FIS Forum and Social Policy Biennale 2024

FIS Forum and Social Policy Biennale 2024: Lost in Social Policy? Research for an Integrated Welfare State

06.-08.11.2024 / Berlin, GLS Campus

Thematic focus

Social policy today is characterized by rapid changes in individual fields, pressure on public administration and a plethora of social benefits and social infrastructures that are difficult to navigate for those entitled to them. The resulting fragmentation of social policy as well as the interdependencies in provision and the problems of coordination between different policy areas are increasingly seen as a challenge for adequate service provision and for the overall acceptance of the welfare state. Social policy research has certainly addressed these issues and presented work on interdepartmental and cross-level cooperation in policy formulation, user-friendly administrative structures, digitalization, and coordination management – mostly for selected areas of social policy or specific coordination problems. However, there is still a lack of overarching concepts on how to organize social policy in a way that promotes participation and ensures customized and easier access to benefits, services and infrastructure for citizens and at the same time, simplifies administrative processes and improves cooperation between the many actors involved in social policy.

Against this background, this year’s FIS Forum and Social Policy Biennale invite research inputs aimed at designing better-integrated social policy – ensuring not only adequate service provision but also enhancing cooperation and accessibility from the perspectives of practitioners, policy-makers, citizens, and administrators.

Conference highlights

Here you can find an overview of our conference highlights. The entire programme, including our 16 panels in both German and English, can be accessed here.

Day 1 – November 6, 2024

• Plenary lecture
  Fragmentierung der Sozialpolitik. Schnittstellenprobleme und Optimierungsmöglichkeiten
  Jörg Bogumil (Professur für Politikwissenschaft/ Öffentliche Verwaltung, Stadt- und Regionalpolitik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
  
  
• Plenary lecture
  Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
  
  
• Evening event
  Zukunftsforum – Auf dem Weg zu einer integrierten Sozialpolitik. Herausforderungen, Chancen und Forschungsansätze
  Moderation: Tina Groll
  
  Guests:
  Sybille Stöbe-Blossey (Professor of Political Science, University of Duisburg-Essen)
  Julia Schwanholz (Professor of Political Science, University of Duisburg-Essen)
  Stefan Nacke (Member of the German Bundestag, CDU Party)
  Martin Rosemann (Member of the German Bundestag, SPD Party)                                                                   
  Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn (Member of the German Bundestag, Bündnis 90/Green Party)

Day 2 – November 7, 2024

• Book presentation and round-table:
  “Handbuch Kommunale Sozialpolitik”
  
  Editors:
  Antonio Brettschneider (Technische Hochschule Köln)
  Stephan Grohs (Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer)
  Nora Jehles (Technische Universität Dortmund)

• Networking and poster tour
• Conference Dinner

Panels in English

Panel 5: Social Conflicts and Social Policy
Panel 9: Various Perspectives on Basic Income Support in Germany

Day 3 – November 8, 2024

• Keynote
  Anke Hassel (Professor of Public Policy, Hertie School, Berlin)

• Round-table discussion: "Social Policy from an intersectional perspective. Why, how and by whom?"
  Chair: Katrin Menke
  
  Discussants:
  Katrin Lange (ISS: Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik, Frankfurt am Main)
  Fiona Williams (University of Leeds)

• Round-table discussion: The Radical Right and Social Policy
  Chair: Tina Groll
  Input: Philip Rathgeb (University of Edinburgh)
  Discussants: Daphne Halikiopoulou (University of York)