Family, Household and Economy

The Center is dedicated to advancing welfare system and welfare state research by challenging and expanding the conventional conceptual frameworks that dominate the field. Its mission is to reconceptualize the welfare state not merely as a mechanism for poverty alleviation, but as a complex, intergenerational model wherein individuals of active working age support both children and the elderly. This perspective shifts the analytical focus from income redistribution to age-based resource transfers, thus offering a more nuanced understanding of welfare dynamics. The vision of the Center is to promote a broader, multidimensional view of welfare systems that captures the full spectrum of social interdependencies and institutional interactions.

Central to the Center’s goals is the integration of familial structures into welfare state analysis, recognizing families as crucial actors in the redistribution of resources across generations. This approach reframes the welfare state as part of a multi-channel transfer system, where the state operates alongside markets and families to mediate the flow of support. By highlighting the pivotal role of familial transfers, the Center seeks to inform more comprehensive and effective welfare policies that account for both formal and informal support mechanisms. Through interdisciplinary research and policy engagement, the Center aspires to reshape theoretical debates and contribute to the development of sustainable and inclusive welfare systems.