EUROSHIP has collected and analysed new primary data from seven European countries: Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The data collection and analyses have taken place in three steps:
1. The research teams have synthesised policy documents and existing statistics and findings from earlier research on (i) minimum income policies, (ii) the role of the welfare state in fostering the financial independence of young people, (iii) policies to foster work and family life balance for precarious workers, (iv) institutional constellations of long-term care, and (v) the effect and need to adapt social protection policies to the digitalized economy. Additionally the project has critically assessed the adequacy and suitability of existing EU social indicators and mapped the extent of poverty and social exclusion across Europe.
2. The research teams have collected a set of coordinated semi-structured life-course interviews with women and men from three different generations (born around 1945-1950, 1975-1980 and 1990-1995). The data set has allowed us to examine the historical changes in opportunities for exercising social citizenship, as reflected in the subjective narratives of the individuals. Using a common guide of topics the team has interviewed women and men in each age cohort in each of the 7 countries (207 interviews in total). The life course perspective has allowed the researchers to analyse the lived experiences of women and men in their exercise of social citizenship in different stages of life.
3. The research teams have conducted interviews with other relevant informants (policy experts from the government, labour and civil society organisations) in each of the seven countries in which the EUROSHIP project has done fieldwork (70 interviews in total) and 16 interviews at the EU level. The interviews have been semi-structured, following a common interview guide in all the countries. The research teams have additionally collected data from an online survey with 29 representatives of national statistical offices and social indicator experts.
Through the active involvement of national and European stakeholders, and the organization of focus forums with stakeholder representatives in the seven countries, EUROSHIP has developed policy recommendations on how to strengthen social citizenship at the national and EU level.
The results demonstrate that more needs to be done to enforce people’s right to a minimum income in line with Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which is why EUROSHIP has called for a legally binding Directive on an Adequate Minimum Income. Moreover, stronger and better governance of the social dimension of the EU is needed. The EUROSHIP Policy Briefs provide more detailed and policy specific recommendations.
As of September 2023 the research teams have published 10 journal articles and book chapters, 1 PhD dissertation, 33 EUROSHIP working papers and 10 policy briefs (available on the EUROSHIP website). The research teams are currently preparing edited volumes from the project. The team has also produced an animation film and several videos (available on YouTube).
