Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 12-13 May 2023
Call for Papers
Flex or tenure? Comparative development of flexible work, 1950s-present

How can we explain the shift toward flexible work in advanced market economies? Globalization, computerization, and digitalization have profoundly affected the labor markets of economies over the last fifty years. As a result, we observe a common trend across capitalist societies: increasing labor market flexibility. At the same time, vast differences in the use of flexible work arrangements between these countries persist, such as the relative prominence of temporary employment in Spain and own-account work in Greece. The divergences suggest that country-specific factors play a major role. Some differences have deep historical roots, while others are based on how countries have channeled new pressures for flexibility into their labor markets. This conference aims to attain a deeper understanding of the reasons for these dissimilarities.

How can we explain the shift toward flexible work in advanced market economies? Globalization, computerization, and digitalization have profoundly affected the labor markets of economies over the last fifty years. As a result, we observe a common trend across capitalist societies: increasing labor market flexibility. At the same time, vast differences in the use of flexible work arrangements between these countries persist, such as the relative prominence of temporary employment in Spain and own-account work in Greece. The divergences suggest that country-specific factors play a major role. Some differences have deep historical roots, while others are based on how countries have channeled new pressures for flexibility into their labor markets. This conference aims to attain a deeper understanding of the reasons for these dissimilarities.

Organizers:

(Prof. dr.) Lex Heerma van Voss
International Institute of Social History
lex.heermavanvoss@iisg.nl

(Dr.) Jeroen Touwen
Leiden University
l.j.touwen@hum.leidenuniv.nl

(MA) Jeroen van Veldhoven
Utrecht University
jeroen.van.veldhoven@huygens.knaw.n

The conference takes place on 12-13 May 2023 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Proposals should be a maximum of 350 words and should be sent with a short biographical note to jeroen.van.veldhoven@huygens.knaw.nl by 15 September 2022. We will try to respond to these proposals before the end of September 2022. If accepted, the deadline for the conference paper is 15 April 2023.