This article reviews how activation policies frame citizens as individual welfare agents. The
analysis focuses on the framing of feeling rules employed by governments that encourage …

The Uses of Social Investment provides the first study of the welfare state, under the new
post-crisis austerity context and associated crisis management politics, to take stock of the …

In the era of “activation,” which is characterized by the decentralization and individualization
of social services, welfare caseworkers play an increasingly important role in shaping the …

On several research trips to Central and Eastern Europe carried out to give this study its
present shape, I met Roma and discussed their situation. Usually, I met them or their …

Engaging public service users as co-producers is expected to lead to more efficient services
and better outcomes. What has been missing so far, however, is a solid theoretical basis to …

This paper discusses recent profound transformations in the post-socialist governance of
welfare states and their impact on the Roma, Europe's most marginalised and vulnerable …

Purpose–This paper aims to investigate public sector reform (PSR) initiatives in Kazakhstan,
and how such reform efforts have helped the government to be more responsive to the …

Most activation policies are based on a simplistic conception of responsibility: behaving
responsibly coincides with quickly reintegrating the labour market. Local welfare agents are …

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to activation policies, then discuss
the capability approach, in particular highlighting a number of key concepts relevant to the …

Recently we have seen the emergence of citizen-led community initiatives and civic
enterprises, taking over governmental tasks in providing public services in various sectors …