Social protection systems that exclude & oppress

The welfare state has predominantly been theorised as a project of social protection and security, solidarity and cohesion, and emancipation and equality that contributes to a nation’s economic prosperity and the wellbeing of its citizen.

However, whereas welfare state institutions offer social protection and possibilities for emancipation to some, they exclude, oppress and inflict violence upon others.

In this talk, Josien addresses the violence of contemporary welfare states by asking how welfare state arrangements – particularly income support and housing – inflict violence on people.

Contemporary welfare state violence

To answer this question, Josien will use exploratory research on the experiences of single mothers in precarious positions (i.e. low levels and insecure forms of income and lack of sufficient support) with welfare state violence in the Netherlands. She argues that contemporary welfare state violence in the Netherlands can be understood as a form of welfare revanchism that entails the marginalisation and disciplining of gendered and racialised subjects.

Moreover, Arts relates contemporary welfare state violence to its history of gendered and racialised oppression, which allows us to understand its (continuous) existence.

This lecture will also be livestreamed, with the option to pose a question in the chat.