HIAS is proud to host a group of excellent early career researchers who have won the NetIAS call Constructive Advanced Thinking (CAT). While at HIAS (from 25 to 29 of November) they will be working on their project “Democracy at Work: Historical Perspectives and Future Challenges for Employee Representation in Europe” (DemWo). This also implies a collaboration with the Museum der Arbeit in Hamburg.
DemWo investigates the historical evolution of industrial democracy in a transnational European context. The group explores two central research questions: First, it studies how historical periods of crisis and transformation shaped ideas and practices of industrial democracy. Second, DemWo considers how historical legacies can inform responses to contemporary change. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of AI and remote work, and the transformation of entire industries in response to ecological concerns, employee participation has come under significant pressure. DemWo seeks to leverage historical insights to address these challenges.
Comprised of a team of five scholars from History, Philosophy, and Law, DemWo will examine these issues through a multidisciplinary approach, using methods like close reading of historical text, source criticism, discourse analysis, and legal interpretation. The group will meet six times at four different IAS—namely HIAS (Hamburg), Paris IAS, MAK’IT (Montpellier), and HWK (Delmenhorst)—to explore a wide range of topics from conceptual to historical analysis and, ultimately, the development of new concepts.
Results will be disseminated through a publication and a public event co-organized with the European Trade Union Institute. DemWo aims to contribute to ongoing debates among trade unions and other relevant stakeholders. By strengthening institutions for employee participation, DemWo hopes to enhance employee efficacy, address democratic deficits, and make societies more resilient to the numerous challenges democracies are currently facing. DemWo seeks to engage in public outreach by developing a concept for an exhibition on industrial democracy through time.