Inequality continues to be hotly debated in academic and public debates as one of the defining challenges of our time. A wealth ofscholarship has emerged on the socio-economic drivers of inequality, but its political causes and consequences are still not fully understood. Open questions are, for example:
• How is inequality in varying domains (labour market, education, participation rights, health or the environment) perceived, and to what extent do these perceptions influence the formation of policy preferences and political behaviour? • Under which conditions does inequality trigger political mobilization of social groups and movements? How does inequality shape patterns of partisan competition and interest group formation? And does inequality promote or hinder democratisation efforts?
• Finally, to what extent are policy-makers responsive to political demands? Which inequalities in representation exist, and how do they affect the process of policy-making? How do public policies shape structural inequalities?
We invite doctoral researchers and early post-docs to submit proposals addressing these or related questions. We welcome contributions from different theoretical and methodological backgrounds. There are no limitations regarding the geographic range of cases (single-country, comparative; Western or Non-Western countries) nor the time period (current-day, historical) analyzed. As an interdisciplinary conference, we invite contributions from economics, political science, sociology, history, philosophy, linguistics, law and related disciplines to submit proposals.
Keynote speakers include: Kim Sonderskov (Aarhus University), Silja Häusermann (University Zurich) and Miriam Rehm (University Duisburg-Essen).
The deadline for abstracts (up to 300 words) is 31.5.2023, to be submitted online here: t1p.de/fall-academy. The local host (Konstanz) will cover costs for food and accommodation, travel expenses are the participants’ responsibility. Financial support for travel expenses from institutions that are not part of the organizing committee (see above) can be covered by the local host upon request.
