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Economic Sociology

Photo: UHH/Dingler

Prof. Dr. Katharina Zimmermann

Active Family Models (dissertation project)

The dissertation project aims to analyze intra-familial labor division in context of active social citizenship. It argues that contemporary discussions about the institutional promotion of an adult worker family model, fail to grasp the rising focus on self-responsibilities predominant in contemporary European welfare states. While at the same time, contributions about active social citizenship mostly ignore that welfare states do not treat all citizens as individuals but e.g. as dependent family members. Therefore, the dissertation project plans to link feminists’ perspectives on social citizenship with perspectives on active social citizenship. With a cross-country comparison of social rights, the project links empirical research on the normative assumptions about intra-familial labor division that underpin contemporary welfare regulation with the analysis of norms and practices of intra-familial labor division within social citizen’s every-day life.

Involved partners: Laura Lüth

Related publications and presentations:

  • European Social Policy Network (ESPAnet) Germany: Social policy and crises – multiple perspectives (doctoral workshop): The ‘Managerial Family’? Shifting Ideas on Familial Care Work. Wissenschaftszentrum für Sozialforschung Berlin (WZB), 17.03.23.
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS): Polarisierte Sorgewelten. Gesellschaftliche Aushandlungen von Sorgelücken (Adhoc Gruppe): Die „unternehmerische Familie“ – Neue Formen gesellschaftlicher Anerkennung für familiale Sorgearbeit? Bielefeld: 30.09.22.
  • Laura Lüth: "Activating the Family - Family Models in Times of Social Investment" 22. november 2022, guest talk at "PhD programme in Politics, Policies and International Relations", during guest stay at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
  • German Sociological Association (DGS): Polarized Care Worlds. Societal Negotitations of Care Gaps (Ad-Hoc Group): The ‘Managerial Family’-New Forms of Social Recognition for Familial Care Work. Bielefeld: 30.09.22.
  • European Social Policy Network (ESPAnet): Reconsidering concepts and ideas in welfare state policies (stream), accepted for presentation and paper: The ‘Managerial Family’? Shifting Ideas of Familial Care Work. Wien, 14.09.22.
  • German Social Science Association for Labor Market Research (SAMF): „Shifting Ideas of Familial Care Work – Moral economies of Social Investment” (Doctoral Workshop/ Poster Presentation at the associations’ annual conference). Berlin, 18.05.22 – 19.05.22.
  • German Sociological Association/Austrian Sociological Association (DGS/ÖGS): Family and Partnership in times of the Covid-19 Pandemic (Section of family policy): Parents between Homeoffice and child care – restructuring of labor division and gender arrangements? Vienna [online], 23.08.2021.
  • International Public Policy Conference (IPPA): Family Complexity and Social Policy around the World (stream), accepted for presentation and paper: Activating the Family – Family Models in Active Social Citizenship. Barcelona [online], 08.07.2021.
  • European Social Policy Network (ESPAnet): Unintended consequences of family policies (stream), accepted for presentation and paper: Activating the family – familial social rights in times of social investment. Leuven [online], 31.08.-03.09.2021.
  • European Sociological Association (ESA): Intersectionality, the Welfare State, and Women’s Work (RN-session), accepted for presentation: Activating the family – familial social rights in times of social investment. Barcelona [online], 31.08.-03.09.2021.