Keynote speakers

Professor, Director, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp

From Promise to Paradox: the Persistence of Poverty in the Social Investment Era of Developed Welfare States

Despite decades of rising employment, increasing household incomes, and generous social spending, poverty has remained stubbornly persistent — or even increased — among the working-age population in many affluent welfare states. This paradox is particularly visible in Northern and Continental European welfare regimes, traditionally considered redistribution champions. This keynote revisits the long-term poverty-reducing capacity of welfare states, focusing on how structural labour market shifts, changing social needs, and institutional reforms linked to the social investment turn may have undermined the distributive reach of modern welfare states. Drawing on comparative evidence and a theory-driven framework, we examine why even the world’s most advanced welfare states are no longer able to effectively reduce poverty — and what this implies for the future of social protection and social work in an era of job polarization, demographic ageing, and mounting fiscal pressures.

Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University

Moving towards or drifting away from the responsive welfare state?

Democratization is a central principle in the Nordic welfare states – meaning that citizens should have influence and actively participate in societal discussions and decision-making. This increases the likelihood of equal rights, supports social relationships and feelings of responsiveness for vulnerable groups. It also aligns well with the principles advocated by social workers: an inclusive and responsive practice. There are, however, signs that the compass is malfunctioning, and that social work may be drifting away from rather than moving toward democratization. Recent research into citizens' experiences with participation and responsiveness more than implies that citizen involvement is sporadic. The presentation will present research findings from six European countries and discuss the implications for social work.

Professor, Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg

Governing Street-Level Bureaucracies: The Organizational Shaping of Caseworkers in Contemporary Forms of Public Management

Based on the book Governing Street-Level Bureaucracies: The Organizational Shaping of Caseworkers (Routledge, 2025, OA), this talk addresses how caseworkers are governed in today’s street-level bureaucracies. Combining critical management studies and street-level bureaucracy research, it redefines our understanding of public sector governance by highlighting the subtle, informal, and everyday forms of organizational governance that shape caseworkers’ subjectivities beyond formal policies and professional identities. Based on four distinct types of normative governance – ‘governance by discourse’, ‘governance by emotions’, ‘governance by peers’, and ‘governance by numbers, colours, and symbols’, the talk explores how caseworkers are shaped as organizational staff members alongside their roles as welfare professionals and welfare state bureaucrats.