are not available yet Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-03-25
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2021-0205 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Kadir Uysal
Abstract: The paper brings Foucauldian analysis of neoliberal governmentality in the discussion on the new forms of labour control within digital labour platforms. The aim of the paper is to reveal the effect of control mechanisms employed by platforms on “entrepreneurial self” within the context of work relations. Drawing on in-depth interviews, conducted with workers under different service categories, the author undertook an extended case study of Armut.com, a digital labour platform operating in Turkey. The study finds that competitive mechanisms employed by the platform have a considerable effect on worker self-commercialisation and self-rationalisation. This is dependent on different control mechanisms employed by the platform, based on different platform working models. The research brings the worker subjectivities to the discussion of control within the scope of digital labour platforms. By undertaking a rare empirical study on this issue, it contributes to the theory of entrepreneurial self within the scope of work relations. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-03-22
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-09-2021-0248 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Ali İhsan Akgun
,
Serap Pelin Türkoğlu
,
Süheyla Erikli
Abstract: This paper examines the determinants of happiness index ratings in European countries over 8 time points using unique data from the Eurostat, World Bank and World Happiness Reports. To examine the determinants of happiness index ratings for EU-27 countries over the period 2012–2019, panel ordinary least square and quantile regression model are used to data obtained from all sample. Evidence from European data on happiness index generate some important key outcomes; economic outcomes levels with both current taxes and inflation rate have a positively relationship on happiness index ratings (HIR), while total employment rate has a significant negativity on HIR. Additionally, in a quantile panel regression of 27 countries, the impact of financial inclusion on happiness index looks to change with a country's level of income. On the macroeconomic level, gross domestic product (GDP) improves the happiness index for the individual under certain conditions. Thus, GDP on 0.25th quantile levels positively and significantly impacts the HIR for leader countries. Empirical evidence suggests that macro-economic variables and the labor market proxies of the countries play a key role in determining HIR as well. The study extends the literature on developed countries and suggestions a particular perspective on the relationship between economic outcomes and happiness index. This study offers two main originalities: it simultaneously examines the “happiness-macroeconomic level” and “happiness-employment status dimension”, and it uses a quantile regression approach, including financial inclusion variation. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-03-18
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0005 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Anushree Karani
,
Sunita Mall
,
Revati Deshpande
,
Mitesh Jayswal
Abstract: The study aimed at understanding the relationship between psychological contract breach, well-being indicators, i.e. subjective well-being and mental well-being and innovative behaviour. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire through Google docs from 238 academicians working at different capacity in Indian academic industries. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. Psychological contract breach was positively impacting occupational stress and occupational stress was negatively impacting work engagement. Work engagement positively impacted innovative behaviour and well-being indicators. Occupational stress and work engagement mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and well-being and innovative behaviour. The data for the study were collected from the employees working in education industry during the unlock COVID-19 pandemic situation. The study contributes by integrating social exchange theory (SET) and job-demands resources (JD-R) theory in the pandemic situation. In the current COVID-19 pandemic circumstance, the results showed precise factual evidence that answers the question of how unfulfilled expectations have a negative impact on academicians and educational institutions. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-03-17
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0023 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Hazwan Haini
,
Siti Fatimahwati Pehin Dato Musa
,
Pang Wei Loon
,
Khairul Hidayatullah Basir
Abstract: This study examines whether unemployment affects the relationship between income inequality and food security in 143 advanced and developing economies from 2000 to 2019. The authors specifically explore whether unemployment can weaken the negative impact of income inequality on food security. The authors estimate a new and robust index of food security using a generalized least squares approach. The authors then employ the system generalized method of moments to estimate the model as it allows the authors to control for endogeneity and simultaneity. The authors estimate an interaction term to account for the moderating impact of unemployment. The authors consistently find that income inequality has a negative and significant association with food security. However, the results differ between advance and developing economies. The authors find that unemployment rates have a negative relationship with food security in the sample of developing countries, where high levels of unemployment exacerbate the adverse effects of income inequality on food security. This is insignificant for advanced economies. The major limitation lies in the use of aggregated data, which overlooks the issue of food security at the household or individual level. Policymakers in developing economies can ensure job security in order to lessen the adverse effects of income inequality on food security. This study provides new empirical evidence on whether unemployment can potentially moderate and alleviate the impact of income inequality in advanced and developing economies. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-01-31
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2021-0303 Issue No:Vol.
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, No.
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(2022)
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Authors:
Kirstein Rummery
Abstract: There are clear theoretical, policy and practice tensions in conceptualising social or long-term care as a “right”: an enforceable choice. The purpose of this article is to address the following questions: Do disabled and older citizens have the right to long-term care' What do these rights look like under different care regimes' Do citizens have the right or duty to *provide* long-term care' It is already known that both formal and informal care across all welfare contexts is mainly provided by women and that this has serious implications for gender equality. In this article, the author takes a conceptual approach to examining the comparative evidence from developed welfare states with formal long-term care provision and the different models of care, to challenge feminist care theory from the perspective of those living in care poverty (i.e. with insufficient access to long-term care and support to meet their citizenship rights). Drawing on her own comparative research on models of long-term and “personalised” care, the author finds that different models of state provision and different models of personalised care provide differential citizenship outcomes for carers and those needing care. The findings indicate that well-governed personalised long-term care provides the best outcomes in terms of balancing potentially conflicting citizenship claims and addressing care poverty. The author develops new approaches to care theory based on citizenship and care poverty that have not been published elsewhere, drawing on models that she developed herself. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-01-12
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-09-2021-0229 Issue No:Vol.
ahead-of-print
, No.
ahead-of-print
(2022)
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Authors:
Annalisa Dordoni
Abstract: The retail sector is not largely studied in Italy. The study offers a comparison between youth retail shift work in Milan and London. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the one hand on youth work and on the other hand to the debate on agency and structural factors in life planning, representation of the future and the transition to adulthood, observed in the United Kingdom's and Italian labour market. Even if the second one is a Southern European Country, these contexts are both characterised by a service-oriented economy and the widespread of precarious and flexible jobs. Qualitative methods were used: one year of ethnographic observation, 50 interviews and two focus groups were carried out between 2015 and 2018 with retail workers and trade unionists. The contexts are Corso Buenos Aires in Milan, Italy, and Oxford Street in London, United Kingdom. Analysing young workers' discourses, the author identifies narratives that allow to grasp their present agency and imagined future. Observing the crisis of the narrative (Sennett, 2020) allows to highlight the social consequences of working times on young workers' everyday life and future. The author argues that young workers struggle with the narrative of their present everyday life and the representation of the future. This relates to the condition of time alienation due to the flexible schedules and the fast pace of work in retail, both affecting the work-life balance. The social consequences of flexible schedules in retail and fast fashion sector, which are new issues not yet sufficiently explored, are here investigated from the perspective of young workers. The study is focussed on the representations of young people working with customers in social and economic contexts characterised by flexible schedules and the deregulation of shop openings, the so-called 24/7 service society, not largely investigated in the sociological scientific literature, above all in the Italian context. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-09-15
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0060 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Laura Häkkilä
,
Piia Seppälä
,
Juulia Hietamäki
,
Timo Toikko
Abstract: The study covers two different forms of financial support for households, income support for single parents and reimbursements for depression medicines, and explores their relationships with the demand for child protection services. The data were retrieved from the Sotkanet, the Finnish Indicator Bank, and included 292 Finnish municipalities. It was hypothesised that the effect of income support for single-parent households on the need for child protection is mediated by reimbursements for depression medicines. The hypotheses were tested by using a conditional process analysis program, PROCESS (Model 4). It was found that income support reduces the proportion of reimbursements for depression medicines in a municipality, which in turn reduces the need for child protection services. At the level of social policy, the study tentatively suggests that the social welfare system may affect the demand for child protection by investing in income support for single-parent households. The choice of variables does not fully explain the effect of the mechanism. The relationships that are found in this study can have hidden factors which affect them. Further, the data have only 292 cases, which is quite a small sample, and is limited to Finland. The study suggests that the social welfare system may affect the demand for child protection by investing in income support for single-parent households. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-30
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0165 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Monika Senghaas
,
Christopher Osiander
,
Gesine Stephan
,
Olaf Struck
Abstract: In many countries, individuals can receive welfare support whilst simultaneously being employed. The level of earned income that welfare recipients are allowed to keep has long been a subject of debate. Core issues include whether in-work benefit regulations provide incentives for individuals to expand labour market participation and are thus also socially effective and whether the population perceives welfare benefits for individuals who earn own income as fair. This article contributes to the debate about the social legitimacy of in-work benefit regulations by shedding light on the principles guiding judgements about an adequate amount of in-work benefit receipt. The authors use a factorial survey experiment to investigate which factors guide judgements about an adequate level of in-work benefit receipt. In the authors' factorial survey, the household composition, health status, and monthly earnings of a hypothetical in-work benefit recipient were varied experimentally. The study investigates Germany's basic income support programme, a means-tested social policy programme that targets both unemployed and employed individuals. The results show that respondents consider higher earnings retention rates for lower-income earners to be fair. This preference mirrors the German legislation, which is based on the principle of need. Furthermore, the presence of children and of physical as well as mental health impairments are associated with support for higher earnings retention rates. The findings suggest that citizens support the core features of in-work benefit regulations but do not consider in-work benefit recipients as a homogenous group when assessing the adequate level of benefit receipt. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-16
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-04-2022-0101 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Salvatore Monaco
Abstract: Sociological researches about tourism of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are growing in number. These studies are carried out mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries, although nowadays tour operators, travel agencies, cruise and airline companies have started to reserve more and more services and promotions to this group of travellers all around the world. To fill this gap, the paper presents the results of a research that involved 650 Italian LGBT Millennial travellers. Using the exploratory technique of multiple correspondence analysis, the research focussed on the study of decision-making processes, finding out the factors that drive young LGBT people to prefer one destination over the others, distinguishing motivations between pull and push factors. For Italian LGBT Millennials, tourism means more than just recreation. Tourism could also represent a strategy that gives them temporary escape from social prejudice and inequality, since tourist experiences provide an opportunity to re-build LGBT people' sexual identity and enjoy social freedom that LGBT people are deprived of whilst being at home. The analysis allowed to underline some differences. Even if LGBT people share the burden of being as a member of a sexual and gender minority, LGBT people attribute a slightly different meaning to tourism, considering distinct push and pull factors. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-08-11
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-05-2022-0112 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Gianluca Scarano
,
Barry Colfer
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual framework that sets out the linkages that exist between digitalisation and active labour market policies (ALMPs). Based on a narrative literature review, this article seeks to connect two research streams, namely that relating to ALMPs and that relating to digitalisation in the public sector. This exercise requires an understanding of both how the context of digitalisation in the public sector has evolved in relation to technological change and the identification of specific ALMPs that are more sensitive to digitalisation. Starting from the identification of ideal-types of ALMPs, “employment assistance” can be considered the type of policies most sensitive to digitalisation, looking at main forms of interventions as career guidance, profiling and job-matching tools. The first tool is closer to a technological domain of “remotisation”, while the second is closer to that of “automatisation”. Achieving an understanding of the different degrees of sensitivity to digitalisation for various types of ALMPs is relevant for policy-making purposes to identify potential priority areas of strategic investment to enhance this sector. The authors present an understanding of the current state of the digitalisation of public employment services. The literature review itself allowed the authors to conclude that, despite the interests in the public and academic debate, the existing research relating to the digitalisation of public employment services remains scant. At the same time, the article points towards fertile areas for further analysis. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-07-14
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0050 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Anne Parkatti
,
Tiina Saari
,
Mia Tammelin
,
Mikko Villi
Abstract: This article aims to study digital competence (DC) in media work. The authors utilize frame analysis to investigate how DC is framed in media work using 30 semi-structured interviews as data with journalists in Finland. The authors identify three main frames of DC in the context of media work. The individual attitude frame emphasizes employees' attitudes toward DC, the team-level support frame underlines the need for support in the work community and the organizational-level practice frame highlights enablers of and organizations' requirements for digital competence. First, media workers' DC is necessary to enhance work efficiency and accomplish tasks and may be supported with supportive management practices. Second, the findings suggest that DC should be understood and analyzed as a multi-level issue. Third, the findings suggest that appropriate continuing education and study opportunities were needed. Besides formal arrangements for learning, informal contexts of learning are important. The article contributes to media studies and studies on the digitalization of work by taking account of the organizational, team and individual levels in discussing digital competence in the news media sector. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-05-03
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-02-2022-0040 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Authors:
Marco Terraneo
,
Alessandra Caserini
Abstract: Transplantation extends and improves lives, but the shortage of organs is one of the main factors limiting the number of transplants in Italy, as well as in other countries. This study investigated the awareness about organ donation and the socio-demographic factors associated with donation will in a general population. In 2019, a survey was carried out by computer-assisted web interviewing. A questionnaire was sent via e-mail to 39,360 individuals (i.e. students, administrative and teaching staff of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy). The response rate was 10.6% and 4,191 weighted cases were used in the analysis. This study showed a strong, positive attitude towards donation: over 96% of respondents stated to be keen on organ donation. Of the respondents, 40.8% considered themselves informed on medical procedures involving organ donation, and only 15.8% thought to have sufficient legal information. Overall, only 17.7% of respondents thought that the information available was sufficient to make informed decisions. According to the respondents, ethical and religious implications were the main reasons (30% of answers) that limited the level of information. Just 57.9% of respondents had already recorded their willingness to donate. Among them, renewal of the identity card was the most common motivation (55.8%) and the main motivation reported for lack of expression of donation will was the lack of opportunity or time (61.5%). A positive attitude towards donation demands a wide public education programme and opportunities to declare one's will to donate to increase the population of potential organ donors. Citation:
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PubDate:
2022-04-19
DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0020 Issue No:Vol.
42
, No.
13/14
(2022)
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Hybrid journal * Containing 7 
Open Access article(s) in this issue *
