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This article explores the relationship between politics, economics, and society, focusing on how various welfare state regimes, educational institutions, and systems of industrial relations influence social stratification and inequality. It discusses different welfare state regimes, including liberal, social-democratic, conservative-corporatist, and post-socialist regimes, and their impact on social policies such as retirement, health care, family, and housing. Additionally, it examines educational institutions and systems of industrial relations across Europe, highlighting the role of collective bargaining agreements and different ideal types of industrial relations.
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Intersectionofpolitics, economics, andsociety Dealingwithinequalityandsocialstratification
Welfarestateregimes • Educationalinstitutions • Systems ofindustrialrelations • WHY? thesephenomenaandinstitutions are focused on influencingsocialstratificationandinequality INTRODUCTION
European stateshavedevelopedsimilarfundamentalinstitutions BUT • Differ at thelevelofspecificinstitutionalarrangements BECAUSE • Productofspecificsocialandpoliticalcompromises, culturaltraditions, andpathdependency (historical development NONTHELESS • National modelsofsocialorganisationcanbeexpected to converge INTRODUCTION
1 WELFARE STATE REGIMES Esping-Andersen: marketeconomies+democracies+stateintervention Western countriesdividedinto 3 groups: Liberal, Social-democratic, Conservative-corporatist Measures them in terms of degree of “decommodification” Whereis Central andEastern Europe?
DECOMMODIFICATION When workers are commodified, they must sell their labor-power on the market to survive Theirlabor (orthem)become a commodity Decommodification implies that they do not have to sell their labor to survive Itisthe emancipation from market dependency
LIBERAL REGIME • USA, Canada, UK, Australia • Responsibilityofthestateislimited • Socialsecurity system iscombinationofmarket-basedinsuranceandtaxfinancing • Itismeans-tested • Access isstigmatizedandlevelofhelpislow (disincentiveto work) SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC REGIME • Northern Europe (Sweden as bestexample) • Based on themaximsofequality, commongood, andsolidarity • Socialsecurity system iscombinationofcitizenshiprightsandcomprehensivesocialinsurance • Universalincharacter, benefits are highandhasegalitarianeffect WELFARE STATE REGIMES
CONSERVATIVE-CORPORATIST REGIME • Germany, France, Spain, Italy • Socialsecurity system largelyreproducesmarketinequalities • Degreeofsocialsecuritylinked to levelofachievedlabour-market status YOU REDISTRIBUTE TO YOUR FUTURE SELF • Familyis a centralinstitution to helpwithmaterialneeds • Gendereddivisionoflabour POST-SOCIALIST REGIME • In most CEE states • Combinationofconservativeand liberal regimes + some residuesofpaternalism • Socialsecurity system linked to labourmarketposition • Familyandprimarysocial network importantinsecuringwelfare • Access ismeans-tested, withminimalbenefits • Carries stigma ofpovertyandshame WELFARE STATE REGIMES
What are thekeyelementsofsocialpolicy/welfaredomain? • Retirementpolicy • Health care policy • Familypolicy • Housingpolicy TRANSLATING REGIMES INTO POLICIES
2 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Largelycomparableacross Europe Educationdividedintoprimary, secondary, andtertiary There are certainlevelofdifferenceinvocationaleducationandtypesofschoolsystems
3 SYTEMS OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Relationsbetweencapitalandlabour (withtheassistanceandoversightofgovernment) Collectivebargainingagreement: the most importantinstriument for shapingthoserelations Institutionalizedintripartismandtripartitenegotiationprocesses
CORPORATIST/SOCIAL-PARTNERSHIP • Collectivebargainingiscarriedoutbywell-organisedemployerorganisationsandunions • Search for consesusisinstitutionalized – tripartiteinstitutions • Jobsecurityismedium to verygood • Strikesoccurrarely • Demandslinked to macroeconomicconsiderations CONFLICT-ORIENTED • Relationshipispolarizedandunregulated • Strikesoccuroften – highmobilizationcapacityandfightingpoweroftheunions • stateinterventionneeded to resolveconflict • Labourmovementisfragmented • Jobsecurityveryhigh 4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
PLURALISTIC • Partialinstitutionalizationofopposinginterests • Fragmentationofbothunionsandemployers’ associations • State regulatesminimallyandstaysoutofnegotiatingprocess • Strikesoccursporadically • Jobsecurityisweak POST-SOCIALIST • Unions are weak at alllevels • Minortyofworkers are coveredbycollectiveagreement • State playsimportant role • Strikes are almostabsent • Jobsecurityisweak 4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Most important instrument for shapingindustriallabourrelations • Determinesformalandmaterialemploymentconditions • Applied either to specificfirmsorentirebranchesofindustry • Binding for allcompaniesbelonging to anemployers’ association • Focusis on voluntarynegotiationsbetweenrepresentativesofcapitalandoflabour • Importantinthe 1950s through 1970s; weaknow „Americanizationofcollectiveregulations” COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
Threemaincollectiveactors: thestate, theunions, andtheemployers’ associations • STATE: serves as guarantorofautonomyofallparties; large-scaleemployer as well; regulator (throughlawsandregulations) • EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATIONS: theyserve as lobbiers for owner’srights; differinscaleandnumber • UNIONS: influentialinmanfuacturingandpublicadministration; almostirelevantintheprivatesector; importanceofthestrengthandmembershipofunions for theirsuccess MAIN ACTORS inthe system
Declineofunions Shrinkageofmanyeconomicsectorswhichwereunionstrongholds (manufacturing) Lossof influence in CEE due to the nature ofunionsinpreviousregimeandthe nature ofeconomictransformation Demographicchanges – youngworkerstendnot to belong to unions New lifestyle make unionrepresetnationirelevant Gap betweeninterestofworkersandinterestrepresentedbytradeunionassociations = Lessstrikesin Europe pacificationofindustrialrelations (despitegrowinginequalitybetweenlabourandcapital
