15-17 April 2019
University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
The 4th International ESS Conference - Turbulent times in Europe: Instability, insecurity and inequality - took place at the University of Mannheim in April 2019. The conference organising committee was led by ESS colleagues at GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences.
Our smartphone app offered participants the chance to browse the complete programme - and create a bespoke agenda - on a smartphone or tablet.
Europe is going through turbulent times. There is increasing diversity within and between European societies in ethno-cultural, linguistic, and religious terms, or, more simply, in ways of life and prevailing values. Such diversity is arguably fostering cultural insecurity among large segments of the population, with backlashes manifesting themselves in different modes of political mobilization.
For many Europeans, stagnating incomes, the perception of increasing social inequalities, transformed labor relations, and the uncertainty about life prospects have created profound economic insecurities. The Great Recession and the financial crisis have affected all European societies to different extents.
Resulting concerns about the ability of existing political institutions to manage risk and provide good governance, or about the ability to hold existing power accountable, have shaken previous allegiances to the political status quo, whether to mainstream parties, the European Union, or even liberal democracy itself. Previously trusted sources of information - science, expertise, the mainstream media, and all sorts of secondary organisations - are now constantly questioned on the basis of their aloofness, irrelevance, or bias.
The 4th International ESS Conference showcased research that uses our data to address these issues. The conference showed the depth and breadth of scientifically rigorous research made possible as a result of the high quality comparative data provided by the ESS.
Jowell-Kaase Early Career Researcher Prize 2019
Mark Visser of Radboud University was the recipient of the Jowell-Kaase Early Career Researcher Prize 2019.
The prize - named after Professor Sir Roger Jowell and Professor Max Kaase, the founders of the ESS - recognises excellence in the field of comparative social research by a promising new researcher from any social research discipline. As the winner of the prize, Visser delivered a keynote speech during the conference and received €1,000 from the ESS ERIC.
