Press Release (21.11.2025)

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is supporting the Collaborative Research Center 1342 "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" in a third phase for another four years until the end of 2029. In total, over nine million euros have been made available to successfully complete the twelve-year research agenda.

On November 21, 2025, the German Research Foundation's Review Committee for Collaborative Research Centers announced that it would continue to fund CRC 1342 for another four years with over nine million euros. The third funding phase will begin on January 1, 2026.

"We are thrilled about this outstanding success for our university and its partner institutions", commented Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther, President of the University of Bremen. "Over the past eight years, CRC 1342 has established itself as a renowned institution that will now continue to be able to make an important contribution to its interdisciplinary research area for another four years."

Collaborative Research Centers are among the largest and most important research networks supported by the DFG. CRC 1342 began its work in 2018. In addition to SOCIUM as the anchor institute, CRC 1342 involves other research institutes and facilities at the University of Bremen, Constructor University Bremen, Bielefeld University, Marburg University, the University of Bamberg, the University of Mannheim, and the University of Duisburg-Essen. Several non-university research institutes are also participating, including the Research Centre for East European Studies and the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).

In 13 subprojects, around 80 researchers from the fields of political science, sociology, history, geography, law, and computer science are investigating the global effectiveness of state-sponsored social policy. The two funding phases have so far resulted in hundreds of publications in international, peer-reviewed journals, in the form of monographs, anthologies, and policy briefs.

In the third phase, which will begin in January 2026, two project areas will examine how social programs contribute to improving social living conditions and support political integration. In project area A, six subprojects will investigate how social policy affects social and political structures worldwide. In area B, six further subprojects will analyze the social and political consequences of social policy measures in selected countries and regions of the world. The Information Infrastructure Project (INF) will further expand the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS). The web-based, interactive system went online in the second funding phase and has been available to researchers and the public free of charge ever since.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Markus Tepe
University of Bremen
SOCIUM – Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy
Phone: +49 421 218-58520
Email: markus.tepe@uni-bremen.de

Contact:
Dr. Maximilian Hohmann
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57058
E-Mail: hohmann@uni-bremen.de

News about Global Dynamics of Social Policy

The Collaborative Research Center "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" is represented on Bluesky as well as on Mastodon and X. On these channels you will always find the latest news about the CRC 1342.

Furthermore, we also recommend the blog Social Policy Worldwide of the SOCIUM Research Center Inequality and Social Policy at the University of Bremen.

Contact:
Dr. Maximilian Hohmann
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57058
E-Mail: hohmann@uni-bremen.de

27 November 2025, 13:00-14:00 (CET)

Dr. Gulnaz Isabekova-Landau, a postdoctoral researcher in the Collaborative Research Centre 1342, will serve as one of the two discussants in the webinar "Panel discussion on social determinants of tuberculosis". She is part of project B06 "Resource Boom and Social Policy in Authoritarian Regimes. A Means of Securing Regime Stability?".

The webinar will take place on 27 November 2025 from 13:00 to 14:00 (CET). It is organized by the European Respiratory Society, one of the leading medical organizations in the respiratory field, and UNITE4TB, a public-private partnership dedicated to developing more effective treatment regimens and drugs to address drug-resistant tuberculosis.

The webinar will focus on global health equity objectives and tuberculosis control strategies by contributing to a better understanding and improved targeting of common social determinants of tuberculosis, including poverty, poor housing, and malnutrition, among other factors. Participation is free of charge but requires prior registration with the European Respiratory Society.

Further information is available at:

https://channel.ersnet.org/media-114799-panel-discussion-on-social-determinants-of-tuberculosis-a-global-perspective-27-november-2025

Contact:
Dr. Gulnaz Isabekova-Landau
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Research Centre for East European Studies
Klagenfurter Straße 8
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57073
E-Mail: gulnaz@uni-bremen.de

23 and 24 October, 2025, in Geneva

On 23 and 24 October, 2025, the team of project A03 "Worlds of Labour: Coverage and Generosity of Employment Law" held a workshop in the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva. It aimed to communicate and discuss results of A03 eight years of research, including recent publications and the databases on the evolution of labour law.

A particular objective of the workshop was to present to ILO experts and to a broader audience, the recently published book "Constructing Worlds of Labour" edited by Ulrich Mückenberger, Heiner Fechner and Irene Dingeldey, within the CRC 1342-book series. It was co-organised by the CRC A03-team and the ILO-Research Department in cooperation with ILO´s International Labour Standards Department and the Labour Governance Unit.

The format of the workshop was twofold.

A more public part was a hybrid session headed by Aristea Konkiadakis (Research). Here, Irene Dingeldey, Heiner Fechner and Ulrich Mückenberger presented the CRC 1342, the book, and the further results stemming from the two phases of the A03-project. The focus was on the findings in how far employment law has a protective function and in how far it contributes to labour market segmentation – particularly from a gender perspective. From the Norms-Department, Naj Ghosheh commented. The following discussion was constructive. All participants recognised the rich results of the A03-work and the book. However, they underlined the practical und organisational difficulties to effectively overcome legal segmentation.

The second half day was a more internal deliberation on the content, value and future of the databases established by A03 and the WeSIS-team. Opening remarks were delivered by Caroline Fredrickson, Director of Research. Marina Carlino, Heiner Fechner (both CRC), and Jenny Hahs (Institute Institute for Work, Skills and Training, University of Duisburg Essen, but former member of A03) presented the databases (WeSIS, WoL, and HILODB <history of ILO-data base>) developed and used by the project. All three mentioned ILO-departments were attending. The assistant to Corinne Vargha (Director of the Norm Department with whom one of the A03-PIs had a meeting the day before) expressed her interest in the data bases. Claude Donald Loiselle (coordinator of the international cooperation in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) described the history of an OSH-oriented electronical archive which started with enthusiasm and more and more lost ground due to lack of resources and support.

The visit in Geneva took place in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It demonstrated the relevance of our research, from the point of view of the practical ILO-actors. The fact that the "Worlds of Labour" project, in its legal segmentation approach, is substantially critical of certain ILO-norms and activities, was well-accepted. Gender- and race-based normative segmentation seems to be recognised as an important problem in organisations like the ILO. It seems to be a question of both financial and power resources within this organisation to take effective steps against legal segmentation.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Irene Dingeldey
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Institute Labour and Economy
Domshof 26
28195 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-61710
E-Mail: dingeldey@uni-bremen.de

Dr. Heiner Fechner
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49-421-218-57070
E-Mail: hfechner@uni-bremen.de

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mückenberger
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Faculty of Law
Universitätsallee, GW1
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-66218
E-Mail: mueckenb@uni-bremen.de

New Article in "Global Social Policy"

In a new article published in "Global Social Policy", Kerem Gabriel Öktem - working in project B01 on "Mechanisms of Social Policy Diffusion" - and Prof. Lutz Leisering from the University of Bielefeld explore the development of social assistance regimes in middle income countries, with a specific focus on the case of Turkey.

"Emerging social assistance regimes in middle income countries: Turkey in comparative perspective" (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14680181251384653)

Countries in the global South have expanded social security significantly since the late 1990s. What kind of social security are they heading for? Are they following models from the global North, or are genuinely Southern models building up? Focussing on middle income countries (MIC) and on the last safety net, social assistance, the authors investigate the social assistance regime that has emerged in Turkey and situate the Turkish case in the broader context of the global South and North. For this purpose, the authors draw on a rich variety of historical and new Turkish policy documents and on partially self-constructed quantitative data on the global South and North, which was generated by the research project FLOOR:

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/soziologie/forschung/projekte/floorcash/

While most MIC have adopted social assistance programmes, which are a Northern model, the authors find that the institutional design, the objectives, the institutionalisation, and the scale of social assistance differ fundamentally from European models. The case of Turkey confirms this finding, and also exemplifies the formative influence of international organisations, such as the World Bank, on MIC. While some distinctive features may indicate deficiencies of "Southern" social assistance, others may be seen as appropriate adaptations of a Northern model to development contexts.

Contact:
Dr. Kerem Gabriel Öktem
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
E-Mail: oektem@uni-bremen.de

Jour Fixe on 15.10.2025

Dr. Julia Shu-Huah Wang from National Taiwan University was invited by project B01 "Mechanisms of Social Policy Diffusion" to the University of Bremen for the start of the CRC 1342 Jour Fixe event series in the winter semester 2025/26. On 15 October 2025, she gave a lecture entitled "Social Safety Net Features from a Global Perspective".

Abstract

Introduction: While poverty reduction is a primary objective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our understanding of how countries differ in designing social safety nets remains limited. Previous international comparative studies have largely focused on either advanced economies (Gough et al., 1997; Natili, 2020; Nelson, 2012; Marchal & Marx, 2024) or developing countries (e.g., Barrientos, 2013). However, as developing countries rapidly expand their social protection systems and societal challenges increasingly converge across regions, cross-regional comparisons that bridge the Global North and South offer valuable opportunities for mutual learning. This study examines key features of social safety nets in 48 countries across continents. Using newly collected model family data, we compare the generosity levels and family values embedded in social safety net design.

Methods: We use the model family approach to collect income package data for 20 hypothetical household profiles in each of the 48 countries. These profiles vary in income level (e.g., no income, minimum wage, national average wage, and dual earners) and family composition (e.g., single adult, two adults, single parents, and two-parent households with children). Each income package includes labor earnings, welfare benefits, taxes, and social security contributions. Welfare benefits span several categories, including social assistance, housing support, child-related benefits (e.g., child allowances, childcare, and education subsidies), and other targeted subsidies. Data are compiled based on policy rules and government reports in each country. To classify countries, we conduct ward cluster analysis using six indicators across two policy dimensions: generosity across income spectrums: families with no earners, low-wage earners, and average-wage earners; and family values embedded in social safety nets: Individualization, child-focused, and marriage-focused.

Results and Conclusion: Four income-based clusters and three family-value clusters are identified. Specifically, four income-based clusters are: generous for all, generous for lower earnings, generous for average earnings, and least generous. Three family-value clusters are: individualized and pro-marriage, neutral, and child-centered. Results show that more generous welfare systems—whether for all income groups or for lower earners—are significantly less likely to emphasize individualized and pro-marriage values. By contrast, less generous systems are more frequently associated with individualized and pro-marriage orientations or, in some cases, child-centered welfare priorities. Regional patterns show that East Asian societies are generally more generous and pro-child, while most European nations fall into moderately generous and neutral clusters. Developing regions tend to be less generous, yet societies in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa lean toward individualization, while post-Soviet and Eastern European societies tend toward child-centeredness. Liberal welfare societies such as Australia and the United States fall into the generous-for-lower-income and child-focused clusters. This study reveals distinct configurations in the design of social safety nets. By identifying key safety net patterns, this study contributes to theoretical debates on welfare state variation and provides practical insights for policymakers aiming to evaluate and reform their national safety net systems.

Dr. Julia Shu-Huah Wang is an Associate Professor at Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University. Her research focuses on social welfare policies, poverty alleviation interventions, immigration policies, and the well-being of families. She is currently working on several research projects, including global welfare regimes; social safety nets in East Asia; social welfare policies during COVID-19; impacts of social policies on families; and impacts of migration policies. Prior to joining National Taiwan University, she was an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Wang received her Bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University and her PhD degree from Columbia University School of Social Work.

25/26 September 2025

On 25 and 26 September 2025, the workshop "Research Data Management (RDM) for Social Scientists: From Concepts to Daily Work" took place at the University of Bremen. The event was organised by the Collaborative Research Centre 1342 in cooperation with the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS) and was primarily targeted at PhD students, but was open to all other researchers in the social sciences.

The workshop started with the fundamentals of RDM (e.g., the FAIR principles, research data lifecycle, data management plan, metadata, repositories) before getting down to the "nitty-gritty" of integrating RDM practices into daily work routines. At the end of the workshop, the participants were able to understand the basics of RDM and got to know the concepts and rationale of FAIR data. More importantly though, they learned how and why file naming and folder structures on their computer, backup strategies or version control tools ease their research and help them to meet RDM goals.

Contact:
Dr. Nils Düpont
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57060
E-Mail: duepont@uni-bremen.de

September 2025

Prof. Ivo Mossig, Project Director of the Information Management Project (INF), was interviewed for the current September issue of "Geographische Rundschau". In the article, he presents the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS) and provides an overview of the extensive data collection, specific applications, and future development potential.

[PDF Download] "Ivo Mossig, mit Fragen von Franziska Krachten: Globale Entwicklungsdynamiken von Sozialpolitik. Das neue Informationssystem WeSIS". Geographische Rundschau 9-2025: 57.

The magazine is available in print or online on the Westermann Verlag website (paywall).

Since 1949, the magazine "Geographische Rundschau" has been providing monthly updates on current topics and research findings in geography and related disciplines. This makes GR a mirror of its field for schools and universities. The topics covered in the articles and special issues range from spatial focal points and local case studies, countries and continents, to thematic issues in economic geography, urban geography, the environment, sustainability, developing country studies, and globalization trends.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ivo Mossig
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 7
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49-421-218 67410
E-Mail: mossig@uni-bremen.de

27.-29.08.2025, University of Milan

On the occasion of the 23rd Annual Conference of the Network for European Social Policy Analysis, numerous colleagues from the Collaborative Research Centre "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" travelled to the University of Milan. From 27 to 29 August 2025, the conference will focus on the theme "The Welfare State in the 21st Century. On the Edge of a New Era or Back to Basics?".

Professor Herbert Obinger, spokesperson of the CRC 1342, will give the first keynote lecture today, entitled "War, Cold War & the Welfare State". Furthermore, the Information Infrastructure Project (INF) will present the new "Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS)" and give the scientific community the opportunity to try out the interactive system on tablets at an exhibition stand. In addition, many CRC members chair streams or present their current papers.

The detailed programme and further information can be found on the ESPAnet2025 website.

ESPAnet encourages and fosters a multi-disciplinary approach to the analysis of European social policy. It is therefore open to people from a range of disciplines, including social policy, sociology, political science, international relations, history, law and economics. It draws its membership from and defines its remit in relation to countries spanning the European continent, welcoming analysts from western, central and eastern European countries.

Contact:
Dr. Maximilian Hohmann
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57058
E-Mail: hohmann@uni-bremen.de

Out now in open access: Part of the book series "Global Dynamics of Social Policy"

The volume has been edited by the CRC members Andreas Heinrich, Monika Ewa Kaminska, Heiko Pleines, and Tobias ten Brink, bringing together international experts on social policies in socialist and post-socialist countries.

The open access book "The Generosity of Social Policies in Socialist and Post-Socialist States" maps and compares national social policies of socialist and post-socialist countries, examining designs, implementation, and outcomes. It analyses how the generosity of social policies – understood as the combination of their inclusiveness and the scope of benefits they offer – has been conceptualised in different socialist and post-socialist national contexts, how these conceptualisations have shaped the content of social policies, and finally, how the content of social policies has actually been implemented. Thus, the contributions include the ideational, de jure and de facto aspects of social policy in socialist and post-socialist contexts.

With its global perspective on all social policy fields, the edited volume brings together a multitude of projects of the CRC 1342 (i.e., A04, A05, A06, B05, B06, B09, B10, and B12).

Contact:
Dr. Andreas Heinrich
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Klagenfurter Straße 8
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-57071
E-Mail: heinrich@uni-bremen.de

Dr. Monika Ewa Kaminska
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58639
E-Mail: m.e.kaminska@uni-bremen.de

Prof. Dr. Heiko Pleines
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Research Centre for East European Studies
Klagenfurter Straße 8
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-69602
E-Mail: pleines@uni-bremen.de

Prof. Dr. Tobias ten Brink
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy, Research IV and China Global Center
Campus Ring 1
28759 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 200-3382
E-Mail: ttenbrink@constructor.university