Welfare Chauvinism in Europe

How Education, Economy and Culture Shape Public Attitudes

Gianna Maria Eick, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The redistribution of welfare resources to migrants continues to polarise society. Not only politicians from the radical right but also from more mainstream parties are capitalising on the idea of ‘welfare for our kind’, or welfare chauvinism. In this innovative book, Gianna Maria Eick provides a comprehensive analysis of welfare chauvinism in Europe, skilfully exploring how it is shaped by education, economy and culture.

‘In this excellent book, Gianna Maria Eick provides novel analysis of why some Europeans want to exclude migrants from access to “their” national welfare states. Her nuanced study of the role of education and national contexts in shaping welfare chauvinism is a thought-provoking and highly recommended read for all those working in the fields of migration, welfare states, and European integration.’
– Martin Ruhs, European University Institute, Italy

‘With migrant populations rising across Europe, welfare chauvinism - the desire to exclude migrants from social safety nets - has become one of the great political issues of our time. Why do native citizens shun migrants in this way, and what can be done to build more inclusive welfare systems? This outstanding new book from Gianna Maria Eick brings a wealth of new data and analysis to bear on these important questions. Required reading for anyone interested in how to build welfare states fit for a diverse and mobile world.’
– Robert Ford, University of Manchester, UK

“Eickprovides a comprehensive yet nuanced picture of the empirical relationship between higher education and welfare chauvinism and in doing so challenges the notion that higher education unfailingly bestows individuals with liberal sociopolitical attitudes. Her analyses reveal that countries’ economic conditions, cultural norms, and welfare state institutions affect the size of the educational gap, thereby limiting higher education’s liberalizing potential. These findings have implications not only for our understanding of higher education’s so-called liberalizing effects but also the determinants of welfare chauvinism. A timely read for scholars of comparative welfare states in an era of increased immigration and neo-nationalism.’
– Maureen A. Eger, Umeå University, Sweden

‘Through rigorous analyses of survey data, Eick nuances our understanding of public opinion towards denying migrants access to welfare provisions. Most centrally, she demonstrates that welfare chauvinism is also found among the higher educated and that the “enlightenment-effect” is absent in some European contexts. The book also highlights patterns in public opinion that could pave the way for more inclusive welfare states. Do not read this book if you want a sweeping statement. Read this book if you want to understand under which conditions the public wants to deny, and give, migrants access to welfare provisions.’
– Christian Albrekt Larsen, Aalborg University, Denmark

‘The tension between migration and welfare is at the heart of current political conflicts. In her book, Gianna Maria Eick provides a profound and nuanced account of the scope of solidarity and the willingness to include “others” by looking at educational cleavages as well as their cross-national and temporal variations.’
– Steffen Mau, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany