Gender inequalities and labour market dualization in France and Germany

Dualisation has become an important analytical framework to study changes in European labour markets and welfare states. Accordingly, European societies have developed new inequalities in the form of various "divides" or "dualisms" separating a growing number of outsiders persistently from welfare and labour market insiders. While only the latter still benefit from generous social security systems and institutionally sheltered employment relationships, the new outsiders typically hold non‐standard jobs and/or are eligible to second‐tier benefits only. Despite the growing number of contributions applying the concept, no consensus has emerged on how to explain dualisation. While generally the institutional legacy of European welfare states is seen to be of great importance, it is less clear which political actors (parties, unions, employer associations) pursue a "dualizing" reform process. Moreover, we are lacking a theoretical framework for understanding differences in the process of dualisation across countries. The aim of the workshop is to explore these questions by looking on two major cases of dualisation: France and Germany. Both countries followed a "dualizing" trajectory of change since the 1980s, which provides the opportunity to assess the role of different political actors in both countries. However, looking at concrete policy developments reveals significant differences between reform processes in France and Germany. By bringing together experts from both countries, the workshop provides an opportunity to discuss the underlying reasons for these differences.