The Greek crisis is a crisis of production, not of public finance

The Greek economic crisis is a crisis of production. Its key actor is a unique feature of the economy, the Greek family firm. Seen through that prism, the crisis is simply another episode in the story of how small firms tried to fit into the world economy as that was becoming increasingly globalized

Gender and the Greek crisis: towards a risk assessment

The Greek crisis is uniquely long and deep; while it is unfolding, secular trends in ageing, technology and globalization are changing the ways people work and how economics shapes attitudes. Add to this that Greece has been following the EU precepts for equality legislation for more than a generation, and the gender implications of its crisis acquire wider significance. As for the domestic significance of gender, suffice it to point out to the waste implicit in the second fastest ageing society, leaving the full potential of half of its citizens unexplored

Long-term care, ageing and gender in the Greek crisis

This paper examines Long Term Care (LTC) in Greece over the crisis. It does so through examining micro data from the 2007 and 2015 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement and Europe (SHARE. The crisis was exceptionally deep and involved retrenchments in public welfare, superimposed on a familial LTC system. Hence, the ‘austerity narrative’, expects cutbacks to have led to deteriorating outcomes and to rising informal provision. The empirical investigation casts doubt on these expectations: First, LTC needs did not rise, despite a deterioration in health. Second, ‘care gaps’ – people declaring need who receive no care – shrank, despite austerity. Third, it was (paid) professional care, rather than informal care which rose, despite the familial LTC system. Fourth, care in the last year of life is a further drain on family finances. The paper concludes with thoughts on whether expecting the family to keep delivering is a sustainable LTC medium term policy in the face of ageing

The Impact of the economic Crisis on the Situation of Women and men and on Gender Equality Policies

Analizza l'impatto della crisi economica sul mercato del lavoro dei diversi paesi membri privilegiando una prospettiva di genere. Analizza altresi' l'effetto della crisi e delle politiche di austerità su alcuni aspetti della coesione sociale, immigrazione e povertà in particolare. Utilizza sia dati statistici aggregati che microdati (tratti dalle indagini Survey of ncome and Living Conditions e Labour Force Survey) adottando una varietà di tecniche statistiche

The record of gender policies in Greece 1980-2010: legal form and economic substance

Reforms promoting gender equality in Greece are held by many to be one of the few real success stories of the post-1974 period. Indeed, there has been considerable activity in changes in employment, family, social insurance and other legislation all centered around the constitutional provision on equal treatment which came into force in 1983. This activism, however, was mainly about statutory changes and lacked a feminist analysis of women’s real position in the Greek economy and society. The main argument of the paper is that gender equality-promoting policies, laws and measures - ‘Legalistic Formalism’- failed because they ignored the dual nature of the labour market and the economics of the family. By focusing on legal form and ignoring reality it allowed the reform momentum to be hijacked

Delocalization, Triangular Manufacturing, and Windows of Opportunity: Some Lessons from Greek Clothing Producers in a Fast-Changing Global Context

Lyberaki A. Delocalization, triangular manufacturing, and windows of opportunity: some lessons from Greek clothing producers in a fast-changing global context, Regional Studies. Delocalization as an instance of adjustment to global competition can acquire a variety of forms. This paper examines the opportunities and pitfalls for Greek clothing companies between 1996 and 2004. It focuses on three cases exhibiting common features: first, the performance of dynamic exports; second, insertion into networks of cooperation; and third, relocation of production to the low-wage economies of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. In view of the rapid changes occurring in this sector, the main argument is that the 'triangular manufacturing' strategy is gaining momentum as it allows building on previous strengths. [image omitted] Lyberaki A. La delocalisation, la strategie industrielle a trois temps, et les creneaux: des lecons a tirer des confectionneurs grecques dans un cadre mondial en pleine evolution, Regional Studies. En tant que moyen de s'adapter a la concurrence mondiale, la delocalisation peut adopter diverses formes. Cet article cherche a examiner les atouts et les inconvenients pour les confectionneurs grecques entre 1996 et 2004. Il porte sur trois etudes de cas qui manifestent des traits communs: primo, la performance des exportations dynamiques; secundo, l'integration dans des reseaux de cooperation; et tertio, la delocalisation de la production a destination des pays a faibles salaires, a savoir aux Balkans et en Europe de l'Est. Etant donne les transformations rapides qui ont lieu dans ce secteur, l'argument principal est qu'une strategie industrielle a trois temps prend de l'elan parce qu'elle permet de consolider des qualites anterieures. Grece Strategie industrielle a trois temps Confection Delocalisation Lyberaki A. Delokalisierung, Produktionsdreiecke und Chancen: Lektionen von griechischen Kleiderherstellern in einem sich rasch wandelnden globalen Kontext, Regional Studies. Eine Delokalisierung als Ausdruck der Anpassung an den globalen Wettbewerb kann die verschiedensten Formen annehmen. In diesem Beitrag werden die Chancen und Risiken fur griechische Kleiderhersteller im Zeitraum von 1996 bis 2004 untersucht. Hierbei konzentriere ich mich auf drei Falle mit gemeinsamen Merkmalen: erstens die Leistung dynamischer Exporte, zweitens die Eingliederung in Netzwerke der Zusammenarbeit und drittens die Verlagerung der Produktion in die Niedriglohn-Wirtschaften der Balkanlander und Osteuropas. Angesichts des raschen Wandels in diesem Sektor lautet das Hauptargument, dass eine 'Dreiecksstrategie' bei der Produktion an Bedeutung gewinnt, da sie eine Nutzung der fruheren Starken ermoglicht. Griechenland Produktionsdreieck Kleiderherstellung Delokalisierung Lyberaki A. Deslocalizacion, manufactura triangular y oportunidades: lecciones de los productores del sector textil en Grecia segun un contexto global en rapida evolucion, Regional Studies. La deslocalizacion como ejemplo de un ajuste frente a la competicion global puede adquirir diferentes formas. En este articulo examino las oportunidades y los escollos de empresas textiles griegas entre 1996 y 2004. Presto atencion a tres casos que presentan caracteristicas comunes: primero, el rendimiento de las exportaciones dinamicas; segundo, la insercion en redes de cooperacion; y tercero, la reubicacion de la produccion hacia las economias con bajos salarios en los Balcanes y Europa del Este. En vista de los rapidos cambios que ocurren en este sector, el principal argumento es que la estrategia de 'manufactura triangular' esta cobrando fuerza ya que permite aprovecharse de ventajas ya existentes. Grecia Manufactura triangular Produccion de prendas DeslocalizacionGreece, Triangular manufacturing, Garment production, Delocalization,

Migrant Women, Care Work, and Women's Employment in Greece

This contribution is about women's paid and unpaid work in the context of rapid socioeconomic change in Greece between 1983 and 2008. Drawing on feminist analyses of women's employment and the care sector, it highlights the link between women's paid employment and the supply of affordable immigrant (female) labor in Greece in the sphere of care provision. It examines three issues: the acceleration of women's involvement in the paid labor force after 1990; the parallel influx of immigrants, a quarter of whom are women involved in service provision for households, into Greece; and finally, the “big picture” of the demand for care (both paid and unpaid, childcare as well as eldercare) in the context of an aging population and women's rising participation in paid work. The analysis highlights the key contribution of migrant women acting as catalysts for social change.Women migrants, care services, elderly, women's employment, aging,