Expert Workshop @ KU Leuven on “Public Support for Basic Income: Methodological Advances and Challenges”

On November 16-17, 2023, the expert workshop titled “Public Support for Basic Income: Methodological Advances and Challenges” will be held at KU Leuven in Belgium. The workshop is organized by Tijs Laenen (Basic Income in Belgium project, KU Leuven), Joe Chrisp (Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath), and Jurgen De Wispelaere (Götz Werner Chair, University of Freiburg). Financial support for the event is provided by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo), the Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS), and the Institute for Policy Research (IPR).

This workshop aims to examine the different methods for analysing the public support for or in opposition to basic income. What can different methods tell us how the general public views basic income? What are the limits of public opinion research today and how can they be overcome?

In addition to the workshop, there will be a book launch open to the public. Interested individuals are welcome to participate either in person or online via a livestream link (further information can be found below).

You can download the poster here.

Extended workshop description:

Analysis of public support for (or opposition to) basic income has become one of the most advanced areas for conceptual, theoretical, and empirical research on basic income as a real-world policy. Recent developments have seen increasing variation in the methods and instruments used to approach this particular research question. In this expert seminar, we focus on examining what each of these approaches has to offer in terms of our understanding of the popularity of basic income. Each of the sessions will focus on a distinctive method or approach, with presentations taking the form of a primer outlining the method and its particular application to the field of basic income, including what insights can be/have been gained, what are the limitations and challenges to overcome, and how the method or approach can be complemented by other approaches. The presentation is primarily meant to showcase the method and approach with actual findings taking a backseat or serving to illustrate the methodological insights. Each session will involve an extensive discussion amongst expert participants focusing on the questions outlined earlier. The overall goal of this workshop is to further our collective understanding of what the current plural mix of tools can tell us about the popularity of basic income and what future research in this area should focus on.

List of participants:

• Elise Aerts, University of Antwerp
• Joe Chrisp, University of Bath
• Jurgen De Wispelaere, University of Freiburg
• Erwin Gielens, Dutch Labor Inspectorate
• Boglárka Herke, HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences
• Tijs Laenen, KU Leuven
• Neil McHugh, Glasgow Caledonian University
• Marie-Laure Mulayi, KU Leuven
• Leire Rincón, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• Femke Roosma, Tilburg University
• Tim Vlandas, University of Oxford

Book Launch (public event)

“The Popularity of Basic Income: Evidence from the Polls“, by Tijs Laenen

Date:16 November 14.00-16.00
Onsite: Ruth Benedictzaal (KU Leuven)
Online: https://livestream.kuleuven.be/?pin=608439

Commentators:
* Wim Van Lancker, KU Leuven
* Philippe Van Parijs, UCLouvain

Booklink: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-29352-8.