Gathering some of the most prominent international scholars in the field of street-level research this conference seeks to advance research on the role of street-level organizations in the delivery of welfare state policies. The conference has traditionally focused on employment and social policies, but the organisers also encourage papers and discussions on other welfare areas.

The conference will provide opportunities for paper presentations within themes that will enable a dialogue between researchers from different contexts. Furthermore, the conference will include keynote presentations and a panel discussion with prominent scholars in the field.

We welcome papers that investigate relations between welfare state reforms and its governance on the one hand and the face-to-face delivery of welfare policies on the other hand. This encourages integrated and cross-disciplinary approaches in order to explore the empirical interfaces and linkages between ways of “doing policy” and “policy delivery” as well as the processes of knowledge dissemination that seek to “inform policy”. We call for papers relating to one or more of the following sub-themes. Please indicate which subtheme the paper will fall within. Furthermore, we offer the opportunity to propose special sessions. Proposals for special sessions need to be submitted no later than 15th of December 2021.

Subthemes

1. Street-level organization and management.

How do street-level organizations adapt to and mediate changing policies, forms of governance and financial conditions and how are the practices at the frontline affected by this?

2. Slb and the citizens as co-producers.

How does the idea of co-production with new institutional and organizational settings, other required qualifications of front-line workers and a changing relation between frontline worker and clients affect how policy is translated in these interactions? And how does such an encounter between street-level workers and citizens/client affect possible outcomes of policy reforms?

3. Creating employer engagement and implications for policy delivery at the street-level.

Employers play an increasing role in active labour market policies, which require new types of relations in the interplay between employers, employment services and unemployed citizens. This increases the demands for skills and practices of street-level workers as “brokers”. What role can and does the employer play in the delivery of employment and social policies? How do employer expectations and employer engagement affect the possibility of the client’s integration on the labour market? What role does street-level organizations play in matching employer and client needs?

4. Digitalisation and its consequences for street-level work.

Digitalisation, AI and the use of algorithms play an increasing role in the delivery of welfare policies and create new types of dilemmas for SLB. This session seeks to investigate different kind of consequences for street-level work.

More sessions based upon incoming proposals to be announced in January 2022 (see important dates below)

Important dates:

• Submission of proposals for special sessions: 15th of December 2021 Please make a short description of the proposed theme including some thoughts about the likely audience/target group of your session. Please also write who will chair the workshop. Special sessions proposals must be emailed to the organisers at slbconference@id.aau.dk.
• Accepted special sessions will be published on the conference website: before 15th of January 2022.
• Abstract submission deadline: 1st of February 2022. 
• Acceptance notifications: 1st of April 2022. 
• Deadline for full paper submission: 1st of June 2022

If more information is needed please contact:

Dorte Caswell, WISER, Department for Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University – Copenhagen Campus. Frederikskaj 10B st., 2450 Copenhagen SV. caswell@socsci.aau.dk 

Flemming Larsen, WISER, Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 1, DK-9220, flemlar@dps.aau.dk 

Marie Østergaard Møller, WISER, Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 1, DK-9220, mol@dps.aau.dk 

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Please check the conference website for further information on how to submit abstracts and register for the conference. Submission of abstracts will open early December 2021 at the latest.