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International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.3
Citation Impact (citeScore): 1
Number of Followers: 68  
 
Hybrid Journal Hybrid journal   * Containing 5 Open Access Open Access article(s) in this issue *
ISSN (Print) 0144-333X - ISSN (Online) 1758-6720
Published by Emerald Homepage  [362 journals]
  • The management of Covid19 pandemic and its impact on migrant farmworkers
           in Italy: anthropological insights

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      Authors: Cecilia Vergnano
      Abstract: Two important measures concerning the management of the workforce were introduced in Italy during the COVID-19–related health emergency: the regularization of irregular migrants working in the domestic and agro-industrial sector, and the introduction of the health-pass requirement to access all workplaces. This article analyses the impacts of such measures on a specific category of workers: migrant farmworkers, notably racially subaltern, marginalized and exploited. Implicit ideological and normative assumptions underlying Italian policies to address the health emergency and related labor shortages raise important questions about the meaning of “life” and whose lives matter in emergency contexts, which this article aims to address. This paper is based on the case study of the informal settlements for seasonal migrant workers in the agro-industrial district of Capitanata (Apulia). Based on the aforementioned case study, this article shows that Italian measurs concerning the management of the workforce during the COVID-19–related health emergency resulted in various forms of blackmail to which migrant farmworkers were especially subjected, and increased their exploitability and “expulsability” from the labor market. In particular, it argues that the aforementioned measures resulted in significant shifts in the relationship between migrant farmworkers and the state, on the one hand, and between migrant farmworkers and employers, on the other. Rather than promoting migrant farmworkers' social, economic and health rights, this double shift turned into increased oppression, exploitability and dependency on the employer.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-02-27
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0166
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Panacea or poison' Exploring the paradoxical problematizations of
           loneliness, technology and youth in Norwegian and UK policymaking

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      Authors: Elian Eve Jentoft, Marit Haldar
      Abstract: Loneliness’ impact on health and wellbeing has emerged as a public health issue in several countries. Young people are increasingly understood as a ‘risk group’ and intervention target for loneliness-reduction. This research paper aims to present a discourse analysis of policies and political speech about young people and loneliness. Using discourse analysis inspired by Carol Bacchi’s “What is the Problem Represented to Be” (WPR) approach, this cross-cultural analysis studies loneliness policy in the United Kingdom (UK) and Norway. In doing so, the authors ask: What is the problem of loneliness among young people represented to be in UK and Norwegian welfare policy' The findings indicate paradoxical problematizations of the role technology plays among lonely young people, who, in this context, are divided in two categories: able normative and disabled youth. We reveal fundamental differences in beliefs about the impact of technology on these groups, and corresponding differences in the proposed solutions. The problem of young peoples’ loneliness is represented as uncertainty about potential harms of digital connectedness and reduced face-to-face interactions. In contrast, the problem of loneliness among disabled youth is represented as impeded access to social realms, with technology serving a benign role as equalizer. Little research has examined this new policy field. The article contributes to filling this gap and encourages policymakers to consider how political discourses on loneliness may lead them to overlook digital interventions young people could find beneficial.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-02-27
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-11-2022-0292
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • The motility of posted workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: policies,
           trends and worker experiences in Austria

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      Authors: Sonila Danaj, Elif Naz Kayran, Leonard Geyer
      Abstract: To analyse the policies, posting trends and worker experiences during the pandemic, this study uses the concept of motility, i.e. workers' mobility capital, and examines how posted workers' geographical mobility, their access to and conditions of employment and social protection were impacted. The authors discuss how the measures against the pandemic undertaken at the European Union (EU) and national level have affected labour mobility, the impact these measures have had on macro trends of posting to Austria, and lastly, how the pandemic and the actions against it have influenced the lives of posted workers at the individual level. In this article, the authors focus on the specific case of posting to Austria. The authors ask whether, and if so, how EU and national policies which came about during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the motility of posted workers, and how these workers used their mobility capital in this unfolding context. The authors address the research questions with analyses of EU and national level policies, use administrative data on posting, and individual-level data based on interviews with posted workers and public authorities. The authors find that the Austrian government's public health and economic priorities were jointly influential on the motility of cross-border workers. The specific case of the posted workers shed new light on the limits to such a national sovereignty approach when it comes to economic interests in an increasingly interdependent European labour market. This study’s findings show that despite the access provided at the policy levels, the motility of posted workers was also affected by their individual circumstances, or competences, which produced different forms of appropriation. The authors apply the theoretical framework of motility by studying policy developments through the element of access options and conditions, and the posting trends to Austria and worker experiences at the individual level through the lenses of appropriation and competences. The authors find that while the EU and national public policy in enhancing access options have been successful during the COVID-19 period, amelioration attempts in access conditions have not been realised as observed in our analysis of the competence and appropriation dimensions of the posted workers in Austria. This highlights the need for a more integrated approach in the study of policies by exploring beyond the national and EU level policies and focussing on the implementation and observations at the individual level.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-02-14
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0169
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Tax compliance of small and medium sized enterprises in Ghana

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      Authors: Edward Nartey
      Abstract: Tax compliance studies have been extensively conducted across various jurisdictions. However, only partial answers have so far been provided for the question: “Why do people pay tax'”. The aim of this study is to report tax compliance behavior from both the supply side (SMEs) and demand side (tax collecting authorities) in Ghana. A survey of 233 responses comprising 169 SME managers and 64 tax officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority qualified for the study. Data were modelled using covariance-based structural equations modelling (AMOS Graphics version 23). Isomorphic forces and tax fairness have a positive impact on tax compliance. However, the impact of strategic response on tax compliance was insignificant, which suggests that, although SMEs in Ghana adopt different strategies to respond to institutional pressures, such strategies do not influence their tax compliance behavior. This study investigates tax compliance behavior among SMEs using a survey design from only one developing country – Ghana. Based on a cross-sectional survey and the approach used to gather the sample data, assessing any changes over time may be impossible. The findings suggest that SMEs’ tax compliance behaviors are shaped by institutional pressures in terms of obeying tax laws and filling their tax returns in a consistent manner. Given that isomorphic forces and tax fairness are significant predictors of tax compliance, SME tax compliance can be improved if strong institutions are incorporated in the administration of taxes. The findings also support the logical thinking of tax fairness theory that the higher SMEs perceived the tax system to be fair, the more their compliance behavior is encouraged. This study represents one of the few to provide preliminary empirical evidence on tax compliance from the supply side of taxation in a developing economy. Therefore, the findings have implications for taxpayers in Ghana.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-02-09
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0159
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • A critical evaluation of research associated with carers’ organisations
           since the start of the Carers' Movement

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      Authors: Rachel Crossdale, Lisa Buckner
      Abstract: Since the start of the Carers’ Movement research into unpaid care and carers has been used to advocate for policy change. The purpose of this paper is to address the changes in research into unpaid care and carers since the start of the Carers’ Movement and to explore the relationship between these changes and social policy. This research paper is based on a qualitative study of documents within the Carers UK archive. Research into unpaid care and carers has changed focus from caregiving as an identity and lifestyle to an interruption to “normal” life and employment. Changes in research are intertwined with changes in policy, with research evidencing advocation for policy change and policy change fuelling further research. Changes in the methodology of this research exposes transition points in the Carers’ Movement and in social research more broadly. This paper contributes to critical understandings of the relationship between research into unpaid care and caring and policy. The paper also contributes to debates on methodology, exploring how the methodological zeitgeist presents in archived research. Understanding how current research into unpaid care and carers has been developed and acknowledging the role of policy in research development brings available data on unpaid care and caring under scrutiny. This paper is original in developing a critical analysis of the relationship between research into unpaid care and carers and social policy.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-02-06
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-10-2022-0275
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Outcomes of psychological contract breach for banking employees during
           COVID-19 pandemic: moderating role of learned helplessness

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      Authors: Anushree Karani Mehta, Divyang Purohit, Payal Trivedi, Rasananda Panda
      Abstract: The present study aims to understand the relationship between psychological contract breach (PCB) and outcome variables with mediation role of job stress, psychological empowerment and moderating role of learned helplessness. Descriptive cross-sectional research design was deployed. Data were collected from the Indian public sector bank employees, especially from those who are regularly going to the banks even during the lockdown situation. A total of 239 respondents were contacted via online and offline method. The authors reported that bank employees feel the breach of psychological contract which induced job stress. Further, job stress negatively impacts their psychological empowerment and psychological empowered employees exhibit increased innovative behavior and well-being. The authors also found that job stress and psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between PCB and outcome variables, and learned helplessness moderates this relationship. The current study captures the psychological response of employees during the pandemic era. The study also highlights that during the pandemic, when majority of the employers have given work from home, the public sector employees were regularly going to the banks with fragile mindset. The banks' managers and HR managers can also understand that how the fulfillment of expectations is important not only for employee well-being but also for the health of the organization.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-23
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-11-2022-0288
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Culture and innovation: a human emancipation perspective

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      Authors: Hamid Yeganeh
      Abstract: This study aims at offering a comprehensive thesis about the relationship between different cultural values and innovativeness. Building on the human emancipation perspective and using data from Hofstede’s, Schwartz’s, and Inglehart’s cultural frameworks, the authors conduct a cross-national investigation into the effects of cultural values on national innovativeness. The analyses show that emancipatory cultural dimensions such as rationality, secularity, self-expression, individualism, low uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, mastery and autonomy have significantly positive associations with national innovativeness. The opposing cultural values, such as traditionalism, religiosity, survival, collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, short-term orientation, harmony and conservatism, have negative associations with national innovativeness. This study contributes to the literature by putting forward a comprehensive and theory-driven explanation of the relationship between cultural values and innovativeness, by using all of Hofstede’s, Schwartz’s and Inglehart’s dimensions, by incorporating ethnic, linguistic and religious diversities and by applying alternative measures of the national innovativeness.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-20
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0185
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Women entrepreneurs in the craft industry: a case study of the batik
           industry during the COVID-19 pandemic

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      Authors: Grisna Anggadwita, Nurul Indarti, Vanessa Ratten
      Abstract: Batik is a craft in the creative industry, which is the identity of the Indonesian nation. One of the main batik tourism areas in Indonesia is Trusmi, and women entrepreneurs have a strategic role in developing the batik craft industry in the region. The batik industry faced various challenges during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact and identify strategic options during the COVID-19 period on batik businesses owned by women entrepreneurs in the Trusmi area. This study uses a qualitative case study method by interviewing ten batik women entrepreneurs in the Trusmi area. This study elaborates findings about the impact of COVID-19, the technology role, collaboration, the government role and strategic options. This study provides academic and practical implications, which are discussed further about the role of the craft industry in dealing with economic and social turmoil.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-19
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2022-0305
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Budgeting poverty alleviation: justifying in-kind conditionality
           in Israeli municipal authorities

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      Authors: Orly Benjamin, Karni Krigel, Nir Cohen, Anat Tchetchik
      Abstract: Welfare reforms introduced conditionality into cash transfers often by diverse welfare-to-work programs achieving its vast legitimization. Meanwhile in-kind poverty alleviation policies maintained their universal character in the forms of national budgeting of municipal services. Utilizing justification work, the authors aim at showing how conditionality of in-kind support is replacing universalism. The authors ask which justification work assist administrators in shaping the relationship between in-kind and cash transfer and the changing meanings of poverty alleviation practices. The authors conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with senior administrators in Israeli local governments analysing them along principles of critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2010). Further, seeking to elicit the justification work, the authors added some guidelines from the discourse interaction approach. The findings identified administrators' justification work as taking two major shapes. The first is an emphasis on conditionality in their in-kind support projects, which is limited in time, contingent upon co-operation and sometimes even enhancing choice for those in need. The second is the manifestation of pride anchored in the skilful budget management enabling the achievement of conditional in-kind support projects based on the effort involved. The authors did not prompt the interviewees for the proportions of specific categories, such as whether they are attending and benefitting of the in-kind support programs. This is a limitation of this study that prevented the authors from contrasting perceived achievements against the actual coverage of their projects. It is important that government funding is increased for municipal anti-poverty policies engaging municipal administrator in the struggle for full and better coverage so that capability deprivation is combatted by a combination of cash transfer and quality social services that are universal and at the same time secure mentoring and supervision to all households in need. Future research should present the analysis that associates different budgets of each city with its anti-poverty polices and its different socio-economic ranking. Critical social-policy scholars may apply this study’s findings in future analyses of municipal administrators' power position as reinforced by national level policy makers, particularly when introducing controversial policies. Anti-poverty policy and the specific combination between conditional cash transfers and in-kind support have been explained at the level of political–economic decision making. The authors conceptualize the need to explain anti-poverty policy by focussing on municipal administrators’ embedded agency, particularly around controversial issues. By building the professional self of municipal welfare administrators, inter alia by ignoring past meanings of in-kind support as depriving recipients of autonomy, conditionality is extended into in-kind services.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-19
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0175
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Child benefits and child tax allowances in the Czech Republic, Slovak
           Republic and Sweden

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      Authors: Jan Hájek, Cecília Olexová
      Abstract: The paper deals with the child benefits system in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Sweden. The authors describe the systems as the key baseline for subsequent qualitative and quantitative comparison. An essential element is the quantitative comparison of child benefits using their statistically stationarised values. The Czech and Slovak systems provide a comparable rate of coverage as the Swedish system regarding the payment of both types of benefits, i.e. child benefits and tax allowances, for the first and second child; however, from the third child, the individual differences are considerable. Albeit the concepts of Czech and Slovak systems are framed by the same historical origins and conceptual approach, they differ significantly, with Slovakia providing the lowest aggregate level of child benefits. The paper provides insight into the child benefit systems in the respective countries. These systems are at the centre of attention of policymakers who are attempting to maintain birth rates and reduce child poverty. The Czech Republic has the lowest level of at-risk-of-poverty rates for persons under 16 years of age, while natality rates are comparable.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-16
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0183
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Social infrastructure platforms: the case of AskingBristol

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      Authors: Martin Parker, James Brown, Hannah Jusu-Sheriff, John Manley
      Abstract: The project – AskingBristol – uses university students to connect third sector organizations with particular “asks” to organizations which might be able to respond with “offers”. The authors describe the task of the experiment as being an attempt to embed students and their universities within the cities that they are based in, but are often not really very connected to. This reflective report on practice describes an initiative aimed at producing a piece of “social infrastructure”. Written by the four people involved, the authors theorize and evaluate what we have done so far and what we hope to do in future. Over two phases, it has had some success, and we think represents a concrete approach to thinking about how “civic” ideas might gain traction within universities. Using ideas about social networks, boundary objects and infrastructure the authors explore the opportunities and problems of such a project, stressing that it allows co-ordination between a wide variety of people and organizations that do not necessarily share common interests. This is one “experiment”, in one city, but it demonstrates the possibilities of getting “civic” universities engaged with local third sector organizations. If it became a piece of social infrastructure, such a project could embed ideas about “civic”, “impact”, “engagement” and so on into the routines of the city and the university. Though Asking Bristol cannot solve the problems of the city, it shows that we can transfer resources, time, skills and space to where they are needed. The authors do not think anything like this has been attempted before, and hope that sharing it will stimulate some comparisons, and perhaps some dissemination of the idea.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-10
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2022-0208
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Multilevel governance, community and emergency management during the
           pandemic: migrants in Japan

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      Authors: Deborah J. Milly
      Abstract: Building on perspectives from the study of multilevel governance, migrants' inclusion and emergency management, this article asks how differences across national regulations for foreign residents, work eligibility and access to national emergency supports intersected with local approaches in responding to migrants. This article examines national policy adjustments and parallel subnational governance early in the pandemic for three groups of foreign residents: international students, technical interns and co-ethnics with long-term visas, primarily Brazilians and Peruvians. It uses Japanese-language documents to trace national policy responses. To grasp subnational governance, the article analyzes coverage in six Japanese regional newspapers from northern, central and western Japan, for the period of April 1 to October 1, 2020. National policies obstructed or enabled migrants' treatment as members of the local community but did not dictate this membership, which varied according to migrant group. Migrants' relationship to the community affected available supports. The article brings together perspectives on multilevel governance, emergency management and migrants' inclusion. It exposes how different migrant groups' ties to the local community affected access to supports.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-03
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0172
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • Home care workers' views of employment conditions: private for-profit vs
           public and non-profit providers in Ireland
         This is an Open Access Article Open Access Article

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      Authors: Nicholas O'Neill, Julien Mercille, Justin Edwards
      Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to compare home care workers' views of their employment conditions by provider type – private for-profit vs public and non-profit – using the case study of Ireland. An online survey was distributed to care workers (n = 350) employed by private for-profit, public and non-profit home care providers in Ireland. Returned questionnaires were analysed statistically in R using chi-squared tests to systematically compare key aspects of employment conditions. Analysis shows that conditions are perceived to be significantly worse for those employed by private for-profit providers (and to a lesser extent non-profit organisations) compared to the public provider. There are wide disparities between public and private sector conditions in terms of contracts, pensions, unsocial hours pay and travel time allowances. The main area of convergence is in relation to employer support, where although the public sector performed better, the difference between the three provider types is smaller. Relatively little research compares working conditions in private for-profit providers vs public and non-profit providers in Ireland and other countries. The findings can be understood in the context of marketisation reforms and may partly be explained by a lack of regulation in Ireland's home care sector and low unionisation rates amongst care workers employed by private for-profit providers.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-03
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-10-2022-0276
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • How online collaboration software shapes control at work' Evidence
           from news organizations

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      Authors: Afshin Omidi, Cinzia Dal Zotto
      Abstract: Online collaboration software (OCS), such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, has become widespread among news organizations as these tools help news workers collaborate across different locations and make communication more efficient inside newsrooms. While such technologies are increasingly employed as teamwork productivity boosters, the authors’ knowledge of their potential role in shaping control mechanisms and power dynamics within news work is limited. This paper addresses how different types of control may emerge within virtual newsrooms being operated by OCS. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue. The paper employs an interview-based qualitative method and provides evidence gathered from 20 interviews with digital journalists and media managers representing 11 online news media in Switzerland. The findings reveal how OCS could lead to various control mechanisms in the workplace by directing, evaluating and disciplining journalists in specific ways. This study suggests that while OCS can be valuable in boosting collaborations among news staff, it might create a situation where journalists are less able to focus on their work and creative activities. Most importantly, OCS bolsters an “always-on” work culture in news media and removes obstacles for employers and managers to invade journalists' space, time and mind. By focusing on three aspects of control mechanisms, including direction, evaluation and discipline, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the role of OCS in shaping control and power dynamics within news media organizations.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-01-02
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-10-2022-0262
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2023)
       
  • How does institutional context shape work-related functionings for regular
           and self-employed workers' A contextualised application of the
           capability approach to Belgium, France and the Netherlands
         This is an Open Access Article Open Access Article

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      Authors: Chiara Natalie Focacci, François Pichault
      Abstract: According to Sen's theoretical framework of capability (1985), individuals reach their full potential once they have the freedom, intended as the set of functionings at their disposal, to do so. However, many critiques have been developed against the lack of embeddedness of the capability approach in social and political relations and structures. In this article, the authors investigate the influence of three institutional contexts (Belgium, the Netherlands and France) on the respective work-related functionings of self-employed and regular workers, with a focus on human capital investment and institutional support offered to them. Data from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) are used to highlight similarities and differences in building work-related functionings for regular and self-employed workers. A regression analysis is provided at the country level. In the three labour markets, the authors find that the building of work-related functionings is more successful for regular employees, especially as regards institutional support. Self-employed workers, on the other hand, need to rely on their individual capability as regards employment protection and human capital investment. However, the authors find interesting differences between the three institutional contexts. In both Belgium and France, self-employed workers are subject to higher instability in terms of changes in salary and hours worked, whereas atypical work is better positioned in the Dutch labour market. The Netherlands is also characterised by a less significant gap between regular and self-employed workers with respect to participation in training. In this article, the authors contextualise Sen's (1985) theoretical framework by taking into account the institutional differences of labour markets. In particular, the authors provide a novel application of his capability approach to regular and self-employed workers in an economically relevant European area.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2023-03-01
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2022-0312
      Issue No: Vol. 43, No. 13/14 (2023)
       
  • Understanding lurking behavior on enterprise social media:
           the perspective of the transactional model of stress

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      Authors: Qin Yuan, Chun Liu
      Abstract: Drawing on the transactional model of stress, this study develops a theoretical model to understand the lurking behavior on enterprise social media (ESM). Based on a questionnaire survey, this research study collected valid data from 301 ESM users in the workplace. Hierarchical regression analyses are used to analyze the conceptual framework. The results show that Zhongyong thinking is a significant predictor of lurking and emotional exhaustion and that lurking can cause emotional exhaustion. Lurking mediates the relationship between Zhongyong thinking and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, communication overload moderates the relationship between lurking and emotional exhaustion as well as the indirect relationship between Zhongyong thinking and emotional exhaustion through lurking. This article examines the antecedents of lurking by considering Zhongyong thinking and explores how lurking on ESM influences emotional exhaustion. This research contributes to the literature on techno-stressors, lurking and ESM and hopefully contributes to the growing dialog about the consequences of lurking in the workplace.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-12-26
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-12-2022-0304
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Essential' COVID-19 and highly educated Africans in Finland’s
           segmented labour market
         This is an Open Access Article Open Access Article

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      Authors: Quivine Ndomo, Ilona Bontenbal, Nathan A. Lillie
      Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to characterise the position of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market and to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on that position. The paper is based on the biographical work stories of 17 highly educated African migrant workers in four occupation areas in Finland: healthcare, cleaning, restaurant and transport. The sample was partly purposively and partly theoretically determined. The authors used content driven thematic analysis technique, combined with by the biographical narrative concept of turning points. Using the case of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market, the authors show how student migration policies reinforce a pattern of division of labour and occupations that allocate migrant workers to typical low skilled low status occupations in the secondary sector regardless of level of education, qualification and work experience. They also show how the unique labour and skill demands of the COVID-19 pandemic incidentally made these typical migrant occupations essential, resulting in increased employment and work security for this group of migrant workers. This research and the authors’ findings are limited in scope owing to sample size and methodology. To improve applicability of findings, future studies could expand the scope of enquiry using e.g. quantitative surveys and include other stakeholders in the study group. The paper adds to the knowledge on how migration policies contribute to labour market dualisation and occupational segmentation in Finland, illustrated by the case of highly educated African migrant workers.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-12-20
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0171
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Initial social-policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Global
           North – A scoping review
         This is an Open Access Article Open Access Article

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      Authors: Päivi Mäntyneva, Eeva-Leena Ketonen, Heikki Hiilamo
      Abstract: The purpose of this scoping review is to analyse comparative studies on social-policy measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Global North welfare states. The authors also consider the potential influence of the regimes on the responses. The authors conducted a scoping review of six databases including peer-reviewed comparative studies. In an iterative process with exact inclusion criteria, the authors screened 699 titles/abstracts/articles and found 16 comparative research articles to be included in the review and analysis. The review summarises the main themes of the comparative articles and the articles' typical features. The results show that social-policy measures were directed specifically at working-age people to minimise income loss and to save jobs. The pandemic also increased care-related responsibilities, necessitating the expansion of current policies and the implementation of new instruments. Despite the differences in responses between universalistic and residual welfare states, the influence of welfare regimes on COVID-19 social-policy measures remains unclear. The emergency responses in the different regimes varied widely in terms of coverage. The results of this review provide a basis on which to conduct future studies, identify new research topics and knowledge gaps and inspire new research questions and hypotheses. Given the accumulation of scientific knowledge in the area of social-policy measures, the need for systematic reviews will grow in the future. The authors identified three main themes: changes in employment protection, changes in care-related income protection and the potential influence of welfare-state regimes on COVID-19-related measures.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-12-20
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2022-0207
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Does institutional quality affect the relationship between
           income inequality and entrepreneurial activity'

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      Authors: Hazwan Haini, Yazid Abdullahi Abubakar, Pang Wei Loon
      Abstract: This study examines whether institutional quality affects the relationship between income inequality and entrepreneurial activity. The authors specifically examine whether the greasing or sanding effect holds for the relationship between income inequality and entrepreneurship, while moderating for institutional quality. The greasing effects suggest that income inequality can promote entrepreneurial activity, while the sanding effects disincentivise it. The authors examine this relationship using a sample of 100 advanced and developing countries from 2006 to 2018 using a dynamic panel estimator to control endogeneity and simultaneity. Additionally, the authors include an interaction term to estimate the marginal effects of income inequality, while moderating for institutional quality. Furthermore, the authors differentiate between six measures of institutional quality. Overall, the authors find that institutional quality and income inequality have a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurial activity. However, when moderating for institutional quality, the findings show that the marginal impact of income inequality is negative for countries with low levels of institutional quality. The authors show that the rule of law and government effectiveness are effective moderators in terms of magnitude. Furthermore, the authors find that the sanding effect of income inequality is observed in developing economies, even when moderating for institutional quality. The major limitation lies in the estimation of entrepreneurial activity, which is measured using new business formation. While this is commonly used, it focuses on formal entrepreneurial activities and overlooks the informal economy. This study provides new empirical evidence on whether institutional quality can moderate and explain the puzzling link between entrepreneurial activity and income inequality.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-12-19
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-10-2022-0254
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Consumer logics and the relational performance of selling high-risk goods:
           the case of elective cosmetic surgery

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      Authors: Anson Au
      Abstract: This article investigates how medical specialists as professionals and elective cosmetic surgery tourists as consumers relationally negotiate decisions within the cosmetic surgery clinic. Drawing on a Goffmanian approach, this article explores the processual social structures that shape consumer logics in the clinic as a social space and as a type of professional institution. This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork in cosmetic surgery clinics in South Korea. This article identifies two genres of professional strategies (spatial arrangements and dramaturgical performances) that are leveraged by medical specialists to assert control over and persuade consumers to purchase cosmetic surgery. The valorization of surgery captured in this article suggests that surgical modifications may serve as another vehicle for entrenching class inequality between those able and those unable to afford surgery. This article offers recommendations for future policymaking in terms of the regulatory oversight of the consumer profiles eligible for surgery and the marketing practices of clinics. This article offers a micro-level account of how the high-risk good of cosmetic surgery is sold by medical specialists in charismatic and affective bids to enhance their legitimacy, authority and trust.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-11-29
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0180
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Diversity management in the integration of minorities in the job market:
           policies and practices

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      Authors: Tehila Kalagy, Orna Braun-Lewensohn
      Abstract: Cultural variance represents a significant challenge to policy designers and, in practice, to employers in the varied employment spaces. Providing workplace accessibility for the integration of various cultural groups requires deep thinking and creating unique possibilities for each group in accord with its particular heritage. Ultra-Orthodox society in Israel is a religious minority group that has undergone significant changes, from a desire to maintain total separation, to gradual integration into a variety of areas in Israeli society. In light of these changes, we sought to examine what policies should be adopted in order to improve ultra- Orthodox integration. Methodologically, we examined the cultural variance of ultra-Orthodox academics in their workplace using combined methods. The study included 745 ultra-Orthodox academics who responded to an online questionnaire that examined the issue in question from various aspects. In addition, four focus groups were convened, in which discussion examined issues. The study findings reveal that the integration policies of the various workplaces were above and beyond the expectations of the cultural diversity management approach. Although the study focused on the personal perspective of the ultra-Orthodox employees who integrated, the employers' open and accepting attitudes were very prominent. The participants' comments showed that the employers showed great consideration for their needs and exceptional cultural sensitivity towards the employees' temperament. This dialogue constitutes the basis for managing variance in a multicultural society. The understanding by the employer of the background and cultural legacy from which the worker has come, alongside the difficulties he must cope with constitutes, in itself, the basis for building a stable relationship between employer and worker and for optimal integration of a minority group in society. The findings indicate that cultural adjustment is required in four areas: a. Adaptation from the social and cultural aspect in the workplace. b. The definition of different areas of employment specific to gender. c. Consideration of the employees' halachic needs d. Professional preparation for employees prior to their absorption. This study is a pioneering one, examining the integration of ultra-Orthodox academics in the Israeli economy. This process is very significant in a political entity with different cultural identities. The acquisition of a higher education in ultra-Orthodox society in Israel and subsequent integration into the Israeli economy has a decisive cultural and economic impact on both the ultra-Orthodox and general societies simultaneously. An examination of the issue of integration of the ultra-Orthodox minority in employment is intended not only to investigate the character and nature of the process, but also to examine the place of multiculturalism in Western societies and the interaction between a minority group and the majority group, with an emphasis on employment.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-11-24
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-09-2022-0228
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Post-COVID-19 poverty in France: magnitude, manifestations and actors from
           nine case studies

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      Authors: Célia Bouchet, Nicolas Duvoux
      Abstract: Drawing on the French case, this article examines the size and scope of poverty resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the diversity of poverty's manifestations and the role of public action (among other actors) in addressing the poverty. This reflection unfolds at the confluence between the international literature on the economic effects of COVID-19 around the world and the methodological and conceptual issues on poverty. Following a research report to the French Government in 2021, a new academic collaboration is initiated to assess the conceptual issues underlying the report's nine quantitative, qualitative and participatory studies. A thematic analysis is used to elaborate on an original framework. COVID-19 not only had detrimental economic effects on specific groups, such as precarious workers and students, but also serious effects on social isolation, mental health, access to welfare and public services. Together with assessing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in France, this paper highlights the lack of recognition of community support in the face of hard times. The COVID-19 outbreak has not only deteriorated socioeconomic situations in France, but has also unmasked structural, long-term components of poverty. The paper discusses three policy implications of these revelations, concerning (1) the monitoring of non-monetary dimensions of poverty, (2) the needs of various groups under a welfare state with a dual structure and (3) the role of communities in public policy schemes.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-11-16
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2022-0182
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Exploring the contributions of concepts of time to pension studies in
           Hong Kong and the United Kingdom

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      Authors: Liam Foster, Sam Wai Kam Yu, Ruby Chui Man Chau
      Abstract: This article aims to link discussions of the role of earnings-related pension measures with time in Hong Kong (HK) and the United Kingdom (UK). It presents a new conceptual “time-based framework” to explore two related types of government response to the way people accumulate pension incomes through participation in paid work. The first is to consider governments' perceptions of appropriate time in work and retirement. The second is to consider how governments use pension measures to influence the connection between the amount of time people spend in paid work and retirement. This is a conceptual paper. The time-based framework is developed using literature concerning discretionary time and the social construction of time. To explore the empirical significance of this framework, the authors discuss how it can be applied to the analysis of earnings-related pension measures in HK and the UK. The evidence generated from the discussion of the earnings-related pension measures in HK and the UK shows that pension policies can serve both as a financial and time instrument. At the same time as influencing the connection between the amount of time people spend in paid work and the pensions they can accumulate, pension policies can be used to convey the government's views on important time issues, namely the appropriate length of time in work and retirement, and the relative value of the time spent in paid work and providing informal care. A new framework is developed to explore the connection between the studies of earnings-related pension measures and time, which is an understudied area.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-11-08
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-08-2022-0218
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Sense of belonging among people outside of working life in Finland

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      Authors: Elina Turunen, Heikki Hiilamo
      Abstract: For social inclusion, it is necessary to have a sense of belonging to society, whether having a job or not. Experience of belonging means feeling a part of something beyond oneself. It can be a place, a moment, a situation or a group of people. The authors study how unemployed people experience their place in a society; more specifically, the authors analyse which emotions and affects encourage (and discourage) the sense of belongingness among the unemployed. Emotions and affects were examined in 10 focus group interviews collected in Finland between 2016 and 2017. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results demonstrate that sense of belonging is enhanced by affects such as being needed, being accepted and experiencing equal treatment. To achieve these affects, promotion of social contacts, participation and contribution to the common good are important. Previous studies have mostly ignored the role of emotions and affects in the experience of unemployment. The findings emphasize the importance of emotions and affects in promoting and eroding the sense of belonging among unemployed people.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-10-28
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0144
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • State of care for EU mobile workers' rights in the Dutch meat sector in
           times of, and beyond, COVID-19
         This is an Open Access Article Open Access Article

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      Authors: Lisa Berntsen, Anita Böcker, Tesseltje De Lange, Sandra Mantu, Natalia Skowronek
      Abstract: With a focus on the position of EU mobile workers in the Dutch meat industry, this article discusses the multi-level State efforts to enhance protection of workers who experienced limited protection of existing State and private enforcement institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic, with virus outbreaks at Dutch meat plants, fuelled public and political will to structurally improve these workers' precarious work and living conditions. Yet, the process of policy change is slow. The authors show it is the gradual transformation in the institutional environment that the State needs to counter to become more protective for EU mobile workers. Using the gradual institutional change approach and the concept of State ignorance, the authors examine State responses drawing on interviews with expert stakeholders in the public and private domain, public administration records and newspaper articles. Through knowledge creation, boosted social dialogue mechanisms, enhanced enforcement capacity and new housing legislation, the Dutch State focuses on countering gradual institutional change through which existing institutions lost their effectiveness as protectors of EU mobile workers. The organization of work is, nevertheless, not (yet) fundamentally addressed with tighter public legislation. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the role of the State as multifaceted actor in institutional change processes towards increased protection for EU mobile workers.
      Citation: International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
      PubDate: 2022-10-25
      DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-06-2022-0163
      Issue No: Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Crisis management: personal financial well-being and public attitudes
           toward government intervention

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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)
       
  • The impact of perceived organizational support on professional commitment:
           a moderation of burnout and mediation of well-being

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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)
       
  • Undeclared activities on digital labour platforms:
           an exploratory study

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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)
       
  • Social insecurity and varieties of family resilience strategies
           during the COVID-19 pandemic

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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)
       
  • The rationality of voluntary care work: light and shadow of volunteering
           in Germany's care sector

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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)
       
  • They do what they must: caseworkers at the public employment service in
           Vienna

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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)
       
  • Social identity dilemmas of ultra-orthodox men in Israeli higher education

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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)
       
  • Occupational segregation, microaggression, social exclusion, and turnover
           intentions: mediating and moderating impact of social invisibility and
           felt obligation

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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)
       
  • (Re)constructing a hostile environment: political claims making and the
           primary definers of a refugee “crisis”

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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)
       
  • The social impacts of innovation: reproducing racial, gender and social
           class inequality

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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)
       
  • Labour market dualization and social policy in pandemic times:
           an in-depth analysis of private consumption services in Europe

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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)
       
  • Deradicalization in response to social experiences in youth in
           Hong Kong

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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)
       
  • Keeping carers from the “precariat”: availability of carer-friendly
           workplace policies for employees with adult and elder care
           responsibilities in Quebec

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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)
       
  • Grey workers in the European Union: precariousness among economically
           dependent solo self-employed

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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)
       
  • The regulatory power of social expectations: developing a measurement
           scale

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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)
       
  • Structuring the scattered literature on algorithmic profiling in the case
           of unemployment through a systematic literature review

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Digital welfare state and problem arising: an exploration and future
           research agenda

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Justifying a financially and socially sustainable pension reform:
           a comparative study of Finland and France

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Does occupational gender composition affect women's chances of becoming
           managers' Evidence from France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Class or individual ' Willingness to spend more on reconciliation
           policies in Europe

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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)
       
  • Physical to virtual: challenges and opportunities for a
           neighbourhood-based employment support initiative

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • (No) country for old men' Intergenerational welfare distribution
           across welfare state regimes

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
  • Race, poverty and unemployment as quantitative predictors of voter turnout
           in St. Louis amidst COVID-19 and a racial justice movement

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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. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print (2022)
       
 
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