Weber, Søren Salling

The political push to ensure labour market integration of marginalized citizens makes out a significantimpetus of change in Danish welfare institutions. One of the central concerns is how the particular socialprivileges of vulnerable citizens are increasingly made contingent on their activity on the labour market. Atthe same time, new forms of recognition of particular needs and demands of vulnerable groups areemerging exactly to support their participation in labour. It is of central concern to manage thesecontradictions for both users, professionals and politicians.This paper outlines how Nancy Fraser’s analytical framework of crisis and parity in participation canilluminate the contradictory impact of labour market integration of vulnerable groups in contemporarywelfare states. On a general level, the argument of the paper is that Frasers framework illuminates howthese institutional developments impacts the status of vulnerable citizens in a variegated way: Theanalytical framework is differentiated to analyse concrete means of integration of vulnerable groups aschanges in the distinct but dynamically interrelated dimensions of cultural, political and economicrecognition and/or marginalization.The merits of this differentiated approach is exemplified by presenting a preliminary analysis of Danishemployment professionals’ work with Individual Placement and Support, an evidence-based vocationalrehabilitation model for citizens with severe mental health problems. It is exemplified how contradictionsbetween economic, political and cultural status play out in the interaction between employmentprofessionals, citizens with severe mental health problems and employers. As a form of supportedemployment, it relies on a cultural recognition and differentiation of a group of citizens to provide extrapolitical resources in order de-differentiate their status as workers and make them a part of “ordinary”wage labour. In the terms of Fraser, a cultural and political differentiation of citizens is used to counteracteconomic marginalization. This immediately furthers parity in participation. At the same time, it means thatparity in participation is increasingly contingent upon the approval of, negotiation with and/or coercion ofemployers to recognize citizens’ abilities. Furthermore, it potentially changes the relations between theemployment professionals and users, in that increased institutional support is made contingent upon(attempted) participation on the labour market. Thereby, the recognition of differentiated needs istransferred through the state to become a demand to be competitive in the allocative process judged byeconomic criteria. Parity in participation is displaced from the cultural and political to the economic sphere.This entails risks of secondary dynamics of stigmatization, which might further new lines of differentiationbetween various sub-groups of clients. For some, what is intended to be a counter-acting of economicmarginalization might even further commodification of their basic life opportunities, thus contributing to along-term erosion of the social and political conditions for participation in society.It is discussed how the analytical framework of parity in participation can illuminate the contradictions ofspecialized attempts to integrate vulnerable, marginalized and/or stigmatized citizens on the labour marketwithin a universalist welfare model.The political push to ensure labour market integration of marginalized citizens makes out a significantimpetus of change in Danish welfare institutions. One of the central concerns is how the particular socialprivileges of vulnerable citizens are increasingly made contingent on their activity on the labour market. Atthe same time, new forms of recognition of particular needs and demands of vulnerable groups areemerging exactly to support their participation in labour. It is of central concern to manage thesecontradictions for both users, professionals and politicians.This paper outlines how Nancy Fraser’s analytical framework of crisis and parity in participation canilluminate the contradictory impact of labour market integration of vulnerable groups in contemporarywelfare states. On a general level, the argument of the paper is that Frasers framework illuminates howthese institutional developments impacts the status of vulnerable citizens in a variegated way: Theanalytical framework is differentiated to analyse concrete means of integration of vulnerable groups aschanges in the distinct but dynamically interrelated dimensions of cultural, political and economicrecognition and/or marginalization.The merits of this differentiated approach is exemplified by presenting a preliminary analysis of Danishemployment professionals’ work with Individual Placement and Support, an evidence-based vocationalrehabilitation model for citizens with severe mental health problems. It is exemplified how contradictionsbetween economic, political and cultural status play out in the interaction between employmentprofessionals, citizens with severe mental health problems and employers. As a form of supportedemployment, it relies on a cultural recognition and differentiation of a group of citizens to provide extrapolitical resources in order de-differentiate their status as workers and make them a part of “ordinary”wage labour. In the terms of Fraser, a cultural and political differentiation of citizens is used to counteracteconomic marginalization. This immediately furthers parity in participation. At the same time, it means thatparity in participation is increasingly contingent upon the approval of, negotiation with and/or coercion ofemployers to recognize citizens’ abilities. Furthermore, it potentially changes the relations between theemployment professionals and users, in that increased institutional support is made contingent upon(attempted) participation on the labour market. Thereby, the recognition of differentiated needs istransferred through the state to become a demand to be competitive in the allocative process judged byeconomic criteria. Parity in participation is displaced from the cultural and political to the economic sphere.This entails risks of secondary dynamics of stigmatization, which might further new lines of differentiationbetween various sub-groups of clients. For some, what is intended to be a counter-acting of economicmarginalization might even further commodification of their basic life opportunities, thus contributing to along-term erosion of the social and political conditions for participation in society.It is discussed how the analytical framework of parity in participation can illuminate the contradictions ofspecialized attempts to integrate vulnerable, marginalized and/or stigmatized citizens on the labour marketwithin a universalist welfare model.<br/

Roskilde Universitet

Between invisibility and stigmatization:Parity in participation as a standard for labour market integration of vulnerable groups in contemporary welfare states

Between invisibility and stigmatization:Parity in participation as a standard for labour market integration of vulnerable groups in contemporary welfare states

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Roskilde Universitet