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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.
Lees meer'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
Lees meerWelfare Futures Recap: Eline Westra over universaliteit en inclusiviteit
Tijdens de Welfare Futures-sessie van juni gaf Eline Westra een lezing over haar promotieonderzoek naar de geschiedenis van sociaal beleid in Nederland. Hoewel dit beleid vaak als universeel en inclusief wordt gepresenteerd, toonde Westra aan hoe het in werkelijkheid diepgeworteld is in koloniale en geracialiseerde structuren die groepen zoals Surinaamse Nederlanders systematisch marginaliseren. Eline haar historische en etnografische werk legt verborgen dynamieken in welzijnssystemen bloot en is daarmee van groot belang.
Lees meerWelfare Futures Recap: Ruth Prince over solidariteit, precariteit en de grenzen van sociale bescherming in Kenia
De openingslezing van onze Welfare Futures-seminarreeks werd verzorgd door professor Ruth Prince. Zij sprak over druk, precariteit en de grenzen van solidariteit in Kenia, met bijzondere aandacht voor hoe sociale en financiële beschermingsmechanismen daar worden vormgegeven. Prince liet zien hoe idealen van universele gezondheidszorg en sociale bescherming in de praktijk botsen met neoliberale hervormingen, beperkte publieke middelen en de groeiende rol van private spelers.
Lees meer“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.
Lees meerWelfare 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.
Lees meerBureaucratic 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.
Lees meerThe 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".
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