Social Work in the Changing Welfare State

Dr. habil. Alban Knecht is a research associate at the Department of Educational Science at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria.

“The book provides an insight into Austrian youth employment policy. Austria is often seen as a role model in this area at the European level. This is certainly a correct diagnosis, but it is also worth taking a closer look here, which puts some overly positive reports into perspective. Alban Knecht’s book offers such a closer look.“ Johann Bacher, Social Work Education, May 2024

• List of tables and figures1 Youth employment promotion in the changing welfare state1.1 Challenges at the transition from school to vocational training1.2 Changes in the welfare state and the increasing socio-political importance of education1.3 Changes in the framework conditions of social work1.4 Structure of the work2 The Resource Theory perspective as a theoretical framework2.1 Resource Theory (IMTM) at a glance2.2 Resource Theory (IMTM) as a multidimensional theory of inequality2.3 Resource Theory (IMTM) as a socio-political theory2.4 Resource Theory (IMTM) in social work2.5 Understanding the mechanisms of resource distribution by analysing discourses and institutions – the role of political guiding principles and mission statements3 Changing discourses on labour market policies for youth and youth employment promotion3.1 Notes on design and method3.2 Public discourses on youth unemployment and labour market policies for youth3.3 The discourses of experts and professionals and their political significance3.4 Discourses of professionals working in the field and subjectification by young people3.5 Results of the discourse analysis4 Institutional changes of youth employment support in the government coalitions in Austria (2000–2020)4.1 ÖVP-FPÖ-Coalition I (2000–2007): The expansion of the company-oriented apprenticeship promotion4.2 SPÖ-ÖVP-Coalition (2007–2017): From the training guarantee to compulsory training4.3 ÖVP-FPÖ-Coalition II (2017–2019): The activation of Austrian youths and the blocking of young asylum-seekers5 Results and conclusions: On the governance of the welfare state5.1 Results of discourse analysis and institutional analysis5.2 Social inequalities and new divisions – issues of social justice5.3 Right-wing populist/extreme right social policy as a hierarchising and exclusionary policy of prevention5.4 Thinking the welfare state “from below”6 Impact of socio-political change on social work and on young people6.1 Changing social pedagogy of transition through social investment labour market policy6.2 The quasi-pedagogy of the market and right-wing populist/extreme-right exclusionary politics6.3 Discrimination and lack of recognition as problems of young people and as an issue of social work6.4 Lack of opportunities for participation and the possibility of vocational political training7 Conclusion and outlook8 Tables9 References10 Index