Full Description
This book reviews how local social and employment policy fields react to the European Social Fund (ESF) to determine the role of the ESF in local activation policies. Drawing on both sociology and political science literature on welfare state reforms, the author examines what shapes local policy reactions to ESF and what effects these reactions have on change in local policy fields.
Comparing data from 18 local case studies across 6 European countries, and deploying an innovative mixed-method approach, the book presents comparative evidence on everyday challenges in the context of the ESF and discusses how these findings are applicable to other funding schemes.
Contents
Introduction
Social and employment policies in Europe from a multilevel perspective
Domestic responses to European money: a theoretical perspective
The research programme in a nutshell
Comparative insights into local responses to the ESF
What responses under what conditions? Formal QCA analyses and preliminary interpretations
Beyond numbers: Using case-study insights to support interpretation
A broader perspective on local policies and the European Social Fund
Conclusion
