Globalisation and Gender
The relative impact of endogenous and exogenous forces, such as those found in the process of globalisation, on the nature of gender relations remains a topic in need of empirical and detailed research.
Description
This research gap shall be addressed, focusing on the complex relationship between different political levels and their influences on each other in two countries – France and Germany. In accordance with the project’s multidisciplinary nature, selected research objectives are economic, while others are predominately political. The basic assumption is that individual welfare in industrialized welfare states depends largely on monetary income. Access to the labour market not only determines the active income (salary) but also the passive income (pensions) and most of the derived transfer payments. The different gender effect of “commodification” (access to and dependency on the labour market) in France and Germany justifies the choice of the comparative case study. The aim is to explore the triangular relationship and mutual interdependency between market, state and society. To reflect the whole picture, analysis of exogenous-driven change of the market order shall be complemented by simultaneous analysis of the endogenous-driven change of the social order, in particular the gender order. A link between these two transformation processes shall be established. The analytical framework is conceived as a multi-layer “waterfall-model”. As with a natural waterfall, different main levels have been selected (here: five): the global, the supranational or European level, the national level, and finally the regional and local levels. From these lower levels it is expected that two-way linkages and interrelationships with adjacent higher levels will be visible. Consequently, the question arises: how are these levels articulated and how does this three-dimensional dynamic interrelationship (change in market order, change of social/gender order, and change of welfare state order) manifest itself concretely? At the global level, a literature review will be conducted, addressing the economic dimension of globalization and the direct impact of selected historical events, such as the transformation of the GATT into the WTO in 1994; secondly, the role of selected global governance institutions vis à vis labour market regulation policies, pension reforms and gender equality issues; and finally, the indirect welfare effects of global governance policies. At the supranational level, the role of European economic integration, and more specifically, the direct impact of the monetary union and the different treaties, and the role of the European central bank will be analysed; secondly, the indirect welfare effects of European labour market policies, the pension system, and gender mainstreaming. A short literature review on national welfare systems and industrial relation systems will be performed. Empirical fieldwork carried out in Germany and France on the regional/local labour market and social structure, taking the example of a set of Franco-German twin-towns, will identify local problems in order to assess the local and regional impact of significant global/European/national events. The articulation and interrelation of different levels will be examined concentrating on the possible adaptation of macro policy formulation to the needs, claims or resistance of the local level and vice versa, if a local action initiates policy formulation at the higher levels.