Final Report Summary - SPREW (Generational approach to the Social Patterns of Relation to Work)
The SPREW project focused on the factors leading to solidarity or tensions in intergenerational relations, in the area of work. The key objectives were:
- to draw out social patterns of relation to work for different generations, including the gender dimension; to study articulations with other societal fields (family formation and lifestyles, intergenerational relations, social cohesion);
- to develop awareness of public authorities and social actors on the generational dimensions in the relation to work and employment;
- to draw out guidelines for youth policies and ageing policies in this area.
The research process developed into several subsequent steps:
- Analysis of the existing literature on the topics and the drawing up of a framework of hypotheses (desk research)
- Description of the changing over time of the relation to work, its meaning for workers belonging to different generations, the societal consequence of the change (analysis of statistical data, international surveys' data, qualitative research on the field ).
- Highlighting the institutional factors which can lead to solidarity and social cohesion and the ones which may cause tensions among generations (cross-country comparative analysis).
- Providing social actors with useful ideas to manage generations at work (collection of good practices).
The qualitative investigation consisted of 163 individual narratives interviews (round 25 in each country, involving three different group of ages: under 30, from 30 to 50 and over 50; a mix of women and men, employed and unemployed, employees and self-employed workers) and 18 group interviews, in six European countries. The method for analysing narrative interviews was based on a combination of collective hermeneutics and qualitative content analysis.
The quantitative approach was designed in order to map the existing relevant surveys at national, European or international level (European Value Survey, European Social Survey, International Social Survey Programme) that give additional information on the specific issues addressed in SPREW. The objectives of the quantitative approach were to assess the existing statistical sources on these issues in the different countries covered by the consortium and to give guidelines for future surveys on this issue at the European level. It was also to carry out secondary analysis of data when it was possible and relevant. The purpose was not to be exhaustive but to point out interesting initiatives at the level of each country.
After focusing on both targeted qualitative and quantitative empirical information collected through interviews and quantitative analysis in the six countries involved in the project, the empirical approach developed through a selection of 'good practices', regarding the fields investigated during the previous steps of the analysis.
After the large empirical approach, both qualitative and quantitative, and after the appraisal of a collection of good policy practices, the project entered in a participative stage with the organisation of dialogue workshops, both at national and international levels. Six dialogue workshops have been organised (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary and Portugal) and a European dialogue workshop.
The aim of the cross-national comparison was to allow a more in-depth understanding of the relation to work through generations by examining it on the background of institutional and cultural frameworks characterising the different European countries involved in the project. The underlying idea was to compare the evidence of the qualitative and quantitative investigation in the light of the national prerogatives, focusing on both similarities and distinctions in welfare systems, labour market regulation, educational and employment policies and industrial relations can help identifying what circumstances lead to deal more effectively with different, and often competing, needs of generations at work. The researchers adopted, in flexible terms, a neo-institutionalist approach and just refer to other theories while introducing the cross-country report.
From the SPREW results, one could observe that other variables (gender, education, socioprofessional groups, economic development, institutional contexts) may overwhelm the effect of the 'generation' variable. Particularly, 'gender' has a strong influence on the place that work can have in one's life. 'Age' is also an important variable; young people have a more expressive relation to work. The SPREW results were consistent with major surveys, which analyse attitudes towards work, such as the European Value Survey, the European Social survey and the International Social Survey Programme. However, historical and cultural differences among age groups do exist. Although other variables intervene in shaping the relation to work, from the interviews and focus groups generations results seem to be 'objectively' quite differentiated.
Analysing the problem of the balance among generations from the point of view of different theories, one could say that, while both liberal and Nordic countries have the (opposite) capabilities to find their own specific equilibrium. To reach an intergenerational equity, the neo-corporatist and Mediterranean countries have to change some of their traditional institutional factors. The neo-corporatist ones - Germany and Belgium, and partly France - need a change in their corporatist institutions, namely trade unions, which are requested to be more protective of other groups of workers than only the old industrial workers: young people and women. As for Mediterranean countries - Italy, Portugal and to some extent also France - a balanced social redistribution is still lacking. In these countries, we have a redistribution of social protection through the substitution of the 'external' solidarity among generations with an 'intra-familial' one.
The project results did not show the existence of a real 'perception' of conflicting interests by interviewees of different generations: areas of both solidarity and tensions have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the results showed 'objective' differences in the quality of work for the three generations. Then, one should consider the possibility for the future that the consciousness of belonging to a less lucky generation may initiate social tensions.
The comparison with the European policy framework underlines again some distance between the European agenda and the practices initiated by central and local governments or social partners. In particular, the distance concerns:
- the lack of measures addressing the generational unbalance of the social protection benefits (unemployment, family supports, and pensions);
- the lack of a life cycle approach in policies;
- the lack of practices addressing the ageing workforce in the perspective of longer permanence at work.
The research highlights that objective critical aspects exist for each generation (or age group). In particular, also the mid-generation faces specific 'generational' problems (as for their harder involvement in family commitments), while the old 'lucky' ones are the most exposed to company reorganisation. As a consequence, every group has different expectations as far as the quality of working life is concerned.
- to draw out social patterns of relation to work for different generations, including the gender dimension; to study articulations with other societal fields (family formation and lifestyles, intergenerational relations, social cohesion);
- to develop awareness of public authorities and social actors on the generational dimensions in the relation to work and employment;
- to draw out guidelines for youth policies and ageing policies in this area.
The research process developed into several subsequent steps:
- Analysis of the existing literature on the topics and the drawing up of a framework of hypotheses (desk research)
- Description of the changing over time of the relation to work, its meaning for workers belonging to different generations, the societal consequence of the change (analysis of statistical data, international surveys' data, qualitative research on the field ).
- Highlighting the institutional factors which can lead to solidarity and social cohesion and the ones which may cause tensions among generations (cross-country comparative analysis).
- Providing social actors with useful ideas to manage generations at work (collection of good practices).
The qualitative investigation consisted of 163 individual narratives interviews (round 25 in each country, involving three different group of ages: under 30, from 30 to 50 and over 50; a mix of women and men, employed and unemployed, employees and self-employed workers) and 18 group interviews, in six European countries. The method for analysing narrative interviews was based on a combination of collective hermeneutics and qualitative content analysis.
The quantitative approach was designed in order to map the existing relevant surveys at national, European or international level (European Value Survey, European Social Survey, International Social Survey Programme) that give additional information on the specific issues addressed in SPREW. The objectives of the quantitative approach were to assess the existing statistical sources on these issues in the different countries covered by the consortium and to give guidelines for future surveys on this issue at the European level. It was also to carry out secondary analysis of data when it was possible and relevant. The purpose was not to be exhaustive but to point out interesting initiatives at the level of each country.
After focusing on both targeted qualitative and quantitative empirical information collected through interviews and quantitative analysis in the six countries involved in the project, the empirical approach developed through a selection of 'good practices', regarding the fields investigated during the previous steps of the analysis.
After the large empirical approach, both qualitative and quantitative, and after the appraisal of a collection of good policy practices, the project entered in a participative stage with the organisation of dialogue workshops, both at national and international levels. Six dialogue workshops have been organised (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary and Portugal) and a European dialogue workshop.
The aim of the cross-national comparison was to allow a more in-depth understanding of the relation to work through generations by examining it on the background of institutional and cultural frameworks characterising the different European countries involved in the project. The underlying idea was to compare the evidence of the qualitative and quantitative investigation in the light of the national prerogatives, focusing on both similarities and distinctions in welfare systems, labour market regulation, educational and employment policies and industrial relations can help identifying what circumstances lead to deal more effectively with different, and often competing, needs of generations at work. The researchers adopted, in flexible terms, a neo-institutionalist approach and just refer to other theories while introducing the cross-country report.
From the SPREW results, one could observe that other variables (gender, education, socioprofessional groups, economic development, institutional contexts) may overwhelm the effect of the 'generation' variable. Particularly, 'gender' has a strong influence on the place that work can have in one's life. 'Age' is also an important variable; young people have a more expressive relation to work. The SPREW results were consistent with major surveys, which analyse attitudes towards work, such as the European Value Survey, the European Social survey and the International Social Survey Programme. However, historical and cultural differences among age groups do exist. Although other variables intervene in shaping the relation to work, from the interviews and focus groups generations results seem to be 'objectively' quite differentiated.
Analysing the problem of the balance among generations from the point of view of different theories, one could say that, while both liberal and Nordic countries have the (opposite) capabilities to find their own specific equilibrium. To reach an intergenerational equity, the neo-corporatist and Mediterranean countries have to change some of their traditional institutional factors. The neo-corporatist ones - Germany and Belgium, and partly France - need a change in their corporatist institutions, namely trade unions, which are requested to be more protective of other groups of workers than only the old industrial workers: young people and women. As for Mediterranean countries - Italy, Portugal and to some extent also France - a balanced social redistribution is still lacking. In these countries, we have a redistribution of social protection through the substitution of the 'external' solidarity among generations with an 'intra-familial' one.
The project results did not show the existence of a real 'perception' of conflicting interests by interviewees of different generations: areas of both solidarity and tensions have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the results showed 'objective' differences in the quality of work for the three generations. Then, one should consider the possibility for the future that the consciousness of belonging to a less lucky generation may initiate social tensions.
The comparison with the European policy framework underlines again some distance between the European agenda and the practices initiated by central and local governments or social partners. In particular, the distance concerns:
- the lack of measures addressing the generational unbalance of the social protection benefits (unemployment, family supports, and pensions);
- the lack of a life cycle approach in policies;
- the lack of practices addressing the ageing workforce in the perspective of longer permanence at work.
The research highlights that objective critical aspects exist for each generation (or age group). In particular, also the mid-generation faces specific 'generational' problems (as for their harder involvement in family commitments), while the old 'lucky' ones are the most exposed to company reorganisation. As a consequence, every group has different expectations as far as the quality of working life is concerned.
