Freitag, 19. November 2010

Whose Crisis? The Social Policy Dimension of the Financial Crisis and What it Means for Welfare State Research

Panel Discussion

Discussants:

John Hills, London School of Economics
Chiara Saraceno, WZB
Herman Schwartz, University of Virginia
Peter Hall, Harvard University

Chair:
Stephan Leibfried, Center for Social Policy Research at the University of Bremen

The current economic crisis raises important questions not only about financial regulation but also about social policy. Have the safety nets of the welfare state been focused too exclusively on labor market risks, while not being well prepared for dealing with risks that emanate from failing markets for insurance, mortgage credit or funded pensions? What are the implications for a welfare state research which takes a stronger interest in the effects the crisis has on household welfare and security? This panel discussion will bring together leading international experts in social policy and comparative welfare state research.