About the conference

The conference brings together researchers and research results from CINEFOGO and WORKCARE, two projects funded by the European Commission under FP6.

CINEFOGO - Civil Society and New Forms of Governance in Europe – the Making of European Citizenship

Network of Excellence is focusing on the importance of improving citizens’ participation in governance. This requires new knowledge on the importance of social and cultural diversity, active citizenship, civic participation and organised civil society - issues that have become more pressing with the on-going enlargement of Europe. A Europe characterised by growing inequality in economic and social conditions of the citizens but also increased diversity in the perception of what is meant to be the European House and in how to proceed in the process of economic, social and political integration of the European nation-states.

WORKCARE - Social quality and the changing relationship between work, care and welfare in Europe

This research project explores the relationships between, structural changes labour market, demography, welfare and economic policies at the macro level and at the micro level changes in individual orientations to work and care. At the macro level we are concerned to measure the quality of society and at the micro level the quality of life by analysing them in terms of Social Quality in Europe. The project develops an analytical framework that takes into account the orientation, actions, capabilities and satisfaction of actors within the work and care systems in constructing a work-life balance. The project would look at the different actors involved in balancing work and care: the household, individuals and the state. The work would be based on the analysis of relevant indicators from existing sources but would be supplemented by qualitative interviews from five countries: Austria, Italy, the UK, Hungary and Denmark. The project combines policy analysis, qualitative and quantitative research to understand models of change and hence the development of different European Social Models. It contributes to European policy debates by providing a better understanding of the impact of social policies on work and care, the effects of the competing demands of work and care on fertility decisions and the consequences of flexibility and working times on the organisation of work, care and welfare.

What is social quality?

Social quality is a more multifarious policy-oriented way of approaching the quality of life. There are a number of themes implied within the quality of life and these include:

• Social capital
• Social cohesion
• Participation and empowerment
• Work and the economic environment
• Social exclusion

These themes have important implications for governance and citizenship since  they are an outcome and a goal of new governance approaches. They raise many questions about the cultural and social variations across Europe, including whether different elements are of equal importance in different locations and how they can best be understood or measured. Does quality of life mean the same thing everywhere, or does it have different meanings? How meaningful is it to adopt this as a general policy goal?

The conference would bring together a range of themes within CINEFOGO to look at the Social Quality in comparative perspective. This resonates with policy priorities in the European Union and in some member states (including countries as diverse as the UK and Romania).

The quality of life perspective puts together a range of subjective and objectives perspectives to get an overall picture of the quality of life in a given society. It is based upon an established body of knowledge, but the aim of this conferences is to pull these different aspects of the quality of life together and bring new theoretical impetus to make it into a significant policy tool as well as a sociological political and economic instrument.

Conference outline

We have arranged for presentations over two days in Scotland House on the Schuman roundabout in Brussels.

• On Tuesday 16^th of June 2009 there will be a presentation of project results about how work and care are managed across Europe (focusing on the care of children in households).
• On Wednesday 17^th of June 2009 of June 2009 there will be a range of presentations about citizenship and participation in Europe.

A buffet lunch will be provided.

Target groups

People from NGOs, and the European Commission are warmly invited to participate.

How to participate

A registration page will be available online at  http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/nec/, direct ling to the form http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/research/nec/registration.php.