CONFERENCES ▼

「03. Annual BAGSS Conference

"WHEN THE STATE INTERVENES"

20 - 21 July 2016. Bamberg, Germany.

A CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY GRADUATE STUDENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

// THE CONFERENCE

  
   The Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences (BAGSS) hosted its third annual inter-disciplinary PhD conference in Bamberg from the 20th - 21st July 2017. This year's conference focused on the theme "When the State Intervenes". It brought together nearly 100 graduate students and leading scholars in the field. A number of cross disciplinary sessions ranging from education to migration and normative issues relating to state intervention proved a powerful platform for dynamic and challenging discussions.

The keynote speeches by the President of the International Public Policy Association, Prof. B. Guy Peters on the topic of 'Governing in the Shadows' and the President of the European Association for Population Studies, Prof. Francesco Billari, on the topic of 'The Digitalization of Life and the Life Course' were well attended and perfectly complemented the conference's inter-disciplinary framework. The varied programme also provided plenty of opportunities for idea sharing and networking during the refreshment breaks or the conference dinner. Each of the eight sessions was designed in such a way that an invited senior researcher presented not only his or her latest research, but also provided valuable feedback on the papers presented by the PhD students. Finally, at the end of the conference the participants enjoyed a pleasant conference dinner.


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// A WORD FROM THE ORGANIZERS

▐ Governmental decisions and the resulting state interventions, although seemingly far removed from everyday experiences of ordinary citizens, constantly influence and change our lives and shape the social reality we live in. Therefore, state interventions can be viewed as one of the defining issues that cuts across all social science disciplines.

BY SIMON CHRISTOPH, DIANA KLOSE, AGATA MARIA KRAJ, AND MARC SAUR

   As researchers, we have the opportunity, and even an obligation, to review and potentially influence the debate about measures. Their substance is frequently based on scientific expertise, and even if researchers are not able to directly affect the legislative process, they are still able to evaluate the implementation and the results of such interventions to improve future governmental decision making processes. At the same time, considering the increasing levels of complexity imposed by globalization, it is often difficult for scientists to see a complete picture of the situation. As a result, different facets of the same topic increasingly require multidisciplinary perspectives and diverse research designs tackling the same issues. Therefore, we believe that the topic of state interventions is particularly well-suited for this year’s Annual BAGSS Conference, which is intended as a platform facilitating a dialogue across different disciplines, countries, and experiences.

Beyond the corresponding theoretical underpinnings, the relevance and timeliness of the subject matter of state interventions becomes clear when one considers the current social, economic, and political climate in modern democracies. The effects of changing norms, values, and attitudes across and within those societies urgently require scholarly attention.

   The subtopics of this year’s ABC are closely connected to, and frequently interdependent with, one another. Matters concerning gender identity and diversity are becoming more prominent on the agendas of different European and international institutions. States are increasingly faced with the necessity to either maintain the status quo (often to the discontent of the underprivileged and excluded), or implement appropriate intervening policies promoting equality and inclusiveness among constituents. Such societal changes spark and influence the collective actions of different kinds of actors, highlighting the importance of issues like political representation of women, minorities and underprivileged groups. Moreover, the ever growing number of refugees seeking protection and safety in Europe necessitate the creation of transparent laws granting and regulating their rights within the states hosting them. They also pose questions regarding their integration into the respective societies, both culturally and economically, demanding the creation of innovative educational systems, policies, and facilities that allow them to become active members of society. To make matters more complicated, the European (and world) economy is still recovering from the most recent recession, which exacerbated the already existing inequalities and fueled the growing wave of nationalism and populist rhetoric in the Western world.

   In light of such developments, questions about the necessity of, and limits to, state interventions become inevitable, and require both empirical as well as normative input. The various angles, from which the aforementioned issues will be discussed during our conference, should be seen as different pieces of a puzzle that, put together, create a more complete picture of the rationale and effects of state interventions. Additionally, this Conference, organized by graduate students for graduate students, is designed to provide young international researchers with a platform to present their work, and receive valuable feedback from an expert panel of experienced scholars, thereby spearheading discussions on the most crucial issues in their respective fields of interest. ◼

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Image Credits: © Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences