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Max Koch. Foto: Johan Persson.

Max Koch

Professor

Max Koch. Foto: Johan Persson.

The role of work and social protection systems in social-ecological transformations: Insights from deliberative citizen forums in Sweden

Author

  • Jayeon Lee
  • Max Koch

Summary, in English

To avoid catastrophic consequences of impending ecological crises our socio-economic systems need to be transformed in rapid and radical manners. Focusing on working life and Sweden as an example for countries of the Global North with a social-democratic welfare tradition, we ask how social protection systems may be reorganised according to the concept of ‘sustainable welfare’, the satisfaction of basic human needs across space and over time. We combine a literature review with an analysis of qualitative data from deliberative citizen forums following Max-Neef's Human Scale methodology. After taking stock of the existing literature that highlights the unsustainable character of current work regimes, we present our application of the methodology used in the citizen forums as well as the data. Our participants generally highlighted the importance of broadening the concept of work beyond ‘employment’ when reflecting on the role of work in addressing and satisfying multiple human needs within planetary limits. The introduction of a universal basic income, a participation income, an expansion of universal basic services, working time reduction and a sabbatical year conditioned on civic participation/education were among the eco-social reform ideas that forum participants highlighted to liberate work from its current unsustainable and capitalist contexts and turn it from a negative into a positive need satisfier.

Department/s

  • School of Social Work
  • Social Policy and Sustainability

Publishing year

2023-10-24

Language

English

Pages

408-425

Publication/Series

European Journal of Social Security

Volume

25

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Social Work

Keywords

  • Work
  • Social protection
  • degrowth
  • sustainable welfare
  • deliberative forums
  • universal needs
  • Sweden

Status

Published

Project

  • Sustainable Welfare for a New Generation of Social Policy
  • Postgrowth Welfare Systems

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1388-2627