No voice, no choice : learning from a Danish case study of active labour Market policy using Sen’s capability approach

Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) are the subject of ongoing interest, which has included the framing of ALMPs as the re-commodification of labour. It has also been argued that Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) offers the potential to reconsider ALMPs from a more progressive viewpoint – so, is this the case and to what extent is, or can, the CA be a helpful research and analytical tool with which to study ALMPs? These questions are addressed through a reflexive examination of a study of Danish ALMPs, which utilized the CA and key themes of capabilities promotion, voice and choice. The CA influenced all aspects of the research design, methods and analysis. It is argued that the CA is a helpful methodology in bringing a new perspective to studying ALMPs. Additionally, the study raised concerns about the trajectory of the Danish ALMPs studied and possible alternatives to current approaches

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

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Individual perceptions of labour market opportunities and subjective well-being

Defence date: 28 May 2021Examining Board: Professor Klarita Gërxhani (European University Institute); Professor Juho Härkönen (European University Institute); Professor Ada Ferrer i Carbonell (IAE-CSIC and Barcelona GSE); Professor Daniele Vignoli (University of Florence)This PhD thesis examines the relationship between perceptions of labour market opportunities and subjective well-being. It is often assumed that the presence and improvement of labour market opportunities has an immediate, positive effect on individuals’ perceptions of such opportunities and consequently to their subjective well-being (Chung and Mau, 2014). To date, far too little attention has been paid to how social and cultural cognitive biases affect individuals’ perceptions of their socio-economic reality and well-being beyond objective conditions (Kahneman, 2011; Bandura, 1999; Fiske et al., 2002; Nussbaum, 2003; Sen, 2009). Previous assumptions fail to recognize the role that individuals’ perceptions of labour market opportunities can have on their subjective well-being beyond objective economic conditions. Each chapter of my thesis employs different theoretical frameworks, methods, and proxies to study the relationship between perceived labour market opportunities and subjective well-being from different angles. With the aim to gain a more in-depth understanding, I also explore potential moderating variables and underlying mechanisms of this relationship. My PhD thesis develops an interdisciplinary approach— drawing on work in economics, sociology, and social psychology—and contributes to different branches of literature within the social sciences, especially to the economics of happiness. Observational results show that perceived labour market opportunities have a strong relationship with subjective well-being beyond objective conditions and that macroeconomic contexts and individuals’ social origin have an important role in this relationship. My thesis also theoretically recognizes and empirically tests the causal role of perceptions of labour market opportunities on subjective well-being. Experimental results from two natural field experiments reveal that when a positive or negative subtle change of frame in individuals’ perceptions challenges their pre-established cultural ideals on labour market opportunities, a large impact on subjective well-being could expected.Chapter 3 ‘Requiem for A Dream: Perceived Economic Conditions and Subjective Well-Being in Times of Prosperity and Economic Crisis' of the PhD thesis draws upon an earlier version published as an article 'Requiem for a dream : perceived economic conditions and subjective well-being in times of prosperity and economic crisis' (2020) in the journal ‘Social indicators research

Requiem for a dream : perceived economic conditions and subjective well-being in times of prosperity and economic crisis

First published online: 08 June 2020Using the Panel of Social Inequalities in Catalonia, Spain (PaD 2001-2012), this article investigates the relationship between perceptions of economic conditions and subjective well-being in times of prosperity and economic crisis. It also analyses how this relationship plays out across different social backgrounds. Periods of economic crisis and prosperity serve as a proxy for objective macroeconomic conditions. The Spanish region of Catalonia is a relevant setting because it faced one of the highest increases in inequality and unemployment in Europe as a result of the 2008 Economic Crisis. Our results show that perceived economic conditions matter beyond objective micro and macroeconomic realm and become a strong determinant of subjective well-being during a crisis, particularly for the middle class. However, contrary to our initial expectations, our results also show the existence of a close correlation between perceptions of economic conditions and subjective well-being for low social background individuals in times of economic prosperity, and an even stronger relationship in times of economic crisis. The article stipulates several potential explanations for these results

Youths’ Perceived Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic and Subjective Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Subjective Social Status

peer reviewedUsing panel data from Luxembourg, we investigate the relationship between young individuals’ perceived coping with the COVID-19 pandemic context and subjective well-being during the short and mid-term phases of the pandemic (i.e., a few months after its outbreak in July 2020 and one year later in July 2021). Additionally, the study examines how this relationship evolves depending on youths’ subjective social status. Luxembourg is an important setting, as it is one of the happiest countries in the world, with the highest GDP per capita. According to our results, perceived coping with the COVID-19 context matters for subjective well-being beyond individual and macro characteristics. We found a strong correlation between perceptions of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic context and subjective well-being in high-social-status individuals and a weaker correlation for low- and middle-social-status individuals. Furthermore, the relationship between perceptions of coping with the pandemic and well-being was stable over time. The article stipulates several reasons for these results, such as a ‘comfort conditioning’ response to the pandemic for young high-social-status individuals