The political and social economy of care

This conference will focus on the roles of markets and migration in shaping the provision, funding, regulation and distribution of formal and informal care. It will situate recent developments in the Nordic and liberal welfare states in a broader international context, taking into account the increased movement of people (especially women) around the world and the ever-growing emphasis on private markets. Speakers will analyse similarities and differences between countries within and between welfare regimes as well as between different areas of care (child care, disability care and elder care).

At the conference, an interdisciplinary, international research team will explore contemporary trends in the political and social economy of care, including child care, elder care and disability care. These scholars are drawn from the disciplines of sociology, social policy, social work, political science and economics, and have all established international reputations for scholarly, policy-focused research and a keen interest in social policy in the Nordic countries.

The conference is open to researchers, students, policy makers and others interested in comparative perspectives on gender issues and care policies. The conference is free of charge but it is required to register before October 18 by sending an email with your name and affiliation to pasec@socarb.su.se

Organizers: the Nordic Centre of Excellence REASSESS (Reassessing the Nordic Welfare Model) together with Stockholm University, Department of Social Work and University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre

Time: October 26 2009, 09.00-17.00
Place: Aula Svea, Sveavägen 160, Department of Social Work, Stockholm

Confirmed speakers:

Professor Anneli Anttonen, University of Tampere
Associate Professor Christina Bergqvist, Uppsala University
Professor Deborah Brennan, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Professor Bettina Cass, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Professor Sue Himmelweit, Open University, Milton Keynes
Professor Barbara Hobson, Stockholm University
Associate Professor Teppo Kröger, University of Jyväskylä
Professor Rianne Mahon, Carleton University, Ottawa
Professor Sonya Michel, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington
Professor Ito Peng, University of Toronto
PhD Tine Rostgaard, SFI - The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Copenhagen
Professor Marta Szebehely, Stockholm University
Professor Kari Wærness, University of Bergen
Professor Fiona Williams, University of Leeds
Professor Sue Yeandle, University of Leeds

Program for the conference Providing care in a globalising world: the role of markets and migration, October 26, 2009:  

Chair of the morning session: Tine Rostgaard  

09.00-09.20 
Opening of the conference: Professor Bjørn Hvinden, Leader of REASSESS, NOVA, Oslo

09.20-09.40 
Fiona Williams:
Claiming and Framing in the Making of Care Policies: The Recognition and Redistribution of Care

09.40-10.15 
Rianne Mahon and Ito Peng:
Canada’s Care Regime: Liberal Market-Reliance and Regional Experiments.

10.15-10.45 
COFFEE BREAK

10.45-11.30 
Anneli Anttonen and Teppo Kröger:
Restructuring Public and Private Responsibilities: Social Care Regime under Change in Finland

11.30-12.15
Sue Yeandle, Sue Himmelweit and Fiona Williams:
Care and Work in the UK - Tensions, Contradictions and Opportunities in an Evolving Policy Climate

12.15-13.30 
LUNCH

Chair of the afternoon session: Kari Wærness  

13.30-14.15 
Deborah Brennan and Bettina Cass:
Consumer Choice and Quasi-markets in Australian Community Services

14.15-15.00 
Barbara Hobson, Marta Szebehely and Christina Bergqvist:
Which Way Will the Wind Blow? Pressures for Greater Marketization and Informalization alongside Widespread Support for Public Services and Regulation

15.00-15.30 
COFFEE BREAK

15.30-16.00 
Tine Rostgaard & Kari Wærness: Observations from the Chairs - Reflections from a Danish and a Norwegian perspective

16.00-16.40 
All-country panel to sum up and reflect

16.40-17.00 
Sonya Michel: Concluding remarks
 
 
A PhD course, Care of older people: comparative perspectives on policies, practices and outcomes, will be arranged in connection with the conference, please see http://www.reassess.no/index.gan?id=19590&subid=0