New article published in "Nomos eLibrary"

4 February 2025

The article "Activating the family? Moral economy and post-industrial family policy" by Laura Lüth (University of Hamburg) was recently published in the  Nomos eLibrary and is openly accessible: 

https://doi.org/10.5771/2566-7742-2024-2-107

Abstract 

Expanding on the concept of the moral economy, the article investigates implicit justice assump-
tions connected to family policies in post-industrial European welfare states. Most authors argue
that family policies support new understandings of social justice, such as the adult worker norm
(Saraceno, 2015), equality of opportunity, and gender equality (Hemerijck, 2018; Palier & Morel,
2012). Critically engaging with this debate, the paper shows how the institutional support of
new justice assumptions varies across countries: Increasing women’s employment participation
and men’s care involvement is either treated as an issue of private negotiations among family
members (UK and Germany) or as an individual right (Sweden) and family-based right (Spain).
Comparing the institutional construction of family policies, this paper finds the interpretation
of new justice assumptions to be shaped by a welfare state’s existing moral economy. Given that
the institutional understanding of justice significantly impacts who benefits from family policies,
this paper offers a substantial contribution toward comprehending the cultural aspect of social
inequality in post-industrial welfare states.