Nouvelles
Anouk de Koning delivers her inaugural lecture on the ‘Intimate State’
On June 6, 2025, anthropologist Anouk de Koning delivered her inaugural lecture at the University of Amsterdam, titled The Intimate State: Remaking Political Landscapes in the Netherlands. In her lecture, she explored how the Dutch welfare state has, since 2015, been transformed into an "intimate state"—a seemingly human, close, and participatory government that carries out its social responsibilities through neighborhood teams and collaborations with citizens.
En savoir plus'Advocacy by and for refugees in Rotterdam' door Lieke van der Veer
Lieke van der Veer’s lecture “Advocacy by and for refugees in Rotterdam” explores how refugee-led initiatives in Rotterdam navigate the tension between local engagement and bureaucratic demands. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, Van der Veer shows how ‘bridge-builders’ with a migration background operate within a landscape shaped by social inequality, policy jargon, and racial power dynamics. The lecture takes place on 16 September 2025 and is part of the Welfare Futures Seminar series
En savoir plus“Revisiting ‘Universality’ and ‘Inclusivity’ by Eline Westra
Eline Westra's lecture "Revisiting 'Universality' and 'Inclusivity': on the Racial and Colonial Dimensions of Dutch Social Policy" examines the racial and colonial dimensions of social policy in the Netherlands. This lecture is part of the Welfare Futures Seminar series and takes place on May 6, 2025.
En savoir plusWelfare future seminar by Ruth Prince: Pressure, precarity and the limits of solidarity
In the next Welfare Future Seminar, Ruth Prince will talk about understanding support systems in Kenya and formal and informal protection networks in her talk 'Pressure, precarity and the limits of solidarity: Navigating relations between formal and informal forms of social protection amidst class closure in Kenya.' This seminar takes place on the 7th of April in Amsterdam.
En savoir plusBureaucratic Feelings by Ed Kiely: upcoming Welfare Futures Seminar
Ed Kiely will present at our upcoming Welfare Futures seminar. On March 4th, they will talk about "Bureaucratic Feelings: Knowledge production, affective regulation and the administration of austerity." In this talk Kiely investigates the role of affect in the planning and delivery of public services.
En savoir plusThe Gluttonous State: upcoming Welfare Futures Seminar
Anouk de Koning will host the second edition of the Welfare Futures Seminar on February 4, 2025. In her talk 'The Gluttonous State: Remaking State and Society in the Netherlands', she argues that widespread policy desires for nearby, collaborative, and activating welfare programs generate a "gluttonous state".
En savoir plusWelfare revanchism - Welfare Futures Seminar
The next edition of the Welfare Futures seminar series will be held on 2 December. Dr. Josien Arts (sociology, UvA) will give a talk on "Welfare revanchism: Single mothers' experiences of welfare state violence in the Netherlands."
En savoir plusWhat do an American football game and the Dutch welfare state have in common?
What do an American football game and the Dutch welfare state have in common? If we look closely, we’ll find that both rely on the tireless work of their ‘cheerleaders’. In this blog, Vénicia Sananès explores this idea of cheerleaders. In the Dutch welfare state, welfare professionals act as ‘cheerleaders. As their cheerleading efforts become increasingly essential, it may be helpful to ask: does this unwavering positivity truly rally and support residents, or does it prevent them from addressing deeper, structural problems?
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