Intersection of politics, economics, and society Dealing with inequality and social stratification

INTRODUCTION Welfare state regimes Educational institutions Systems of industrial relations WHY?  these phenomena and institutions are focused on influencing social stratification and inequality INTRODUCTION

European states have developed similar fundamental institutions BUT Differ at the level of specific institutional arrangements BECAUSE Product of specific social and political compromises, cultural traditions, and path dependency (historical development NONTHELESS National models of social organisation can be expected to converge INTRODUCTION

1 WELFARE STATE REGIMES Esping-Andersen: market economies+democracies+state intervention Western countries divided into 3 groups: Liberal, Social-democratic, Conservative- corporatist Measures them in terms of degree of “decommodification” Where is Central and Eastern Europe?

DECOMMODIFICATION When workers are commodified, they must sell their labor-power on the market to survive  Their labor (or them) become a commodity Decommodification implies that they do not have to sell their labor to survive It is the emancipation from market dependency

WELFARE STATE REGIMES SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC REGIME LIBERAL REGIME USA, Canada, UK, Australia Responsibility of the state is limited Social security system is combination of market-based insurance and tax financing It is means-tested Access is stigmatized and level of help is low (disincentive to work) SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC REGIME Northern Europe (Sweden as best example) Based on the maxims of equality, common good, and solidarity Social security system is combination of citizenship rights and comprehensive social insurance Universal in character, benefits are high and has egalitarian effect WELFARE STATE REGIMES

WELFARE STATE REGIMES CONSERVATIVE-CORPORATIST REGIME Germany, France, Spain, Italy Social security system largely reproduces market inequalities Degree of social security linked to level of achieved labour-market status  YOU REDISTRIBUTE TO YOUR FUTURE SELF Family is a central institution to help with material needs Gendered division of labour POST-SOCIALIST REGIME In most CEE states Combination of conservative and liberal regimes + some residues of paternalism Social security system linked to labour market position Family and primary social network important in securing welfare Access is means-tested, with minimal benefits Carries stigma of poverty and shame WELFARE STATE REGIMES

TRANSLATING REGIMES INTO POLICIES What are the key elements of social policy/welfare domain? Retirement policy Health care policy Family policy Housing policy TRANSLATING REGIMES INTO POLICIES

2 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Largely comparable across Europe Education divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary There are certain level of difference in vocational education and types of school systems

3 SYTEMS OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Relations between capital and labour (with the assistance and oversight of government) Collective bargaining agreement: the most important instriument for shaping those relations Institutionalized in tripartism and tripartite negotiation processes

4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CORPORATIST/SOCIAL-PARTNERSHIP Collective bargaining is carried out by well-organised employer organisations and unions Search for consesus is institutionalized – tripartite institutions Job security is medium to very good Strikes occur rarely Demands linked to macroeconomic considerations CONFLICT-ORIENTED Relationship is polarized and unregulated Strikes occur often – high mobilization capacity and fighting power of the unions state intervention needed to resolve conflict Labour movement is fragmented Job security very high 4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS PLURALISTIC Partial institutionalization of opposing interests Fragmentation of both unions and employers’ associations State regulates minimally and stays out of negotiating process Strikes occur sporadically Job security is weak POST-SOCIALIST Unions are weak at all levels Minorty of workers are covered by collective agreement State plays important role Strikes are almost absent Job security is weak 4 IDEAL TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT Most important instrument for shaping industrial labour relations Determines formal and material employment conditions Applied either to specific firms or entire branches of industry Binding for all companies belonging to an employers’ association Focus is on voluntary negotiations between representatives of capital and of labour Important in the 1950s through 1970s; weak now  „Americanization of collective regulations” COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

MAIN ACTORS in the system Three main collective actors: the state, the unions, and the employers’ associations STATE: serves as guarantor of autonomy of all parties; large-scale employer as well; regulator (through laws and regulations) EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATIONS: they serve as lobbiers for owner’s rights; differ in scale and number UNIONS: influential in manfuacturing and public administration; almost irelevant in the private sector; importance of the strength and membership of unions for their success MAIN ACTORS in the system

Decline of unions Shrinkage of many economic sectors which were union strongholds (manufacturing) Loss of influence in CEE due to the nature of unions in previous regime and the nature of economic transformation Demographic changes – young workers tend not to belong to unions New lifestyle make union represetnation irelevant Gap between interest of workers and interest represented by trade union associations = Less strikes in Europe  pacification of industrial relations (despite growing inequality between labour and capital