Project title and programme

Project overview Αχιλλέας Καμέας Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής ΕΑΠ Project title and programme Title Fragmentation and Exclusion: Understanding and Overcoming the Multiple Impacts of the European Crisis Διάσπαση και Αποκλεισμός: Κατανοώντας και Ξεπερνώντας τις Πολύπλευρες Επιπτώσεις της Κρίσης Programme ΕΣΠΑ, Διμερείς, Πολυμερείς και Περιφερειακές Ε&Τ Συνεργασίες, Διμερής Ε&Τ Συνεργασία Ελλάδας- Γερμανίας 2013-2015 Duration 24 months Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 2 1

Project context Economic crises have the potential to set in motion a fragmentation process, whereby losers join the ranks of outsiders in a downgraded status of exclusion, which usually takes the form of deprivation of basic social and economic rights. The crisis has created processes of fragmentation and exclusion both within and between European societies, on different levels on a material level, as rising levels of unemployment and poverty are producing new social security outsiders and on an ideational level, whereby a discursive-cultural rift is forming between the new (and old) insiders and outsiders However, there is increasing evidence of the emergence of spontaneous civil society initiatives, which aim at addressing the fragmentation and exclusion processes on the material and ideational levels Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 3 The distinct nature of the current crisis, which combines elements of both a national and a regional (European) crisis, creates another set of fragmentation and exclusion process at an entirely different level A rift is developing between the societies of the countries of the North, which are called upon to provide financial assistance to the countries of the European periphery hit by the crisis and the societies of the latter countries, which react negatively to the policy conditionality that accompanies this assistance Greece and Germany constitute two ideal case studies Greece is the country worst hit by the current crisis and has received the biggest financial assistance package, which has been accompanied however, by the most ambitious adjustment programme. Germany on the other hand, has emerged as the undisputed economic hegemon of Europe and displayed an exceptional robustness to the crisis. Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 4 2

Project aims To study the phenomena of fragmentation and exclusion, as they threaten stability and cohesion both within and between European societies To identify and analyze civil society initiatives, which aim at addressing the fragmentation and exclusion processes and design mechanisms for their propagation To restrict research on Greece and Germany, as the two countries have been at the epicenter of the crisis and exemplify the problems of fragmentation and exclusion described above Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 5 Three pillars of research Description and analysis of patterns of economic and social exclusion in Germany and Greece and their public perceptions in each country, before and after the crisis Documentation and analysis of the ideational fragmentation and exclusion process taking place between the German and Greek societies as a result of the current crisis. Identification and analysis of civil society initiatives towards combating either type of fragmentation and exclusion, as well as on the development of mechanisms for the promotion of such initiatives in both countries Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 6 3

Analysis of patterns of economic and social exclusion within societies Focus on the identification of the principal social categories of the poor, the qualitative examination of the phenomenon of poverty through the use of different economic and social indicators, the identification of the social categories, which find themselves closer to the threshold of extreme poverty, and an assessment of the impact of the crisis on these social categories and the related indicators. Employ a sociology-of-knowledge approach and a qualitative content analysis with regard to two types of sources: relevant documents from the German and Greek governments and parliaments, political parties, trade unions and NGOs and other citizens associations and interviews with representatives from four target groups: politics, economy, mass media and civil society. Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 7 Ideational fragmentation and exclusion process taking place between societies Will employ analytic-interpretative data evaluation, according to the principles of grounded theory methodology, following a tripartite scheme: discourse analysis of relevant public documents (e.g. session protocols of the German and Greek Parliaments; strategy papers of political parties), content analysis of transcriptions of interviews to be conducted with representatives of four target groups: politics, economy, mass media and civil society and visual analysis of event-based data deploying the method of social hermeneutic sequence analysis. Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 8 4

Identification and analysis of civil society initiatives and mechanisms Combines quantitative research and field research in social care NGOs and atypical groups and networks of social solidarity. The field research will combine four different types of research techniques: focus groups discussions and questionnaire-based interviews with workers and volunteers of NGOs and social solidarity networks, anonymous personal interviews with users of different categories of NGOs and social solidarity networks services, participant observation in NGOs and social solidarity networks meetings. This part will also include a social networking electronic platform, which will strengthen communication and networking, support collaboration and debate and provide a means for expression and exchange Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 9 Workprogramme WP1. Poverty, social exclusion and their public perception before and after the crisis In WP1 we shall examine: a) the status quo before the crisis; b) the impact of the crisis. WP2. German and Greek public discourses on the Greek crisis Research shall be conducted by means of the sociology-of-knowledge theory and deploying the qualitative empirical analysis approach. Taking 2010-2012 as reference period the analyticinterpretative data evaluation follows the principles of grounded theory methodology. WP3. Ccivil society and social cohesion: learning from citizens collective networking actions This work-package is dedicated to both theoretical and applied research concerning how social innovation emerges thanks to citizens collective strategies (anticipation, adaptation, arrangements, imitation and radical reaction). We will build a theoretical framework in which a citizens network create social innovation according to a double conception of the type of proximity (based on geography and affinity) and of the level (local, European) and type (formal, informal) of regulation in order to safeguard cohesion within domestic societies and across Europe. This work package will provide the technical support for the entire project, in order to create the website and the dedicated platform. WP4. Dissemination Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 10 5

Main outcomes Policy paper on the development of poverty, social exclusion and their public perceptions in Greece before and after the crisis Policy paper on Greek public discourses on the role of Germany in the Greek Crisis Theoretical Regulation-Proximity model Taxonomy of terms related to Fragmentation and Exclusion Social networking web platform Training content Three seminars Closing conference Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 11 Partnership PARTNER NO 1 (Coordinator) PARTNER NAME Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Crisis Observatory ACRONYM COUNTRY ΕΛΙΕΕΠ Greece 2 Hellenic Open University, Educational Content, Methodology and Technology (e-comet) Lab ΕΑΠ/ΕΕΥΕΜ Greece 3 Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, University of Duisburg-Essen KWI Germany 4 Institute for Political Science and Sociology, University of Bonn UOB Germany Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 12 6

Contact data HOU research group A. Kameas, Associate Professor HOU, Group leader M. Zafeiropoulou, Expert in Health and Care issues A. Theodosiou, Social Anthropologist L. Seremeti, Expert in Data Semantics and Representation V. Stefanis, Software Engineer G. Koulouris, Field Researcher R. Peeva, Field Researcher A. Christodoulopoulou, Field Researcher I. Marini, Economy and Administration Manager Project web site www.fragmex.eu ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΗ ΕΝΩΣΗ ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΟ ΤΑΜΕΙΟ ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑΚΗΣ ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗΣ Υπουργείο Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων ΓΓΕΤ ΕΥΔΕ-ΕΤΑΚ Ε. Π. Ανταγωνιστικότητα και Επιχειρηματικότητα (ΕΠΑΝ ΙΙ), ΠΕΠ Μακεδονίας Θράκης, ΠΕΠ Κρήτης και Νήσων Αιγαίου, ΠΕΠ Θεσσαλίας Στερεάς Ελλάδας Ηπείρου, ΠΕΠ Αττικής Μέρος & Ημερομηνία Παρουσίασης 13 7