News about Global Dynamics of Social Policy

The Collaborative Research Centre "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" is represented on Bluesky as well as on Mastodon and X. On these channels you will always find the latest news about the CRC 1342.

Furthermore, we also recommend the blog Social Policy Worldwide of the SOCIUM Research Center Inequality and Social Policy at the University of Bremen.

Contact:
Dr. Maximilian Hohmann
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57058
E-Mail: hohmann@uni-bremen.de

Out now: Part of the book series "Global Dynamics of Social Policy"

The volume is edited by the Principle Investigators Ulrich Mückenberger (labour and social security law and political science) and Irene Dingeldey (political science and labour market sociology) and the Postdoc Heiner Fechner (labour law, law and development and human rights) of the project "Worlds of Labour" (WoL), based on the work of the editors and of former and present project members, namely Marina Carlino, Jean-Yves Gerlitz, Jenny Hahs and Andrea Schäfer.

This open access book "Constructing Worlds of Labour" aims to break new ground in presenting results on different types of labour standards around the world as regulatory social policy. The particular topic is to make visible that, and to explain why, employment law world-wide has not only a protective role, but also a segmenting role – creating status, gender- and/or race-based hierarchical social differentiation. We conceptualised this role of law as legal segmentation and identified various historical, and power-related reasons for legal segmentation. We also identified how segmenting employment law interacts with segmentative implications of other (current and/or historical) legal institutions – such as social law, family law, tax law, but also slavery, gender-, race- and ethnicity-based legislation. As explanations not only path dependent institutional development, but also colonial influences, international organisations and epistemic communities including postcolonial thought are considered and made subject of in-depth investigations. The outcomes of research are vividly discussed in order to submit propositions on how to overcome the identified situation in the different worlds of labour. Hence, not only applying a global perspective, but also treading new paths in an interdisciplinary way – both theoretically/normatively and empirically –, makes this book outstanding.

The volume also intends to encourage a discussion of the concept, the methodology and the results by members of the scientific community. Chapters of Tzehainesh Teklè and of Simon Deakin discuss the use of leximetrics. Ludger Pries and Kerry Rittich also widen the scope of analysis. The former proposes a sociological view on the international arenas and actors of labour regulation. The latter lances a critical perspective on legal segmentation executed by legal factors beyond labour markets, beyond labour law and beyond the international institutions traditionally dealing with labour.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Irene Dingeldey
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Institute Labour and Economy
Wiener Straße 9 / Ecke Celsiusstraße
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-61710
E-Mail: dingeldey@uni-bremen.de

Dr. Heiner Fechner
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49-421-218-57070
E-Mail: hfechner@uni-bremen.de

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mückenberger
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Faculty of Law
Universitätsallee, GW1
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-66218
E-Mail: mueckenb@uni-bremen.de

Jour Fixe with Prof. Gong Sen on 08.07.2025

To conclude the Jour Fixe lecture series in the summer semester, Prof. Gong Sen from Zhejiang University in China was a guest at the Collaborative Research Centre 1342 on 08.07.2025. In his lecture on "Major Factors for the Good Practices of AI R&D and Wider Application of AI in Hangzhou, China", he presented the city of Hangzhou as an innovation hub in the field of artificial intelligence and discussed the impact on the health and education sector with the participants.

Abstract:

Hangzhou City has become an innovation hub in AI research and development recently because of the emerging "six little dragons" including Deepseek. There have been many accounts for the success of Hangzhou compared to many other cities in China and beyond. There have been also many debates about the major factors for its success, which include the role of the state comparing with the market, and the role of locally-trained talents comparing to talents back from overseas.

Besides R&D, Hangzhou City has also been a pioneer in AI application in China. The speaker is going to review the rich practices in employment and education sector, and examine the impacts and insights for others. In terms of employment, the speaker is going to showcase the new jobs created by AI such as labelling and the existing jobs replaced by AI such as general health practitioners. As for the education sector, the speaker is going to introduce the pilots of AI application conducted by the staff members of Zhejiang University in the education sector at various levels from primary school to higher education, and from micro-curriculum for social science students through minor course for physical science students to major course for computer science students.

In comparison with other innovation hubs, the speakers is going to develop a framework to explain the good practices of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, as well as to provide some prospect for the future.

Gong Sen, Ph.D., is a special hired Professor as a leading scholar in social science at the School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University, China. He received his PhD in Social Policy in Sheffield University, UK. He is also the Director of the Centre for International Studies on Development and Governance Research Centre (CiSDG) at Zhejiang and Zhejiang University.

His main research interests include social security, healthcare, employment, and other social policies as well as development. In recent years, he is also working on a number of projects on international development and sustainable development. He is the Lead principal investigator of over 40 major national and international projects funded by UN agencies and World Bank, international development agencies such as DFID and international NGOs such as Save the Children. He has received numerous awards for excellent research at provincial or ministerial levels. He has published over 10 books, including "Improving Social Development, Rebuilding Social Order," "International Comparison of Welfare Systems and Social Policies," and "Focusing on People's Livelihood: Promoting Inclusive Growth Social Policy." He has published more than one hundred research articles in peer reviewed journals in English and in Chinese. He has over 30 policy briefs on development being accepted by the governments at central and local levels in China.

He is a Co-Chief Editor of the Asian Review of Political Economy, a board member of the Guangdong Qianhai International Affairs Research Institute. He also serves as Chairman of the Social-Legal Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party Central in China.

Prior to coming to Zhejiang University, he worked in the Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council as a senior researcher at DDG level for 3-4 research departments and institutes. Throughout his career, he has served on numerous advisory committees and boards, such as for United Nations Committee for Development Policy, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Ministry of Health in China. Because of his important contribution to China’s social policy, he is now an expert receiving the special allowance from the State Council which is an honour for leading experts in the country.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Tobias ten Brink
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Research IV and China Global Center
Campus Ring 1
28759 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 200-3382
E-Mail: ttenbrink@constructor.university

Workshop at the Tashkent State University of Economics in Uzbekistan

As part of her secondment at Tashkent State University of Economics, Dr. Gulnaz Isabekova-Landau, a postdoctoral researcher working in the CRC project B06, conducted a workshop addressing  research visibility and access to research data in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central Asia using the example of the Discuss Data open repository.

In addition to discussing common challenges around data sharing in and around  Eurasia, this workshop also elaborated on collaboration possibilities. The workshop included a live demonstration of data uploading and metadata tagging in Discuss Data using the datasets gathered within the framework of CRC 1342. 

This workshop was part of a broader event addressing the “Science Excellence in Central Asia: Between SCOPUS Fetishisation, Predatory Journals, and Survival Strategies of Researchers,” which was held on 11–12 June 2025 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This event aimed to provide a platform for discussing and critically examining research evaluation and its impact on researchers in the Central Asian region. 

Both the workshop and secondment of Dr. Isabekova-Landau are supported by the “Open(ing) Research in Central Asia: Consolidating a Culture of Research Ethics, Data Management, and Open Science, in Eurasia and Beyond” project, which is funded by the European Union’s HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme under grant agreement No 101182752.

Contact:
Dr. Gulnaz Isabekova-Landau
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Research Centre for East European Studies
Klagenfurter Straße 8
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57073
E-Mail: gulnaz@uni-bremen.de

Jour Fixe with Prof. Eva Wegner on 11.06.2025

Prof. Eva Wegner from Philipps University Marburg was a guest at the Jour Fixe event format of the Collaborative Research Centre "Global Dynamics of Social Policy". On Wednesday, 11 June 2025, she gave a lecture entitled "The Citizen Side of Clientelism". Following the exciting presentation of current research findings, these were discussed with numerous CRC members and other university members from other institutions.

Abstract:

Our project explores clientelism from the perspective of citizens, rather than political elites, highlighting how individuals experience and navigate these exchanges. Drawing on ethnographic accounts, we develop an inductive typology that distinguishes three types of clientelism: vote buying, relational, and collective. These types differ in what is exchanged—money, services, jobs, infrastructure—and in the nature of the relationships involved. We develop a two-dimensional framework. One dimension distinguishes between individual and collective benefits; the other captures the nature of citizen–patron ties, ranging from distant and instrumental to close and hierarchical. This structure helps explain both the diversity of clientelist forms and the underlying demand for them. Drawing on original survey data from South Africa and Tunisia, we show that attitudes and beliefs over trade-offs along these dimensions help explain demand for the different types of clientelism.  By centering citizen agency, the study offers a more nuanced understanding of how clientelism persists in different forms and adapts in democratic settings.

Eva Wegner is a Professor of Comparative Politics at Philipps‑University Marburg. She earned her PhD in Social and Political Science from the European University Institute in Florence, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Cape Town and the German Institute of Global and Area Studies. Before joining the University of Marburg, she was an Associate Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. Her research focuses on political behavior, distributive politics, and accountability with a regional emphasis on the Middle East and Sub‑Saharan Africa. Her work has appeared in Perspectives on Politics, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Quarterly Journal of Political Science, and Electoral Studies, among others.

Contact:
Dr. Roy Karadag
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Institute for Intercultural and International Studies
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-67468
E-Mail: karadag@uni-bremen.de

Workshop organized by the Equal Opportunities Committee of the CRC 1342

Questions that accompany our work: What does "global" mean to us personally and for our project work? The Equal Opportunities Committee hosted a one-day workshop on May 15, 2025, with Dr. Cassandra Ellerbe, a coach for diversity and intersectionality issues, on the campus of the University of Bremen. Every one of our CRC was invited to join, including all employees who bring diverse perspectives to our work from different status groups, academic disciplines, and personal and professional backgrounds.

For various group exercises, the workshop participants met either in plenary sessions or in smaller groups and reflected on their own positions, backgrounds, and diverse identities. The group also addressed questions that have directly or indirectly influenced our work in the first and second phases of the CRC: What academic framework do we work with within the CRC, how was this framework constructed, and what environment do we operate in? How has this shaped the CRC's work with regard to the diversity of all its staff, its collaborations, and its working methods? How can the CRC improve its deficits in these areas in the next phase?

Dr. Cassandra Ellerbe holds a doctorate in anthropology and has many years of experience in various EU research projects and the academic world. Her research focuses on gender, intersectionality, anti-racist education, migration, flight and asylum, the Black diaspora in Europe, and postcolonial studies. As an experienced coach, Dr. Cassandra Ellerbe guided the participants with many new suggestions, patience, and empathy to reflect on what "global" means to us and how we position ourselves and are positioned continuously.

It is a serious concern of the CRC's Equal Opportunities Committee to contribute with this workshop to a self-critical dialogue that bridges the boundaries of subprojects, status groups, and areas of responsibility and that encourages reflection. The Equal Opportunities Committee advocates for gender equality and informs and advises all members of the CRC on these topics. The activities of the Equal Opportunities Committee include organizing and funding workshops on topics such as diversity. By inviting participants to this one-day workshop, the committee hopes to have provided impulses that will be carried forward by the participants into the subprojects and beyond.

Contact:
Fabienne Müller
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Institut für Geschichtswissenschaft / FB 08
Universitäts-Boulevard 13
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58628
E-Mail: famuelle@uni-bremen.de

Heiner Salomon
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 5
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58649
E-Mail: heiner.salomon@uni-bremen.de

Research trip April-May 2025

Julian Götsch, a doctoral researcher in project A04 "Global Developments in Health Care Systems" of the CRC 1342, spent four weeks in Nairobi as part of his research on the colonial legacy in healthcare policy in Kenya and Nigeria. While most healthcare scholarship focuses on either the colonial or postcolonial periods, this research seeks to bridge both eras and investigate the long-term influence of colonialism on healthcare policy. Among other methods, process tracing is employed to track historical developments in detail and to uncover the causal mechanisms underlying the colonial legacy. This approach relies on the extensive collection of historical data and the triangulation of diverse sources.

To support this work, Julian Götsch traveled to Nairobi from late April to late May 2025 to conduct archival research and expert interviews. The Kenyan National Archives, located in Nairobi’s Central Business District, proved particularly valuable. The archive holds approximately 600 million documents spanning Kenya's history from the early colonial period to the present. With the support of the archive's staff, Julian Götsch was able to access materials that provided detailed insights into the evolution of healthcare policy both during and after colonial rule. Policy papers, correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, and other documents revealed patterns of continuity and change in healthcare policy around the time of independence. These records also helped identify the causal mechanisms behind the path dependencies established by colonial policies, as well as the continuing influence of colonial officials in the early years of independence.

Insights gained from the Kenyan National Archives were enriched through interviews with two experts in healthcare policy in Kenya: Dr. Anne Wamau, Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Nairobi, and Prof. Joseph Wangombe, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Public and Global Health, University of Nairobi. These interviews provided valuable perspectives on historical policy developments but also addressed ethical concerns about the extraction of knowledge and data by researchers from the Global North. Potential avenues for future collaboration were also discussed.

Contact:
Julian Götsch
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 5
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58540
E-Mail: goetschj@uni-bremen.de

Journal of Peace Research

In an article in the "Journal of Peace Research", Jakob Frizell of project B10 "Armed Conflict and Dynamics of Social Policy" reveals how the link between war and progressive taxation have travelled far beyond the West and the World Wars – only to suddenly vanish in the 1990s.

The fiscal reckoning of war: Contemporary armed conflict and progressive income taxation

If mass warfare was what made Western governments start taxing the rich, with the double upshot of expanded state capacity and reduced inequality in its wake, what about the rest of the world? War is not a thing of the past, but progressive taxation no longer appears as its obvious appendage. Drawing on studies on the political economy of war and taxation, the article pushes extant theories beyond the historical specificities of the West, arguing for a general applicability of the link, including, not least, to civil wars. As long as wars lead to extraordinary revenue needs, governments will seek to increase taxes; as long as they lead to inequitable outcomes, taxpayers will demand they be placed on the rich. If the link is no-longer evident, the explanation must be located beyond the confines of the state.

Based on new data on top marginal income tax rates covering 6 decades and more than 60 war-affected developing countries, regression analyses show that war, more than any other factor, has led governments to introduce more progressive taxation. The link operated across political regimes, levels of economic development, and conflict types – only to then uniformly disappear in the 1990s. The results of extended analyses are consistent with the proposed explanation emphasizing shifts in the international political order at the end of the Cold War.

Jakob Frizell holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the European University Institute (Italy) and is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the CRC 1342. His research centers on the political economy of taxation, inequality, and distribution, particularly with regards to armed conflicts and their aftermath.

Contact:
Dr. Jakob Frizell
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58602
E-Mail: jfrizell@uni-bremen.de

Of Tariffs and Wages in Late Nineteenth-Century Protectionist Agitation

In a new article in "The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era", Fritz Kusch of project B11 "Protectionism and Social Policy in the Americas" explores how American industrialists of the late nineteenth century attempted to sway industrial workers to their side in favor of tariff protectionism.

Link (Open-Access): Capital and Labor United: Workers, Wages, and the Tariff in Late Nineteenth-Century Protectionist Agitation

With the example of the American Protective Tariff League (APTL), an important protectionist pressure group, the article reconstructs the arguments protectionist industrialists used in their agitation targeted at industrial workers in the late nineteenth century. The APTL made the supposed wage benefit to laborers in protected industries the center of their argument and intertwined this wage argument with nativist and Anglophobic stereotypes. Further, the APTL proposed a unity of interests between capital and labor in tariff matters that hinged on a nationalist interpretation of economic matters, in which the American national economy was conceptualized as being endangered by import competition from other national economies but simultaneously as a harmonious cooperation of capital and labor on the inside. Analyzing the organized labor movement’s response to such claims, the article argues that this sort of agitation probably had little influence on workers and their stance on the tariff issue.

Contact:
Fritz Kusch
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Faculty of Social Science
Universitäts-Boulevard, GW2
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58581
E-Mail: kusch@uni-bremen.de

26.-28.03.2025

In collaboration with the Taiwanese Society for Care Research, the CRC Project A07 on the Global Dynamics of Long-Term Care Policies conducted a conference and a research workshop in Taipei, Taiwan on March 26-28, 2025. The event focused on comparing long-term care policies across three East Asian and three European countries.

In the past decades, many European and East Asian societies are intensively discussing about long-term care provision and related policies. In both regions, the proportion of older persons relative to the total population is above global average and public long-term care systems have been introduced in a comparatively large number of countries. The conference and workshop therefore focused on a cross-regional comparison and networking of researchers from three European and three East Asian welfare states with social insurance traditions: Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands and, as well as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

The one-day conference held on March 26 brought together scholars from the six countries plus activists, politicians and persons with care needs from Taiwan. Presentations covered the long-term care systems, their challenges and future reform directions of the six countries as well as the topic of migrant care work. Common issues identified across countries were for instance marketization in the care sector, missing support for family care giving and working conditions and staff shortages in long-term care. International participants were particularly impressed to learn about the strong involvement of civil society organisations and activists in long-term care policies in Taiwan.

Under the heading of Bridging Care Research Across East Asia and Europe, on March 27-28, researchers resumed in a smaller round to discuss future directions in care research and comparative research ideas on long-term care. During the workshop, several working groups were formed to discuss collaborative research projects, focusing on care migration, care politics, technology and care, family care and care ethics. A final highlight of the event were the on-side NGO visits to the Taiwan International Workers Association, Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers, and Taiwan Alzheimer’s Disease Association. The workshop concluded with many plans for future collaborative research and all project A07 members hope to continue joint research activities in the future.

Contact:
Dr. Johanna Fischer
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57074
E-Mail: johanna.fischer@uni-bremen.de