The evolution of capitalism and the future of employment policy in the EU

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-62
Author(s):  
Dominique Bé

The emergence of the financial capitalism model in continental Europe is not unrelated to the debate on reform of the European social model, the paradox being that now that workers have gained ownership of the means of production, they actually control them less and less. This evolution is liable to affect the basis of a social model traditionally anchored in Rhineland capitalism, the more so in that the globalisation of financial flows has reduced the control exercised by the EU over its enterprises. The trade unions are concerned at the impact of these developments on companies' behaviour in the social sphere, in particular as regards the co-determination, information and consultation of workers. Yet the development of employee shareholdings and pension funds opens up new opportunities for trade union action, entailing the growing involvement of employees in corporate governance which is thus becoming a major challenge for workers and, more broadly, for employment policy and its relationship to other policy areas, above all the internal market.

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Fagan ◽  
Jill Rubery

This article examines the development of the EU's gender equality framework of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ law, including the incomplete gender mainstreaming of the European Employment Strategy. It highlights contradictions, rooted in political tensions between the social democratic principles which underpin the European Social Model, and the promotion of neo-liberal economic policies. It assesses the UK's role in shaping this European framework, and the framework's impact on the UK's employment policy. It concludes that Brexit will harm the pursuit of gender equality in the UK due to decoupling from the EU's equality framework and policy pathway. An additional risk is greater insularity in UK policy making through reduced exposure to the Open Method of Coordination. Brexit may, however, help progress gender equality in the rest of the EU if the outcome is greater unity focussed on an inclusive employment policy without the UK dragging its heels in favour of deregulated flexibility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063-1078
Author(s):  
T.N. Skorobogatova ◽  
I.Yu. Marakhovskaya

Subject. This article discusses the role of social infrastructure in the national economy and analyzes the relationship between the notions of Infrastructure, Service Industry and Non-Productive Sphere. Objectives. The article aims to outline a methodology for development of the social infrastructure of Russia's regions. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of statistical and comparative analyses. The Republic of Crimea and Rostov Oblast's social infrastructure development was considered as a case study. Results. The article finds that the level of social infrastructure is determined by a number of internal and external factors. By analyzing and assessing such factors, it is possible to develop promising areas for the social sphere advancement. Conclusions. Assessment and analysis of internal factors largely determined by the region's characteristics, as well as a comprehensive consideration of the impact of external factors will help ensure the competitiveness of the region's economy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 460-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Prosser

The recent centralization of European economic governance raises the question of parallel developments in European social policy. On the basis of an examination of the case of the European social dialogue, the propensity of ‘spill-over’ theories to explain developments in the social sphere is considered. The following three potential future trajectories for the dialogue are reviewed: the possibility of the dialogue (1) becoming broader and more redistributive, (2) becoming a means of European Union (EU)-level wage control or (3) remaining in its current form. It is concluded that the status quo is likely to endure and that such a development threatens the integrity of spill-over theories and raises the issue of the dialogue’s utility to European trade unions.


Author(s):  
Z. M. Khasheva ◽  
J. A. Berger

This article focuses on direct and indirect factors affecting the development and functioning of the social sphere in rural settlements. The high role and importance of the actions of local governments in meeting the social needs of the population is noted. The author considers the criteria related to the organization of social facilities in municipalities. Analysis of the performance of the population in the municipal areas. The comparison of population size and density in different regions of the Russian Federation is carried out. Changes in the socio-economic situation of the population due to the impact of various factors are evaluated. The statistics of change of number of rural settlements of the Volgograd region are resulted.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermes Augusto Costa

Twenty five years after Portuguese EU accession, the labour market in general and the trade unions in particular are faced with severely regressive social measures that undermine past expectations of progress towards the achievement of the Social Europe project in Portugal. Thus, on the one hand, this article identifies some of the ambitions and possibilities earlier opened up for the Portuguese labour market, as well as trade union attitudes to European integration. It is argued, on the other hand, that, in the context of the economic crisis and the austerity measures to which Portugal is subjected, the sense of Portugal’s backwardness in relation to the ‘European project’ has become more acute. The article accordingly focuses on and examines some of the austerity measures and certain controversial issues associated with them. In a final section, the impact of austerity on labour relations and the reactions of social partners, in particular the trade unions, are analysed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maeve O’Grady

Community education in the Republic of Ireland exists in several forms and in several sites. This article draws on two qualitative research projects in community education to identify the practices of the social model of community education that link them. The context of the research is the impact of policy changes as experienced by the practitioners and providers. The social model can be spoken of in different terms, depending on the practice of the speaker; it can be a process model of curriculum, critical literacy, or feminist emancipatory pedagogy. The article describes different discourses of practice and considers how practitioners could, while differentiating aspects of their practice, find common ground and resist the erosion of adult education for social justice by the state’s drive for vocational education for the labour market.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 948-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Sordé Martí ◽  
Ramon Flecha ◽  
José Antonio Rodríguez ◽  
José Luis Condom Bosch

The need to develop adequate methodologies to comprehensively assess the impact of research, especially the social impact of European Union (EU)-funded research, is one of the main concerns within the European Commission as well as for EU citizens, who are more active than ever. This article discusses the rationale behind using a qualitative approach to better address these concerns. Drawing on the FP7 IMPACT-EV research project, the present article discusses how to overcome a positivist approach that evaluates the social impact of research conducted only for its economic objectives and using only quantitative data. The focus on what is needed and what research is expected to bring to society are emphasized and made possible through qualitative inquiry of the social impact of the EU social sciences and the humanities (SSH) research. Thus, the development of qualitative-based analysis of the social impact of research is increasingly required to be conducted in dialogue with citizens.


2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Manning

This paper considers what we might expect to be the effect on social policy of Turkish accession to the EU by reviewing the impact of EU membership on social policy in other new member and candidate countries. This effect begins long before membership is finalised, and continues long after membership has been achieved. The patterns of impact can be divided along a number of dimensions: between ‘accession’ and ‘enlargement’; state and civil society; centre and periphery; formal and substantive; and different welfare institutions. In the course of reviewing these variations, the paper reflects upon the nature of social policy itself, and in particular the nature of the European Social Model.


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