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Co-Creation in an era of Welfare Conditionality – Lessons from Denmark

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

FLEMMING LARSEN Open the ORCID record for FLEMMING LARSEN [Opens in a new window]  and
DORTE CASWELL
FLEMMING LARSEN
Affiliation:
Professor, Flemming Larsen, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 1, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark email: flemlar@dps.aau.dk
DORTE CASWELL
Affiliation:
Professor, Dorte Caswell, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University, Frederikskaj 10B, 2450CopenhagenSV email: caswell@socsci.aau.dk
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Abstract

Welfare conditionality, and the underlying understanding of unemployment because of lack of motivation, has been widely criticized. This article analyses if and how more co-created services can be a pathway to address some of these challenges. As Denmark currently is moving towards a softening of welfare conditionality for the vulnerable unemployed, and local authorities try to develop models ‘in between’ welfare conditionality and genuine user involvement, this constitute a good case for analysing this question. The analysis build on comprehensive ethnographic data from a four-year research- and innovation project in six Danish municipalities. The employment services in the project have tried to design new strategies involving clients in the development and implementation of services. Among other things, this includes developing integrated services, qualifying the meeting and the talk between front-line workers and clients, engaging the employer side and NGO’s outside the public services and promoting other measures to ensure real involvement of the citizens in the processes. The analysis lists some of the potentials and pitfalls in these innovative processes and reflects upon the feasibility of such new type of co-created services.

Keywords

co-creationco-productionwelfare conditionalityemployment servicesinnovation
Type
Article
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 51 , Issue 1 , January 2022 , pp. 58 - 76
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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