ReNEW-Nordic ESPAnet workshop for doctoral students and early career researchers: Social Citizenship, Democracy and Sustainability in the Nordic countries –– 26-27 May 2022, University of Iceland (accommodation & workshop participation covered)

Ongoing changes during the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic in the Nordic welfare states call for a 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, automatization) and stronger global interdependencies (immigration, transnational enterprises, off-shoring of production), In addition, the pandemic has created new labour market challenges. Beyond Covid-19, 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. Thus, it is important to investigate how the Nordic welfare states have been able to respond to the challenges outlined above and if their crisis management has taken social citizenship and sustainability into account.

We welcome papers that address social policy issues with a focus on Nordic welfare states. Papers on all social policy topics are welcome, even if they do not directly connect to the main theme of the conference. Papers may either focus on a single country or adopt a comparative perspective. We are interested in papers applying qualitative and quantitative methods as well as more theoretical accounts.

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.

Application Process and Important Deadlines

25th March: Applications deadline, comprising short CV and Abstract of the paper (up to 500 words). Early career researchers who have completed their doctoral degree are asked to state the date of their PhD defence.
10th April 2022: Applicants will be notified of whether their paper is accepted
15th May 2022: Deadline for submitting the full paper (5000-8000 words)
Submissions of abstracts and papers to Caroline de la Porte (cdlp.egb@cbs.dk), Guðný Björk Eydal (ge@hi.is) and Anders Weis Christiansen (renew@cbs.dk).

Selection of participants
The participants for the workshop will be selected on the basis of fit of topic with the above call and the quality of research as evident from the abstract. Priority in admission will be given to PhD candidates and post docs who have recently completed their doctoral research. The ReNEW and Nordic ESPAnet boards will assist in selecting participants.

Workshop format
The workshop will be fully physical. Online participation will not be possible for this event. To ensure lively and high quality discussions we will follow the ”Korpi rule”

papers are circulated (and read) in advance,
at the conference the papers are introduced by a discussant (rather than the author),
the author is given only a limited time to react to the discussant’s presentation so as to leave more room for general discussion.
Thus, accepting a place on the program entails a commitment to complete the paper in time for others to read it and to come prepared to discuss other authors’ papers. Equally, participants may expect to serve as discussant for another paper, and to open the floor with an incisive and fair assessment of its strengths and weaknesses.

Workshop fee and costs
Admission to the workshop is free of charge. The accommodation, lunches, and dinners will be covered, while travel must be covered by the participating Phd and early career scholars.