Explaining transformations of care in European societies

Analytical and methodological challenges

SPEAKER

Margarita León, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)

DESCRIPTION

European countries are confronted with similar demographic, social and financial pressures in relation to their need to develop their care regimes although the policy responses to those pressures vary significantly among the different countries. An interesting research question then becomes the extent and nature of the ‘care deficit’ problem in European societies and how effective the different care regimes are in dealing with these problems through policy innovation. However, in comparative research the definition (and distinction between) of dependent and independent variables is often underspecified deriving in problems of causality.

The presentation discussed the ‘care deficit’ issue using as dependent variables quantity and quality of care and working conditions of carers and the institutional and socio-economic contexts where the care sector is embedded as the independent variables. An attempt to specify these variables, their interactions and the indicators that will measure them, in a theoretically meaningful way, was made. Moreover, given the nature of these dependent and independent variables, research often needs to combine quantitative/qualitative analyses on the one hand with cross-national/in-depth national case studies on the other. The presentation reflected on these methodological challenges when comparing recent developments in care provision across countries.

International Seminar

EVENT DETAILS

International seminar
22/03/2016

VENUE

European Centre