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Disappointing poverty trends : is the social investment state to blame? An exercise in soul-searching for policy-makers

Author

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  • Frank Vandenbroucke
  • Koen Vleminckx

Abstract

Should we explain the disappointing outcomes of the Open Method of Co-ordination on Inclusion by methodological weaknesses or by substantive contradictions in the “social investment” paradigm? To clarify the underlying concepts, we first revisit the original “Lisbon inspiration”, and subsequently relate it to the idea of the “new welfare state”, as proposed in the literature on new risks in post-industrial societies. We then discuss two explanations for disappointing poverty trends, suggested by critical accounts of the “social investment state”: “resource competition” and a “re-commodification”. We do not find these explanations convincing per se and conclude that the jury is still out on the “social investment state”. However, policy makers cannot ignore the failure of employment policies to reduce the proportion of children and working-age adults living in jobless households in the EU, and they should not deny the reality of a “trilemma of activation”. Finally, we identify policy conditions that may facilitate the complementarity of social investment and social inclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank Vandenbroucke & Koen Vleminckx, 2011. "Disappointing poverty trends : is the social investment state to blame? An exercise in soul-searching for policy-makers," Working Papers 1101, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    • Handle: RePEc:hdl:wpaper:1101
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Natascha Van Mechelen & Sarah Marchal, 2013. "Trends and convergence of Europe’s minimum income schemes," ImPRovE Working Papers 13/11, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    2. Lancker, W. van & Ghysels, J., 2011. "GINI DP 10: Who Reaps the Benefits? The social distribution of public childcare in Sweden and Flanders," GINI Discussion Papers 10, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    3. de Andrés Sánchez, Jorge & Belzunegui Eraso, Ángel Gabriel & Valls Fonayet, Francesc, 2020. "Evaluación de la eficiencia del gasto social en los países EU15 con análisis envolvente de datos y métodos cluster borrosos || Evaluation of the efficiency of social spending in EU15 countries with da," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 30(1), pages 97-116, December.
    4. Bea Cantillon, 2010. "Disambiguating Lisbon. Growth, Employment and Social Inclusion in the Investment State," Working Papers 1007, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    5. Olivier Pintelon & Bea Cantillon & Karel Van den Bosch & Christopher T. Whelan, 2011. "The Social Stratification of Social Risks," Working Papers 1104, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    6. Francesc Valls Fonayet & Ángel Belzunegui Eraso & Jorge De Andrés Sánchez, 2020. "Efficiency of Social Expenditure Levels in Reducing Poverty Risk in the EU‐28," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 43-62, March.
    7. Olivier Pintelon & Bea Cantillon & Karel Van den Bosch & Christopher T. Whelan, 2011. "The Social Stratification of Social Risks: Class and Responsibility in the 'New' Welfare State," Working Papers 201123, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    8. Vincent Corluy & Frank Vandenbroucke, 2012. "Individual Employment, Household Employment and Risk of Poverty in the EU. A Decomposition Analysis," Working Papers 1206, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.

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