EWS Welfare States and the Impact of Religion: Exploring the Place of Faith Based Organisations in Civil Society in a Europe in Turmoil

The series comprises three 2 day workshops each exploring in depth one major topic of relevance to the overarching theme of the role of faith based organisations as part of civil society within changing nordic welfare models. The aim of the series is to d evelop key research questions which could form the focus of a collaborative research project. The workshops will take place in 2014 to 2015. Specific Nordic questions and contexts will be focused and mirrored in a broader European frame by the involvement of experts from non-Nordic European countries. The Workshops will be interdisciplinary and participants represent a wide range of disciplinary expertise including sociology, law, political science, theology and social work. Ten permenant members of the g roup will participate in all 3 workshops. These members represent 3 nordic countries and 4 other European countries. They also represent a range of academic disciplines. At each of the workshops a further 2-4 researchers will participate. They are chosen for their particular expertise in the topic of the workshop and expertise in 'new' disciplines. The Workshops will focus on the following three themes: 1) The future of the Nordic welfare model - what role for Faith based organisations?, 2) Living the Goo d life? - What is the future for values of solidarity and altruism in the Nordic model?, 3) Global welfare dynamics - Nordic welfare states in an age of increasing cultural and religious diversity. Participants will prepare short presentations in advance and compile relevant bibliographies on the topic. These documents will provide a useful resource both for the participants in the workshop and the wider academic community (being made avaliable after the event). The workshops are planned to be interactiv e in character and designed to encourage free thinking on potential new areas for research, yet with a clear focus on developing research applications.