Social Citizenship, Solidarity and Sustainability – The changing landscape of
welfare in the Nordic countries.10 December 2020, Online (Zoom)
Doctoral students in the social sciences are cordially invited to submit a paper proposal to a
workshop organized by the Nordic ESPAnet.
Call for abstracts/papers
Ongoing changes in the Nordic welfare states call for new understanding of social citizenship and
solidarity among citizens, communities and societies, as well as social and citizens groups. The Nordic
countries are faced with unprecedented structural transformations in the labour market under the
fourth industrial revolution (digitalisation, robotisation, automatisation) and stronger global
interdependencies (immigration, transnational enterprises, off-shoring of production). Demographic
ageing and climate change have intensified discussions on how to bring about social justice in an
ecologically and financially sustainable manner. New social movements have mobilised for
recognition of their demands and a right to representation in the deliberation of welfare policies.
Shifting balances in power between the EU, national, regional and local level of governance have
changed how welfare policies are deliberated and implemented. However, the effects are
asymmetrical in terms of who has benefitted from these changes and where these processes have
increased social inequalities. Nordic welfare states have been unequally affected by such processes
of change and also responded differently to them.
We invite papers that address the diverse processes of change the Nordic welfare states and other
European countries face in one or more policy area. Both quantitative and qualitative investigations
are welcome. Papers may either focus on developments in a single country or adopt a comparative
perspective. Papers addressing the Nordic and other European welfare states from a theoretical and
conceptual perspective are also welcome.
Aims
The workshop will:
*provide doctoral students and early career researchers with an opportunity to present their current
work and to receive constructive feedback from an international panel of professors and peer-
doctoral-students and early career researchers
*develop a supportive network of PhD and early career researchers with an interest in Nordic
welfare research.
Organizer and panel members
Nordic ESPAnet board: Professor Guðný Björk Eydal (University of Iceland), Professor Helena
Blomberg-Kroll (University of Helsinki), Professor Caroline de la Porte (Copenhagen Business School),
Professor Rune Halvorsen (Oslo Metropolitan University), Professor Heikki Hiilamo, (University of
Helsinki / National Institute for Health and Welfare), Professor Liisa Häikiö (Tampere University),
Professor Jon Kvist (Roskilde University), Professor Janine Leschke (Copenhagen Business School),
Professor Thomas Lorentzen (University of Bergen), Professor Kenneth Nelson (Stockholm
University), Research Professor Anne Skevik Grødem (Institute for Social Research)
Selection of participants
The participants for the workshop will be selected on the basis of the content (how well the theme of
their thesis contributes to the theme of the workshop) and the quality of their paper proposal.
Abstracts
In order to apply for take a part in the workshop, please send an abstract of 4-500 words to
paula.saikkonen@thl.fi
PhD students are accepted to the workshop will be asked to provide a full paper (5000-8000 words).
The paper should be submitted to the organizers and participants ten days prior to the workshop.
The participants are expected to present a full paper.
The full paper should be accompanied by information of the research questions, aspects or
challenges the participant wish to discuss.
Important dates
Submission deadline for abstracts for the Workshop: 23 November 2020
Deadline for the submission of full research proposals or papers: 1 December 2020
Workshop: 10 December 2020
DRAFT PROGRAMME
10 Thursday (UTC+1 hour)
10:00 Welcome and introduction – Prof. Rune Halvorsen
10:15 – 11:00 Lecture I – Prof. Caroline de la Porte: The European Union and the Nordic social model
Break
11:15 Workshop session I
Chair: One of the board members – short introduction to the topic
13:15 Break
13:45-15:45 Workshop session II
Chair: One of the board members – short introduction to the topic
16:00-16:30 Concluding presentation and discussion
Prof. Liisa Häikiö: Towards the eco-welfare state. Orchestrating systemic impact.
