Technological Innovation and Social Change

From welfare to knowfare.
A European approach to employment and gender mainstreaming in the Knowledge Based Society.





The basic idea behind the WELLKNOW project is that growing number of European countries are implementing measures enabling individuals to acquire the "necessary/right" skills such that they can provide for themselves through paid work instead of relying on financial support from the state when out of work. In other words, there appears to be a shift in emphasis from what we know as welfare to what we would like to call knowfare.

The main objective of the project is to provide comparative and multidisciplinary analyses of the transition towards the Knowledge Based Society, KBS, from employment and gender perspectives. The project will seek answers to the question whether knowfare policies that promote investment in individuals and social cohesion reflect the main characteristics of divergent welfare models (e.g. Continental and Nordic) or impose a convergence around a European approach towards the KBS. The empirical results of the project will be used to outline a European approach that promotes employment and social cohesion, especially, gender equality. Moreover, indicators, ranks and benchmarks will be developed that capture policy goals of the European Employment Strategy, EES, and the progress towards the KBS from a gender perspective. Finally, the project will provide insights into and policy options of how to facilitate transition towards a competitive KBS with more and better jobs as well as greater gender equality.