Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare
This paper draws on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at one of the largest municipal jobcenters in Denmark. It investigates what happens when welfare-to-work policies meet the complex lived realities of unemployed citizens. I examine the nature of welfare policies, and show how these insc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Aalborg University
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/114800 |
| _version_ | 1818516031803490304 |
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| author | Nina Boulus-Rødje |
| author_facet | Nina Boulus-Rødje |
| author_sort | Nina Boulus-Rødje |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper draws on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at one of the largest municipal jobcenters in Denmark. It investigates what happens when welfare-to-work policies meet the complex lived realities of unemployed citizens. I examine the nature of welfare policies, and show how these inscribe neoliberal economic discourse, which are not easily applicable to the lived reality of unemployed citizens. Findings from this study illustrate that there are incongruences between the nature of policies and the policies-in-use. I argue that these incongruences are a result of myriad of assumptions that are inscribed in the welfare apparatus, constituting tools, people, policies, and practices. I, therefore, unpack assumptions about caseworkers as well as benefit recipients, appointments they must attend, and activation programs assigned to them. This way, the paper aims at initiating a discussion about finding ways to develop policies that are better applicable to the citizen’s lived realities |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:36:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d497590ed014a35b2778252006a912b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2245-0157 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T00:36:40Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Aalborg University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d497590ed014a35b2778252006a912b2022-12-22T01:27:06ZengAalborg UniversityNordic Journal of Working Life Studies2245-01572019-06-019210.18291/njwls.v9i2.114800Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in WelfareNina Boulus-Rødje0Roskilde UniversityThis paper draws on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at one of the largest municipal jobcenters in Denmark. It investigates what happens when welfare-to-work policies meet the complex lived realities of unemployed citizens. I examine the nature of welfare policies, and show how these inscribe neoliberal economic discourse, which are not easily applicable to the lived reality of unemployed citizens. Findings from this study illustrate that there are incongruences between the nature of policies and the policies-in-use. I argue that these incongruences are a result of myriad of assumptions that are inscribed in the welfare apparatus, constituting tools, people, policies, and practices. I, therefore, unpack assumptions about caseworkers as well as benefit recipients, appointments they must attend, and activation programs assigned to them. This way, the paper aims at initiating a discussion about finding ways to develop policies that are better applicable to the citizen’s lived realitieshttps://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/114800Health, Working Environment & WellbeingEmployment, Wages, Unemployment & RehabilitationIdentity, Meaning & CultureLabor Market Institutions & Social PartnersOrganization & Management |
| spellingShingle | Nina Boulus-Rødje Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing Employment, Wages, Unemployment & Rehabilitation Identity, Meaning & Culture Labor Market Institutions & Social Partners Organization & Management |
| title | Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare |
| title_full | Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare |
| title_fullStr | Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare |
| title_full_unstemmed | Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare |
| title_short | Welfare-to-work Policies Meeting Complex Realities of Unemployed Citizens: Examining Assumptions in Welfare |
| title_sort | welfare to work policies meeting complex realities of unemployed citizens examining assumptions in welfare |
| topic | Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing Employment, Wages, Unemployment & Rehabilitation Identity, Meaning & Culture Labor Market Institutions & Social Partners Organization & Management |
| url | https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/114800 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ninaboulusrødje welfaretoworkpoliciesmeetingcomplexrealitiesofunemployedcitizensexaminingassumptionsinwelfare |