Newsletter 8

Newsletter nr. 8 (December 2007)

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The EFSQ's newsletter's final chord A change after ten years of the European Foundation New activities An engagement with the Institute of Social Studies Our new address from 1st of January 2008 The European Commission's report on Europe's Social Reality The European Social Model and the collaboration with Eurispes Urban practices in The Hague The second Asian Conference on Social Quality (March 2007) The Asian Steering Committee on Social Quality and its office in Bangkok The European Journal of Social Quality, Volume 6, Issue 1 (2006) The European Journal of Social Quality, Volume 6, Issue 2 (2006) The launch of the International Journal of Social Quality

Newsletter nr. 8 (December 2007)

The EFSQ's newsletter's final chord This will be the last independently produced newsletter by the European Foundation. The European Foundation is pleased to announce an agreement with the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) to start a far-reaching collaboration. This will lead to a number of joint projects in an international setting, reaching further than the European context that has been the main focus in the first decade of our existence. Over the past years we have witnessed an increasing interest and commitment to the study and dissemination of the social quality approach across the world, with a particularly deep and wide-ranging interest in Asia. Both developments have convinced us of the need for an Euro/Asian newsletter on the social quality approach in 2008.

A change after ten years of the European Foundation Ten years ago, the European Foundation on Social Quality started with the Amsterdam Declaration on the Social Quality of Europe, solemnly published during the Dutch Presidency of the EU in 1997. Since then the Foundation has established many different partnerships with representatives of more than 70 universities in the European Union. It organized a number of European projects, published books and voluminous reports and it contributed to the publication of the European Journal of Social Quality. In this way it has been enabled to (i) elaborate the theory of social quality, (ii) to develop related methodologies, (iii) to organize projects on aspects of the theory (especially the conditional factors), (iv) to apply these to the public policies of employment, ageing, public health and urban development. Recently, it has started to confront certain aspects of its theory and methodology to the urban context of the City of The Hague, in order to contribute to the European debate on urban issues (including the theme of migrants). Recently it has also been invited to cooperate with a number of Asian Universities. The Foundation contributed to the first Asian conference on social quality, organized by Chiba University in Japan (March 2006) and a second Asian conference on social quality in Taipei (March 2007). As one of the outcomes of this conference an Asian Steering Committee was established to prepare for an Asian social quality approach and a third Asian conference. As announced above, the European Foundation has recently entered a close collaboration with the Institute of Social Studies. This new collaboration marks the end of the first decade of work of the Foundation. It will be celebrated with the publication of a third main study, published by Kluwer Law International, on the current state of its theory and the related 'social quality indicators', preparing for 'sustainable welfare societies. The responsible board members for the work carried out until now are: Alan Walker, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, chair, Laurent J.G. van der Maesen, the Netherlands, director, Jan Winkelhuijzen, the Netherlands, treasurer, Kees Knipscheer, Free University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Teun Jaspers, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, Harry G.J. Nijhuis, Municipality of The Hague, the Netherlands, Georg Vobruba, University of Leipzig, Germany, Wolfgang Beck, The Netherlands, advisor, Peter Herrmann, University of Cork, Ireland, advisor, Jaap Westbroek, Municipality of The Hague, (DISQ), The Netherlands, advisor.

New activities The debates with Asian colleagues have inspired us to look for a new direction. In order to elaborate international partnerships, the Foundation as a tiny legal body needs strong institutional support to be able to operate with, for example, Asian research institutes or universities as well as with international institutes like the United Nations. Furthermore, at the second Asian conference on social quality it was concluded that it is necessary to establish an Asian counterpart, or an Asian Foundation on Social Quality. Many activities have been undertaken to address both challenges. Three general results may be listed here. First, as a result of the willingness of the ISS to create strong bonds with the Foundation, we will develop future activities in the context of this world-leading institute for development studies (see: www.iss.nl), while at the same time both will start collaboration with the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden (www.iias.nl). Second, the Asian Steering Committee on Social Quality (see above), is hoping to develop an Asian Foundation on Social Quality in Bangkok, supported by the King Prajadhipok Institute (KPI). Third, the European Journal of Social Quality will be transformed into the International Journal of Social Quality, supported by a group of European and Asian universities (www.berghahnbooks.com).

An engagement with the Institute of Social Studies The European Foundation is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague in July 2007, to engage in scientific exchanges in the broadest possible sense. This Memorandum concerns activities of research, education, public debate and advisory services, directly leading to two concrete projects. The first project is to further develop the concept of social quality in relation to the current human security approach (especially as seen from the perspective of the United Nations). This project is supported by the International Institute for Asian Studies. It concerns studies on the question 'what does human security have to say to social quality and vice versa?'. An important starting point is the United Nation's report by Amartya Sen and Sadako Ogata, published in 2003: Human security now, protecting and empowering people. The inspiration for the human security approach as well as the social quality approach may be explained by the ambition to formulate an answer to the neo-liberal policies that commercialise all aspects of nature and human existence. People are social beings and not utilitarian atoms of nations. The ambition of both approaches is to gather better knowledge about mechanisms that influence economic, cultural, demographic and political transformations in regions and large cities. In which way do the human security approach and the social quality approach try to analyse these mechanisms in order to explain daily life circumstances? This will hopefully lead to a public debate organised at a large-scale IIAS-conference in Korea, August 2009. The project-group may also function as a new think-tank for 'The Hague Process on Refugees and Migration', a global project supported by the Municipality of The Hague for developing partnerships between business, government and civil society, to address related issues. The recent ISS-conference on migration and human security that took place in August 2007 might deliver important starting points for this project-group. A second project to arise out of the Memorandum concerns the exploration of public policies of the City of The Hague with regard to migration and citizenship. The project is called 'Civil Society Participation, Community Development and Urban Governance'. It will examine a range of concepts and initiatives that have been used effectively to encourage community development and civil society participation in urban cities, in line with promoting a multi-culturally enriched and more inclusive and caring urban society and environment. More specifically, the project will study ten European cases, which are relevant to this objective and can signal conceptual and political innovation and value at both Dutch and European level. These findings can be used to interrogate and inform the content and direction of The Hague policies on these issues. It will also be a contribution to the European debate on this topic.

Our new address from 1st of January 2008 As a result of the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Foundation of Social Quality and the ISS the new address will be: EFSQ/ISS Kortenaerkade 12 2518 AX The Hague The Netherlands Telephone +31 70 426 0460 Fax: +31 70 426 0799 Email: EFSQ@iss.nl www.socialquality.org

The European Commission's report on Europe's Social Reality In September 2007 a Consultation Paper was published by the Bureau of European Policy Advisors, called 'Europe's Social Reality'. It is of interest to notice that the most important part of this report has been dedicated to the 'Social Quality' of the European Union. The authors of the report, Roger Liddle and Fréderic Lerais, argue: 'How can the social well-being of all Europe's citizens be best advanced within a globalising world? This question should be at the heart of everything the EU and its Member States do. Public policy imperatives, such as 'Growth and Jobs', the Lisbon strategy, and the drive for greater competitiveness are not ends in themselves - but means to an end - the well-being of European citizens. Citizens may not have a precise definition of what they mean by wellbeing, but the broad concept that well-being embraces something more than the material living standards that our societies as a whole achieve, is well understood. The conventional view is that greater economic openness drives the innovation and productivity growth that in turn creates the jobs and prosperity on which well-being and a better quality of life ultimately depend. But in recent years it has become clear that a significant number of European citizens see globalisation, liberalisation and the drive for greater competitiveness as much as a threat to their well-being as a facilitator of it. Why should this be so? What is at the root of the insecurities that people feel and which result in resistance to openness and a reluctance to face economic change with confidence?' The European Foundation will send comments on this paper based on the current state of affairs of the social quality approach and its current global activities.

The European Social Model and the collaboration with Eurispes In the last couple of years the European Foundation has established closer links with research Instituto Di Studi Politici Economici e Sociali (Eurispes) in Rome and the related network in Italy, and as a result of this, with the University of Bremen and the Free University in Berlin. It has been agreed to work on a new definition of the European Social Model or preferably called European Social Development approach, especially in relation to social quality. In the context of the Foundation's activities, related preparatory work was carried out on behalf of its Journal. In Volume 6, Issue 1 of the European Journal of Social Quality attention has been paid to different aspects of the European discourse on the social model. This topic will be elaborated from the perspective of Social Quality in the Foundation's forthcoming third book, in order to prepare for further collaboration with Eurispes. The interesting theme of 'precarity' was discussed in relation to the common sense idea of a European social model at a conference of the Free University in Berlin, February 2007. In a recent Eurispes report, based on the outcomes of the discussions, it was suggested to try and overcome the classical theory of democracy, founded upon the direct relationship between state and citizen. In the new European model (or approach) the value of a third subject is recognized and prioritised, namely 'civil society'. The recognition of 'civil society' promotes and guarantees its autonomy with reference to the positive role played by its intermediary bodies. In this prosperous context the theme of 'precarity' can be investigated. This will be accompanied by further research to which the social quality approach will deliver a contribution. The concept of precarity in the European context refers to the fundamental vulnerability of some categories of people like lowest ranks employees, some specific groups of migrants, women or older people. This is caused by some dysfunctional aspects of modern production and distribution systems and the nature of certain parts of modern urban contexts. The concept refers also to recent output of research on the conditional factors of social quality.

Urban practices in The Hague For quite some time the Foundation has been working on urban experiments in The Hague in cooperation with several NGO's. The goal is to empirically test the social quality theory and make it available and useful to a wider public from diverse policy fields. Recently the Foundation has published a new series of interviews with experts connected with the quarter 'Laak Noord' in The Hague, in order to analyze the consequences of the highly fragmented approaches and funding systems for renewing aspects of urban circumstances. Especially the newcomers (migrants) are, in one or the other way, victims of the lack of dynamic in urban processes. Based on the theory of the four conditional factors of social quality, proposals are made on how to prepare for a more comprehensive urban approach. Currently the Foundation is in the process of negotiations to make the output of these experiments available for other cities in Europe. The results might be used at the Eurocities conference in November 2008 on 'Sustainable Urban Development; Modern Citizenship and Integrated Governance at Crossroads'. In the meantime the Foundation has contributed to the development of a Centre for Modern Urban Studies in The Hague, connected with the University of Leiden, to support new dynamic processes of community participation and development with the help of modern research forms.

The second Asian Conference on Social Quality (March 2007) In March 2007, the second Asian Conference on Social Quality took place, organised by the National Taiwan University. The purpose was, first, to explore the concept of sustainable welfare societies for Asian countries, compared to the traditional welfare state approaches in Europe. This theme was prepared at the first Asian conference on social quality in Japan, March 2006. The hypothesis was that European welfare state approaches are not really suitable for comparisons of Asian and European societies. The focus should be on the reciprocity between state interventions and the role of a fragmented civil society, as well as the possibilities for sustainable well-being development to fully understand the current Asian transformations. A related challenge is, second, to theorise the concept of sustainability. As explained at the conference, approaches related to economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social-political sustainability lack a theoretical connection and are under elaboration in different paradigmatic approaches. The global challenge is to create a robust interpretation of sustainability at meta-level, in order to relate these three strands in a scientific way, and thus to prepare for related consistent and coherent public policies. The conceptual framework of social quality may contribute to this challenge. The third purpose concerns a preliminary exploration of the recent indicators of social quality in China, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. The publication of Volume 5 (Issues 1 & 2) of the European Journal of Social Quality on the first outcomes of the assessment of social quality indicators in fourteen European countries formed the basis for this. The question is, if these indicators are adequate to measure the nature and changes for Asian circumstances of the four conditional factors in these countries. The highly inspiring lectures on the outcomes of these explorations in these Asian countries will be elaborated for publication in the new International Journal of Social Quality. After the conference, the National Taiwan University started an Asian research-group for developing and elaborating social quality indicators, based on these preliminary explorations as well. The first workshop supported by European experts and the European Foundation took place in October 2007. The results are important for the work of the Asian Steering Committee on Social Quality.

The Asian Steering Committee on Social Quality and its office in Bangkok As described above an Asian steering Committee on Social Quality with members from 10 Asian countries was established at the second Asian conference on Social Quality. The aim is to further develop the theory of social quality in the South-East Asian region, as well as to establish an Asian office on Social Quality. As a result of the decisions of the first meeting in March 2007 several discussions have taken place in Bangkok to explore the possibilities for an Asian office, supported by the King Prajadhipok Institute. In the meantime other strategic plans have been made by the Steering Committee. First, to start an Asian research-group on the development of social quality indicators. Second, the preparation of an Asian research-group on ageing and social quality. The conference by the IIAS and the Taiwanese National Science Council on public and private old-age security arrangements in Asia and Europe in September 2007, functioned as a good starting point for this. Thirdly, meetings took place to start the preparation of a Chinese network of universities to study and discuss the social quality approach, in order to develop new forms of contribution to public policies in China. Fourthly, the development of an International Journal of Social Quality has been encouraged. The Asian Steering Committee on Social Quality consists of: Tetsuo Ogawa, Chiba University, Japan, chair, M. Ramesh, National Singapore University, vice chair, Nugroho Abikusno, Trisakti University, Indonesia, vice chair, Deborah Mitchell, Australian National University, vice chair, Moneer Alam, Delhi University, India, Raymond Ngan, City University of Hong Kong, Ka Lin, Nanjing University, China, Sen Gong, Developing Research Centre, China, Lillian Wang, National Taiwan University, Keong-Suk Park, Seoul National University, South-Korea, Sharifah Norazizan, University Putra, Malaysia, Paul Ward, Flinders University, Australia, Alan Walker, Sheffield University, UK, chair EFSQ, advisor, Laurent van der Maesen, director of the EFSQ, advisor, Dave Gordon, Bristol University, UK, advisor.

The European Journal of Social Quality, Volume 6, Issue 1 (2006) The European Journal of Social Quality publishes its sixth and last Volume this year. The first issue is dedicated to a highly relevant theme, namely the European discourse on the social model. According to the editorial, a central question running through several papers relates to convergence: are European societies converging and, if so, then to what are they converging? Is the European Social Model still viable or is the enlarged EU moving inexorably towards a 'race to the bottom'? The content of the issue is: - David Philips: Editorial: Social Quality, Values, Convergence and the European Social Model, - Paule-Monique Vernes: Social Quality in Rousseau, - Peter Herrmann: Social Quality - Opening Individual Well-Being for a Social Perspective, - Ton Korver, Peter Oeij: Covenants, External Effects and Employability, - Gábor Juhász: Exporting or Pulling Down? The European Social Model and Eastern Enlargement of the EU, - Denis Bouget: Convergence in Social Welfare Systems: From Evidence to Explanations, - Jan Berting: Uniting Europeans by Values: A Feasible Enterprise?

The European Journal of Social Quality, Volume 6, Issue 2 (2006) This second issue of the final volume of the European Journal is dedicated to modern public health and the social quality approach. It will appear at the end of 2007. The issue is edited by guest editor Paul Ward from Flinders University, Australia and will explore the utility, relevance and operationalisation of the theory of social quality for public health policy and practice. Paul Ward writes in his editorial: 'As such, the Theory of Social Quality has great potential in public health by acting as a mechanism of (or conduit for) 'knowledge transfer' between research and policy/practice. It can provide the theoretical framework for understanding public health problems in addition to engaging with the policy relevant domains: a lens through which academics, policy makers and public health practitioners can understand and conceptualise their 'lifeworlds' in addition to developing meaningful outcomes. In other words, the Theory of Social Quality can make sense of theory, policy and practice, thus facilitating dialogue between members of the respective 'camps'. It will contain articles from: - Paul Ward, Paul Redgrave and Cathy Read: Operationalizing the Theory of Social Quality: Theoretical and Experiential Reflections from the Development and Implementation of a Public Health Programme in the UK, - Ota de Leonardis: Social Capital and Health, Research Findings and Questions on a Modern Public Health Perspective, - Johan van de Kerckhove: Towards a New Philosophy in the Prevention Strategy on Health and Safety at Work: Pro-activity and Well-being, - Peter Oeij, Steven Dhondt & Noortje Wiezer: Conditions for Low-Stress Risk Jobs: Europe's Case, - Paul Bissell: Social Capital and Community Pharmacy: an exploratory study, - Peter Taylor-Gooby: The Rational Actor Reform Paradigm: Delivering the Goods but Destroying Public Trust, - Paul Ward: Trust, Reflexivity and Dependence: A 'Social Systems Theory' Analysis in/of Medicine, - Denis Bouget: a Book review of David Phillips's book Quality of Life, Concept, Policy and Practice, 2006. As explained above this will be the last issue of the European Journal of Social Quality, as it will be transformed into the International Journal of Social Quality (see below). Since 1999 the European Journal of Social Quality has produced 12 issues about the theory and methodology of social quality, analyses of aspects of the four conditional factors for social quality and the confrontation to different policy areas as ageing, public health, urban issues, employment, citizenship. These may function as interesting starting points for the evolution of the theory as a new instrument for public policies in Europe, Asia and other continents. (see www.berghahnbooks.com)

The launch of the International Journal of Social Quality The European Journal of Social Quality was launched in 1999 and since then has steadily built its academic reputation and readership both within and beyond Europe. Over the past three years there has been an increasing interest in and commitment to the study and dissemination of the social quality theoretical perspective across the world, with a particularly deep and wide-ranging interest in Asia. In the light of these developments there is a pressing need for an academic journal covering social quality across the world and not just from a European perspective. Therefore we are pleased to announce that the European Journal of Social Quality is being transformed into the International Journal of Social Quality. As well as broadening its geographical range, the journal is also expanding its purpose to promote the discussion and analysis of contemporary political, economic, social, legal, cultural and environmental issues in order to contribute to the debate on sustainable welfare societies. It seeks to find common social and philosophical grounds to emphasise the importance of the social sphere and of civil dialogue and contribute to the social quality of societies. The start of the International Journal of Social Quality is strongly supported by the National Taiwan University. The first issues will be dedicated to the output of the first two Asian conferences on Social Quality: 1. the debate concerning the changing European perspective from 'welfare state societies' to 'sustainable welfare societies', as inspired by Asian input, 2. the concept of sustainability (integrating economic, environmental and social-political aspects), 3. the role of the social quality approach concerning the debate on sustainable welfare societies, 4. the application to public policies, preparing for world-wide sustainable welfare societies, 5. the first explorations of social quality indicators in Asian countries to further develop the social quality approach, 6. to connect the above with the global debate on human security and human development. The new Editorial Board (to be enlarged with editors from other continents) is formed by: Dave Gordon, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, Moneer Alam, Delhi University, India, Laurent J.G. van der Maesen, European Foundation on Social Quality, the Netherlands, Deborah Mitchell, Australian National University, Raymond Ngan, City University, Hong Kong, Tetsuo Ogawa, Chiba University, Japan, David Phillips, University of Sheffield, United Kindom, Lillian Wang, National Taiwan University.