Philippe Van Parijs
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293576
- eISBN:
- 9780191600074
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293577.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Is there any reason to expect some form of socialism to do better than any form of capitalism in terms of securing a high sustainable level of basic income? None of the familiar arguments against ...
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Is there any reason to expect some form of socialism to do better than any form of capitalism in terms of securing a high sustainable level of basic income? None of the familiar arguments against capitalism—from market failures to cyclical crises and the reserve army of the unemployed— can justify the presumption that it will do worse than socialism in terms of efficiency. On the contrary, the fundamental fact that, unlike what happens under socialism, capitalist firms have to submit to the ruthless rule ‘Innovate or perish’ justify the presumption of capitalism's superior dynamic efficiency. But in a globalized capitalist economy, the sovereignty democratically exercised over this larger wealth keeps eroding, to the point that capitalist societies become unable to sustainably turn part of it into a higher basic income than would be possible under the best version of feasible socialism?Less
Is there any reason to expect some form of socialism to do better than any form of capitalism in terms of securing a high sustainable level of basic income? None of the familiar arguments against capitalism—from market failures to cyclical crises and the reserve army of the unemployed— can justify the presumption that it will do worse than socialism in terms of efficiency. On the contrary, the fundamental fact that, unlike what happens under socialism, capitalist firms have to submit to the ruthless rule ‘Innovate or perish’ justify the presumption of capitalism's superior dynamic efficiency. But in a globalized capitalist economy, the sovereignty democratically exercised over this larger wealth keeps eroding, to the point that capitalist societies become unable to sustainably turn part of it into a higher basic income than would be possible under the best version of feasible socialism?
Gilles Saint‐Paul
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293323
- eISBN:
- 9780191596841
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293321.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Macro- and Monetary Economics
This chapter analyses the political support for unemployment benefits. The traditional view, which focuses on their insurance value, is reformulated. We qualify it by introducing positive effects of ...
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This chapter analyses the political support for unemployment benefits. The traditional view, which focuses on their insurance value, is reformulated. We qualify it by introducing positive effects of unemployment benefits on wages, which may overturn the traditional predictions. For example, an increase in exposure to unemployment may reduce the support for employment protection, rather than increase it, as is predicted when insurance effects dominate. The chapter also discusses the determinants of active labour market policies.Less
This chapter analyses the political support for unemployment benefits. The traditional view, which focuses on their insurance value, is reformulated. We qualify it by introducing positive effects of unemployment benefits on wages, which may overturn the traditional predictions. For example, an increase in exposure to unemployment may reduce the support for employment protection, rather than increase it, as is predicted when insurance effects dominate. The chapter also discusses the determinants of active labour market policies.
Karen Robson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199732180
- eISBN:
- 9780199866182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199732180.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In the last two to three years, the acronym NEET, for “not in education, employment, or training,” has cropped up in policy discussions surrounding young people's transition from school to work, ...
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In the last two to three years, the acronym NEET, for “not in education, employment, or training,” has cropped up in policy discussions surrounding young people's transition from school to work, particularly in the United Kingdom. This new category of young people refers to those who are not just economically inactive but also seemingly completely inactive, occupying an unconstructive (and potentially threatening) position on the social topography. This chapter examines NEET status to see how it has influenced late-life NEET status and how this has differed by country. Data for the analyses come from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), which is a harmonized sample survey organized and largely funded by Eurostat, covering most member countries of the European Union during its data collection phases (1994–2001).Less
In the last two to three years, the acronym NEET, for “not in education, employment, or training,” has cropped up in policy discussions surrounding young people's transition from school to work, particularly in the United Kingdom. This new category of young people refers to those who are not just economically inactive but also seemingly completely inactive, occupying an unconstructive (and potentially threatening) position on the social topography. This chapter examines NEET status to see how it has influenced late-life NEET status and how this has differed by country. Data for the analyses come from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), which is a harmonized sample survey organized and largely funded by Eurostat, covering most member countries of the European Union during its data collection phases (1994–2001).
Eliza Filby
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264829
- eISBN:
- 9780191754036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264829.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter explores the oppositional role of the voluntary sector in a period of hardship and social unrest, considering the Anglican Church's response to Thatcherism. Despite secularisation and ...
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This chapter explores the oppositional role of the voluntary sector in a period of hardship and social unrest, considering the Anglican Church's response to Thatcherism. Despite secularisation and declining denominational identity, the Church was still a central part of the charitable and welfare sector in the 1980s, when the Thatcher governments championed the role of voluntarism in retraining and work schemes, in an era of mass unemployment. However, its response to Thatcherism was complex and internally divided. Church Action with the Unemployed (CAWTU) was framed in a ‘non-political’, paternalistic way, whereas 1985's Faith in the City report provided a critique of the underlying causes of poverty, articulating an opposition to reactionary social thought that can be traced back to nineteenth-century Christian Socialism.Less
This chapter explores the oppositional role of the voluntary sector in a period of hardship and social unrest, considering the Anglican Church's response to Thatcherism. Despite secularisation and declining denominational identity, the Church was still a central part of the charitable and welfare sector in the 1980s, when the Thatcher governments championed the role of voluntarism in retraining and work schemes, in an era of mass unemployment. However, its response to Thatcherism was complex and internally divided. Church Action with the Unemployed (CAWTU) was framed in a ‘non-political’, paternalistic way, whereas 1985's Faith in the City report provided a critique of the underlying causes of poverty, articulating an opposition to reactionary social thought that can be traced back to nineteenth-century Christian Socialism.
Werner Eichhorst, Regina Konle-Seidl, Alison Koslowski, and Paul Marx
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199592296
- eISBN:
- 9780191731471
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592296.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
The chapter explores empirical evidence for the claim that the non‐employed in post‐industrial labour markets are more likely to make the transition into employment than has previously been the case. ...
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The chapter explores empirical evidence for the claim that the non‐employed in post‐industrial labour markets are more likely to make the transition into employment than has previously been the case. It concludes that whilst the unemployed and the inactive remain distinct groups with regards to transitions into employment, post‐industrial labour markets have indeed become more inclusive. Only a few countries saw decreased odds of transition over time for the unemployed, controlling for macroeconomic conditions. The picture for the inactive is more mixed cross‐nationally. Regarding the question whether an increasingly inclusive labour market is associated with a reduction in job quality, as measured by contract type, the study finds that there is a trend towards more precarious employment for the recently non-employed in some countries such as the Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Belgium. In Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Hungary, however, there was the opposite trend towards more permanent employment.Less
The chapter explores empirical evidence for the claim that the non‐employed in post‐industrial labour markets are more likely to make the transition into employment than has previously been the case. It concludes that whilst the unemployed and the inactive remain distinct groups with regards to transitions into employment, post‐industrial labour markets have indeed become more inclusive. Only a few countries saw decreased odds of transition over time for the unemployed, controlling for macroeconomic conditions. The picture for the inactive is more mixed cross‐nationally. Regarding the question whether an increasingly inclusive labour market is associated with a reduction in job quality, as measured by contract type, the study finds that there is a trend towards more precarious employment for the recently non-employed in some countries such as the Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Belgium. In Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Hungary, however, there was the opposite trend towards more permanent employment.
Carrie M. Lane
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449642
- eISBN:
- 9780801460791
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449642.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
Being laid off can be a traumatic event. The unemployed worry about how they will pay their bills and find a new job. In the American economy's boom-and-bust business cycle since the 1980s, repeated ...
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Being laid off can be a traumatic event. The unemployed worry about how they will pay their bills and find a new job. In the American economy's boom-and-bust business cycle since the 1980s, repeated layoffs have become part of working life. This book finds that the new culture of corporate employment, changes to the job search process, and dual-income marriage have reshaped how today's skilled workers view unemployment. Through interviews with seventy-five unemployed and underemployed high-tech white-collar workers in the Dallas area over the course of the 2000s, the book shows that they have embraced a new definition of employment in which all jobs are temporary and all workers are, or should be, independent “companies of one.” Following the experiences of individual jobseekers over time, the book explores the central role that organized networking events, working spouses, and neoliberal ideology play in forging and reinforcing a new individualist, pro-market response to the increasingly insecure nature of contemporary employment. It also explores how this new perspective is transforming traditional ideas about masculinity and the role of men as breadwinners. Sympathetic to the benefits that this “company of one” ideology can hold for its adherents, the book also details how it hides the true costs of an insecure workforce and makes collective and political responses to job loss and downward mobility unlikely.Less
Being laid off can be a traumatic event. The unemployed worry about how they will pay their bills and find a new job. In the American economy's boom-and-bust business cycle since the 1980s, repeated layoffs have become part of working life. This book finds that the new culture of corporate employment, changes to the job search process, and dual-income marriage have reshaped how today's skilled workers view unemployment. Through interviews with seventy-five unemployed and underemployed high-tech white-collar workers in the Dallas area over the course of the 2000s, the book shows that they have embraced a new definition of employment in which all jobs are temporary and all workers are, or should be, independent “companies of one.” Following the experiences of individual jobseekers over time, the book explores the central role that organized networking events, working spouses, and neoliberal ideology play in forging and reinforcing a new individualist, pro-market response to the increasingly insecure nature of contemporary employment. It also explores how this new perspective is transforming traditional ideas about masculinity and the role of men as breadwinners. Sympathetic to the benefits that this “company of one” ideology can hold for its adherents, the book also details how it hides the true costs of an insecure workforce and makes collective and political responses to job loss and downward mobility unlikely.
Jiri Blazek and Dagmar Dzúrová
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198297413
- eISBN:
- 9780191685347
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198297413.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
While most of the Eastern European countries suffered under the mortality crises, the Czech Republic on the other hand experienced an improvement in its population. In most of the Eastern European ...
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While most of the Eastern European countries suffered under the mortality crises, the Czech Republic on the other hand experienced an improvement in its population. In most of the Eastern European countries experiencing mortality crises, the main reason attributed to their mortality crises is the stress brought about by the uncertainty and joblessness of being unemployed. Another factor is that during the transition period, income differentiation made a substantial number of the population fall below the poverty line. Among the transition countries, the Czech Republic experienced the smoothest transition to which the decline in mortality rate is attributed. In this chapter, the demographic, social and economic changes within the Czech Republic are analysed with the objective of determining the main factor that contributed to the increase in life expectancy of people there.Less
While most of the Eastern European countries suffered under the mortality crises, the Czech Republic on the other hand experienced an improvement in its population. In most of the Eastern European countries experiencing mortality crises, the main reason attributed to their mortality crises is the stress brought about by the uncertainty and joblessness of being unemployed. Another factor is that during the transition period, income differentiation made a substantial number of the population fall below the poverty line. Among the transition countries, the Czech Republic experienced the smoothest transition to which the decline in mortality rate is attributed. In this chapter, the demographic, social and economic changes within the Czech Republic are analysed with the objective of determining the main factor that contributed to the increase in life expectancy of people there.
Mark Freedland, Paul Craig, Catherine Jacqueson, and Nicola Kountouris
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199233489
- eISBN:
- 9780191716324
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233489.003.0010
- Subject:
- Law, EU Law, Employment Law
This chapter argues that the State is no longer seen as a provider of employment, but rather as a provider of ‘employability’ directly focusing on the unemployed (rather than on the labour market or ...
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This chapter argues that the State is no longer seen as a provider of employment, but rather as a provider of ‘employability’ directly focusing on the unemployed (rather than on the labour market or the economy). One can observe a series of emerging trends in the delivery of ‘employability’ measures, and in particular the growing individualization, personalization, and contractualization of these employability ‘services’. These trends raise a number of problematic points (Are these real contracts? Are they illiberal contracts or unequal contracts? What should be the limits to administrative discretion in this sensitive area? What is the nature of the multilateral contracts including private contractors?), which are addressed in separate points.Less
This chapter argues that the State is no longer seen as a provider of employment, but rather as a provider of ‘employability’ directly focusing on the unemployed (rather than on the labour market or the economy). One can observe a series of emerging trends in the delivery of ‘employability’ measures, and in particular the growing individualization, personalization, and contractualization of these employability ‘services’. These trends raise a number of problematic points (Are these real contracts? Are they illiberal contracts or unequal contracts? What should be the limits to administrative discretion in this sensitive area? What is the nature of the multilateral contracts including private contractors?), which are addressed in separate points.
Amir Paz-Fuchs
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199237418
- eISBN:
- 9780191717192
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237418.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Employment Law
Contemporary programmes are replete with themes and rationales that are similar to those of the Poor Law era. For this reason, the socio-legal history of the poor laws provides an introduction to the ...
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Contemporary programmes are replete with themes and rationales that are similar to those of the Poor Law era. For this reason, the socio-legal history of the poor laws provides an introduction to the institutions, themes, and rationales of welfare-to-work, descendants of which may be detected today. This chapter argues that at different points in time (and sometimes simultaneously), four different rationales can be detected in Poor Law programmes: deterrence, economics, morality, and quid-pro-quo. These rationales are all realized through the same common goal: that of conditionality. And yet, each rationale derives from a distinct vision of the relationship between the individual and the state and thus has a different impact on the emphasis of welfare programmes.Less
Contemporary programmes are replete with themes and rationales that are similar to those of the Poor Law era. For this reason, the socio-legal history of the poor laws provides an introduction to the institutions, themes, and rationales of welfare-to-work, descendants of which may be detected today. This chapter argues that at different points in time (and sometimes simultaneously), four different rationales can be detected in Poor Law programmes: deterrence, economics, morality, and quid-pro-quo. These rationales are all realized through the same common goal: that of conditionality. And yet, each rationale derives from a distinct vision of the relationship between the individual and the state and thus has a different impact on the emphasis of welfare programmes.
Amir Paz-Fuchs
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199237418
- eISBN:
- 9780191717192
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237418.003.0004
- Subject:
- Law, Employment Law
This chapter introduces contemporary welfare-to-work programmes in the United States and Britain. It focuses on the way contemporary welfare-to-work programmes are characterized by the conditioning ...
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This chapter introduces contemporary welfare-to-work programmes in the United States and Britain. It focuses on the way contemporary welfare-to-work programmes are characterized by the conditioning of benefits upon obligations. Employing the same four rationales used when assessing the Poor Law programmes (deterrence, economics, morality and quid-pro-quo), the chapter draws attention to the existence of the conditional attribute of welfare programmes by outlining the rationales motivating each type of conditioning.Less
This chapter introduces contemporary welfare-to-work programmes in the United States and Britain. It focuses on the way contemporary welfare-to-work programmes are characterized by the conditioning of benefits upon obligations. Employing the same four rationales used when assessing the Poor Law programmes (deterrence, economics, morality and quid-pro-quo), the chapter draws attention to the existence of the conditional attribute of welfare programmes by outlining the rationales motivating each type of conditioning.
