In this session of the Social Investment Working Group, Wim Van Lancker will present his research.
‘The Matthew effect critique on social investment: what it is (not) and how to move forward.’
Speaker: Wim Van Lancker, KU Leuven
In this talk I revisit the Matthew effect critique of social investment and argue for a more rigorous theoretical and empirical foundation in comparative social policy research. Moving beyond polarized debates, I will position the Matthew effect not merely as a critique of short-term redistributive outcomes, but as a middle-range theory that helps unpack the causal mechanisms underlying social investment policies. I will highlight persistent challenges of internal, external and construct validity, and advocate for a mechanism-based, deductive approach that links macro-level policies to micro-level behavior and back to macro outcomes. The aim is to demonstrate how taking seriously the Matthew effect will advance more generalizable insights into what works, for whom, and under which conditions, and will strengthen the analytical and policy relevance of the social investment approach.
‘The politics of the three worlds of social investment policies.’
Speaker: Bruno Palier, Sciences Po
In this presentation Bruno Palier will rely on the two WOPSI volumes to first present their own typology of social investments based on the differentiation of both policy functions and distributive profiles (distinguishing inclusive, stratified and targeted social investment strategies and policies), and then present the politics of the three types of social investment policies, emphasizing the various types of political coalitions behind the various types of social investment strategies and then the expected social consequences of their implementation.
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