Social Policy and Sustainability
While welfare states and associated social policies have been successful in addressing social risks associated with the provision of capitalist growth and increasing their citizens’ wellbeing, they have also contributed to climate emergency and the ecological crisis. We carry out social-policy research of traditional themes such as labour markets, inequality or poverty, but also and particularly in the new circumstances of climate emergency.
Considering different scales from the local to the EU level, we (co-)develop relevant theoretical concepts such as ‘sustainable welfare’ and ‘degrowth/postgrowth’, conduct corresponding empirical research - for example into attitudes towards sustainable welfare and alternative forms of political mobilization. We also identify ‘eco-social’ policies capable of reembedding economy and society in planetary boundaries.
Research groups within the area
Latest publications within the area
The active, the sympathetic, and the reluctant: political action and eco-social attitudes among Swedish residents
The active, the sympathetic, and the reluctant: political action and eco-social attitudes among Swedish residentsEmilsso...Flight-intensive practices and wellbeing: current evidence and future research
Flight-intensive practices and wellbeing: current evidence and future researchGuillen-Royo, M., Nicholas, K., Ellingsen,...Postgrowth welfare systems: a view from the Nordic context
Postgrowth welfare systems: a view from the Nordic contextRaphael, R., Hinton, J. B., Paulsson, A., Koch, M., Islar, M. ...Deepening the degrowth planning debate: division of labor, complexity, and the roles of markets and digital tools
Deepening the degrowth planning debate: division of labor, complexity, and the roles of markets and digital toolsKoch, M...Structural barriers to sufficiency: the contribution of research on elites
Structural barriers to sufficiency: the contribution of research on elitesKoch, M., Emilsson, K., Lee, J. & Johansson, H...
Research Portal
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Vocational training, labor market and living conditions
A research group focusing on issues relating to vocational education, young people's living conditions and problems with establishment on the labor market. The research group includes researchers and PhD students from several universities in Sweden and the Nordic countries.