Universal Basic Income – a condition for Equal Democratic Opportunities? Nordic Conference on Basic Income Pilots September 22-23; 2016, Copenhagen Thomas P. Boje Department of Social Science and Business Roskilde University

UBI and Equal Opportunities Content Social and economic changes lead to social risks, The conditions for citizens’ participation have changed, Inclusion through participation in parity Social justice and democratic participation – UBI as the solution UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities New types of “social risks” appear in the European societies due to economic and social changes. These new social risks have many faces but most important are de-industrialization of employment creating mass unemployment / declining income among especially industrial workers but also more broadly growing instability in the social network - changed family structure, low income, migration, segregation and de-standardization of employment with a growth of atypical career patterns – precarious forms of employment UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities precariousness Precarity was coined by Bourdieu (1963) and Standing (2011) – it means precarious labour and truncated citizenship. It it not social exclusion but rather a ”constitutive element of the new global disorder, to which it is very functional” Precarity represents market driven forces such as: Flexibility, availability, multilocality, compressed mobility Precarity represent both a condition in the global economy and a possible rallying point for resistance The precariat is a challenge for governments, trade unions but also for social justice and human rights movements UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities The economic and social crisis in Europe has placed the involvement of citizens and citizenship rights on the political agenda and accentuated the importance of civic activities because: Difficulties of involving citizens in strategic decision-making at community, national, and global level Retrenchment of welfare services due to NPM, which especially has hurt the vulnerable groups of citizens. Large groups of the population are not at all represented in the democratic processes of governance - especially the growing social groups covered by the precariat. The citizenship rights have been restricted or eliminated for large groups of the population – unemployed, migrants, refugees etc. UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities Inclusion Inclusion in the late-modern society varies from one social group to another - each type of inclusion is characterized by a specific form of civic participation . The different forms of inclusion must ensure that the gap between marginalized social groups and the majority is minimized. The inclusion has to be based on the principles of equality, solidarity and respect for other people's attitudes and ways of life and has to be an integral part of the public sphere of civil society. UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities Universal basic income (UBI) as a solution? Social justice Basic social security Emancipation – freedom of choice To accomplish these three goals UBI must be Universal income for all citizens who live in the nation-state Sufficient high to cover basic needs Unconditional income – no social control or demands Income to be supplemented with other types of benefits / insurances UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities Participation in parity UBI have consequences for Citizenship and Democratic Participation claims for redistribution of the economic inequality created in the market economy claims for recognition, which concerns outlawing discrimination and eliminating differences among citizens but also claims on representation through a participatory democratic system where all citizens are involved in governing of the social and economic institutions at the different levels of the society Two conditions are important for a equal representation namely a combination of ‘participatory democracy’ and ‘participation in parity’, which mean social arrangements that permit all citizens to participate equally and take decisions on equal terms in social life. UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018

UBI and Equal Opportunities ‘When social distance is small, there is a feeling of common identity, closeness, and shared experiences. But when social distance is great, people perceive and treat the other as belonging to a different category’ (R. Putnam ‘Our kids’) UBI and Equal Opportunities - Thomas P.Boje 12/30/2018