XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

368

Intergenerational Relations and the Welfare State

RC19 Sociology of Poverty, Social Welfare and Social Policy (host committee)

Language: English

What is the significance of inequalities between generations when related to the broader normative landscape of social justice, future societies and the welfare state? How are countries responding to vulnerabilities appearing in different stages of human life? Are some social policy strategies better equipped to promote generational equity than others? Do some age-groups benefit increasingly from the welfare state and enjoy better protection than others? What are the conditions for welfare states to enhance solidarity and promote equality in outcomes across generations in a sustainable way? How can welfare states be designed to reduce the likelihood of generational conflict and distributional trade-offs? These are all examples of questions that deserve increased attention in periods of population aging and major structural change. In this session we welcome papers that bring intergenerational relations into the study of welfare states, social policy, and vulnerability. Papers may either be quantitative in nature – exploring new types of data or analytical techniques – or more qualitative in nature – discussing various theoretical aspects related to intergenerational equity. Both comparative and single country studies are welcome.