FRIBIS Members Report: BIEN Congress 2024 in Bath

This year’s BIEN Congress took place at the University of Bath (UK) from August 29 to 31. Titled “Reclaiming radical roots: Basic income and Socio-Ecological Transformation,” the event explored the potential of basic income to create an economically just, politically inclusive and ecologically sustainable world. Among the participants from academia, civil society and politics, were members of FRIBIS and its teams.

In the following reports FRIBIS members share their impressions of the congress. They reveal the range of topics discussed, from linking basic income to opportunities for exiting precarious situations, through gender perspectives in basic income research and the role of basic income in socio-ecological transformation, to innovative methodological approaches, such as narrative economics. The significance of local basic income initiatives was also addressed. Below you can find out what FRIBIS members thought about the congress, what new insights they gained and the role that personal exchange and networking within the international research community played for them.

Clem Davies und Carlota De Novales, FRIBIS-Team UBI & Gender: “Voice and Representation in Basic Income Research”

Carlota De Novales presented a paper titled “Voice and Representation in Basic Income Research,” co-authored with Clem Davies, which examined gender disparities in contributions to the field of basic income studies, with a focus on the journal Basic Income Studies. The research analysed both the gender composition of authors and the extent to which gender issues are addressed within the published literature. The study revealed that women comprised only about 25% of the contributing authors and that fewer than 10% of the published papers meaningfully engaged with gender-related topics. Additionally, it was observed that women were predominantly responsible for the research addressing gender issues. The ensuing discussion was constructive, with participants encouraging further exploration and publication opportunities on this subject.

Jessica Schulz, FRIBIS-Team UBI & Gender: “Equalizing Educational Opportunities: Basic Income, Scarcity Mindset and Students’ Academic Paths”

At this year’s BIEN Congress in Bath, I had the opportunity to contribute in a number of ways. In my presentation “Equalizing Educational Opportunities: Basic Income, Scarcity Mindset and Students’ Academic Paths,” I presented the qualitative analysis of my questionnaire study on Universal Basic Income and the scarcity mind set. Philippe van Parijs chaired the panel “Transformative Effects of Basic Income” in the “Social Policy” stream. Presenting to an international audience was a valuable exercise in communicating my research and responding to the thought-provoking questions from both audience and moderator. The subsequent discussion provided numerous insights for the paper I will be writing this autumn.

As the coordinator of the FRIBIS Gender Team, I was also involved in organizing and moderating a round table, titled “Exploring Gender Balance and Perspectives in Basic Income Research.” Speakers included Almaz Zelleke (Professor at NYU Shanghai and Gender Team member), Fabio Waltenberg (Professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niterói and editor of Basic Income Studies) and Carlota De Novales Coronel (Erasmus student and Gender Team member). The active participation of the audience in the discussion about gender distribution in basic income research was particularly gratifying, with the multitude of questions and contributions demonstrated the considerable interest in the topic.

The congress was a very enriching experience for me as I was able to act both as presenter and moderator. These two formats require different approaches in conversation management and presence and I am grateful for the opportunity to have practiced both. The positive feedback I received was very motivating. I particularly appreciate the sense of networking that has developed through my work at FRIBIS and especially in the FRIBIS Gender Team. So I already knew many of the congress participants from previous events. I also had the opportunity to join the newly founded BIEN PhD Network, which met for the first time at the congress. Overall, it was a positive educational experience for me, both professionally and personally.

Gudrun Kaufmann, FRIBIS-Team care: “Narratives of Change – Basic Income through the Lens of Narrative Scenario Analyses & Conviction Narrative Theory”

When I learned that the BIEN Congress 2024 would take place in England, I immediately wanted to attend in person this time. My aim was not only to present part of my current research but also to experience the international basic income research community up close and to reconnect with some acquaintances and friends. The unique opportunities offered through my work at FRIBIS became clear to me once again, for over the past few years, I have met many key figures in basic income research in Freiburg and now had the opportunity to meet some of them again in England.

The title of my presentation was “Narratives of Change – Basic Income through the Lens of Narrative Scenario Analyses & Conviction Narrative Theory”. Here I presented my theoretical perspective of “narrative economics” as well as various approaches to “narratives of change”, using basic income studies as an example to demonstrate the potential of narrativist methods for further basic income research. There were interested inquiries immediately following the presentation and further exchanges with other researchers. The positive feedback has reinforced my research approach and provided additional motivation.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the BIEN Congress this year. It was my second time to attend the congress but the first in person. I was happy  to get to England in an environmentally friendly manner, by train. I had offered my services to the local organizing committee as a volunteer in advance  and was quickly integrated into a highly motivated. team So I was able contribute to the success of the congress as a whole. In addition to the professional exchange, such a congress offers excellent networking opportunities and I am eager to see how some of the projects will develop further.

Tobias Jäger, FRIBIS-Team Basic Income for Peacebuilding: “Basic Income and Exit as a Social Good”

At this year’s conference in Bath, I had the opportunity to present the current state of a collaborative study with Jurgen De Wispelaere, titled “Basic Income and Exit as a Social Good”. The presentation took place on the first day as part of the “Labour and Exit” panel. I delivered the talk on my own as Jurgen was concurrently presenting at another session. The panel was well-attended and, to my knowledge, recorded. The primary objective of this presentation was to solicit initial feedback on the concept of exit as a “social good”. The 20-minute talk was followed by an extended Q&A session. A key point of the discussion was the hypothesized negative correlation between the value of the exit option and its utilization. This feedback was particularly valuable in identifying areas requiring more robust substantiation in future iterations of the work. Prof. Almaz Zelleke suggested expanding the model to incorporate gender-related considerations. On a personal note, the presentation provided an excellent opportunity to refine my presentation skills and deepen my engagement with current debates in this field. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging for further research. Our paper has been invited for consideration in a special issue, though the final outcome is pending.

The conference featured numerous interesting events related to labour and exit. Notable examples include “Rethinking Rawls on Employment and A Universal Basic Income” by Larry Udell, “Rawlsian Arguments for and against Basic Income and Job Guarantees” by Michael Howard, and “Between Charity and Entitlement: Unconditional Basic Income as a Gift” by Catarina Neves. All three presentations offered valuable insights, particularly from a social contract perspective.

In my capacity as coordinator of “Basic Income for Peace Building”, I found the lack of substantial development in debates within this area somewhat disappointing. One panel on this topic, in particular, seemed to lack the depth I had anticipated. But on reflection, I acknowledge that a more proactive role as a FRIBIS coordinator might have been beneficial.

Overall, my assessment of the conference was very positive. It provided opportunities for skill development, networking with fellow researchers, and garnered constructive feedback on my work.

Fabienne Hansen: “The Making Of Moeda Social Arariboia: Mapping A Network Of Concepts Through Federal And Local Exchange In Brazilian Municipal Social Policies”

The 23rd Congress in Bath was a rich and diverse experience for me. I had the chance to contribute to various presentations and initiatives, with the launch of the UBI Early Career Network being a particular highlight. The keen interest in this initiative was both surprising and encouraging. So I’m hopeful that the network will significantly enhance academic collaboration among emerging UBI researchers in the years to come.

I also took part in two panel discussions. One was a roundtable titled “The Municipal Path to Basic Income: What Can We Learn from the Maricá Model?”. It drew considerable attention and the panel even made it into the local news in Maricá, which was an unexpected bonus. In another panel focused on Maricá, I presented some of my research on the Moeda Social Arariboia. The audience was very interested in the topic and I received valuable feedback. For me, the discussions that followed, especially the informal conversations, reinforced the importance and relevance of our work in the UBI community.

Overall, I found the atmosphere at the congress intellectually stimulating and open. The productive exchanges with fellow UBI researchers were invaluable, providing insights that will undoubtedly shape my future projects and collaborations.

Dominik Schröder and Bianca Blum, FRIBIS-Team UBITrans: “Climate Justice in the Eco-Social State: The Role of Universal Basic Income in Commons Regulation”

In our presentation at the BIEN Congress, we explored the role of Universal Basic Income (UBI) within an eco-social state framework. Our primary focus was on how UBI could facilitate climate-just commons regulation. Drawing on the concept of the “tragedy of the commons,” we illustrated how shared resources, such as the Earth’s atmosphere as a CO₂ sink, are frequently overexploited in the absence of incentives for sustainable use. We posited that an eco-social state that aims to reconcile ecological and social sustainability must not only prevent the overuse of common goods but also ensure an equitable distribution of the resulting costs and benefits. While carbon pricing could address the issue of overuse, its regressive effect disproportionately burdens lower-income households through higher energy prices. A UBI could potentially mitigate this effect and can be normatively derived from the principle of climate justice, which we define at its most basic level as equal rights to natural resources. Consequently, we propose that revenues from taxing natural resources should be redistributed equally per capita, potentially in the form of a UBI.

Implementing a UBI as a redistribution mechanism for carbon pricing revenues promotes the concept of universal entitlement to fair participation in common goods, such as the atmosphere. It also ensures that a majority of the population would experience a net benefit from such a reform, potentially securing broad political support for higher carbon prices and, by extension, more effective CO2 emission reduction. This could represent a significant advantage of UBI in the context of socio-ecological transformation, an aspect that has received limited attention in the current eco-social state literature.

The congress provided us with valuable feedback, diverse perspectives, and new ideas for our research project. The post-presentation discussion and the contributions from other panel participants were particularly beneficial in critically examining and expanding our concept. Our participation in the congress has reinforced our conviction that the discourse on UBI’s role in socio-ecological transformation has substantial developmental potential and that the nexus between social and ecological sustainability is of increasing significance.

Larissa Walter: “How can Cognitive Psychology Contribute to the Discourse on Basic Income? Integrating Basic Income and Cognitive Control Research through Laboratory Methodology”

At the BIEN conference, I presented my research on bridging cognitive control research and Universal Basic Income (UBI) discourse through laboratory experiments. My presentation, titled “How can Cognitive Psychology contribute to the Discourse on Basic Income? Integrating Basic Income and Cognitive Control Research through Laboratory Methodology” began with an overview of current UBI research and laboratory methodologies. I then presented my own research as a case study, highlighting the significance of cognitive control processes. After defining the key terminology, I outlined the essential parameters of cognitive psychology laboratory experiments and shared findings from my systematic review.

The audience showed particular interest in the practical applications of my research, specifically how cognitive research findings could inform UBI discourse and how the implementation of UBI might influence cognitive outcomes. There was significant interest in the potential integration of these findings into existing pilot projects. This response has encouraged me to focus future presentations on concrete applications, demonstrating the practical intersection of cognitive research and UBI discourse.

Beyond the formal presentations, the conference provided valuable opportunities for informal discussions about my research focus. These exchanges revealed both substantial interest in my topic and the need to further clarify certain cognitive psychological concepts and methodological approaches. The exchange with other participants proved especially enlightening, offering fresh perspectives on my research. Moreover, I was able to contribute practical insights from my expertise, enriching these dialogues further.