Conference: Alternatives to flexicurity: new concepts and approaches

May 6 and 7 2010. Venue: Escuela de Relaciones Laborales, C/San Bernardo nº 49, 28015 Madrid, Spain

Social and labour market regulations were historically developed to provide security to workers and families, redressing to some extent the asymmetrical power relationship between worker and employer in the market and offering a certain autonomy from the market as far as income and vulnerability are concerned. Since the 1970s the trend has been the reverse. Increasingly, the hegemonic discourse has focused on the (taken for granted) need for labour market flexibility, a reduction of welfare dependency and adaptability to the ever-changing claims and requirements of the market.

Academics and political actors have contributed to this process with the integration in the current “social lexicon” of a number of ambiguous and polysemic labour market and social policy concepts, most noticeably flexicurity and activation, which are presented as new ways of responding to the imperatives of the market while simultaneously strengthening the position of the individual. These concepts are promoted as universal solutions to labour market problems that at the same time are open enough to be of relevance to a wide variety of empirical realities. However, these new concepts are often underdeveloped or restricted in their conceptualisation of security and predominantly advocate adjustment to the market as the starting point for analysis and policy making. Also, they are scarcely sensitive to the different implications such approaches have for different social groups, in particular with regard to gender differences. In addition, the ambiguous and polysemic nature of notions like flexicurity and activation makes them susceptible to semantic ownership and political instrumentalization. In the meantime, labour markets are becoming more precarious, a process accelerated by the present crisis, and workers are placed in a more vulnerable position with regard to the imperatives of the market.

Within this context, this seminar will critically examine the extent and way in which concepts and approaches that are currently dominating the debate in Europe deal with the question of security. Also, it will discuss various innovative approaches towards conceptualizing, analyzing and providing security in contemporary European societies.

contact: ESPAnet Spain

International Policy and Research Conference on Social Security 2010

The International Policy and Research Conference on Social Security will take place from 29 September to 1 October 2010 in Luxembourg on the theme of "Emerging trends in a time of instability: What legitimacy for social security?"

The Conference will focus on the medium- and long-term challenges that various socio-economic developments pose to social security worldwide. The current financial and economic crisis is having an enormous impact in terms of its suddenness, scale, and global reach. The consequences for social security are significant, not only due to the depletion of reserve fund assets and increased expenditure, but also due to its restored legitimacy in a fragile economy.

From a broader perspective, this crisis also reveals other crises affecting the world today. These include an ageing population, globalization, labour market transformation, population displacement, changes in family structures, global warming, and a crisis of values. The Conference, organized by the International Social Security Association, and at the invitation of the Association of Social Security Bodies of Luxembourg, is expected to bring together more than 300 researchers, policy-makers, administrators and other members of the international social security community, and will provide a unique platform for discussion on how social security can adapt to emerging challenges.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Call for papers: Researchers will be able to submit proposals for papers to be presented at the Conference from the end of July until 15 October 2009. Further information on the Conference themes will be available on the Conference Website.

Pre-registration: Social security researchers, policy-makers and administrators interested to attend the Conference will be able to register their interest through the Conference Website as of the end of July 2009.

contact: Conference Website