Title: Flexicurity and the semantic transformation of the concept of security: the modernisation of the Spanish social protection

Authors: Carlos J. Fernández Rodríguez; Paz Martín Martín; Amparo Serrano Pascual

Addresses: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain. ' Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/Albasanz, 26-28, 28037 Madrid, Spain. ' Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Campus de Somosaguas, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain

Abstract: During the last decade, flexicurity has appeared as the cornerstone to face the problems of vulnerability and social exclusion. In order to preserve the adaptation to the 'taken for granted' need to change and the capacity to re-define competences and skills of employees, the regulatory frames of the labour markets have undertaken a deep political and axiological transformation. This paper – based on an ongoing research project – will explore these new models of governance in the Spanish context focusing on how flexicurity has been translated and developed by the public employment agencies. These developments have enhanced the 'de-politisation' of work and strengthened the 'psychologisation' of social protection.

Keywords: activation; flexicurity; Spain; individualisation; employment agencies; security; social protection; vulnerability; social exclusion; governance models.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2012.046991

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2012 Vol.4 No.2, pp.150 - 166

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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