Answer to B. Milanovic (The welfare state in the age of globalization)

Answer to the post of Branko Milanovic

Title: The welfare state in the age of globalization

(Published: Sunday, March 26, 2017,  )


Dear Branko:
You are a great economist. But you aren´t a good sociologist. Due to it, your proposal has several troubles.

I agree that the Welfare state need mass participation. But, you must think about some thinks or assumptions of your reflexions.
For example:
1- you think that Immigrants are a rational choice people, they are so good informed than you, and, they can choose what country they want.
NO, dear: The most of them can´t do it. They need to scape of a horrible situation without expectative of life for him and for her/his family or community.
2- You think: People are “competitive” or “adaptive” and everyone want the best for him/her without to think about other.
No, the most of them are a part of a community or a family. They are the hope of them. They want to migrant because want to help them (today or with a future).

Figure 1: In Krakow: Breaking down

3- You think that the affinities are “natural” or “essential” and the “homogeneity” can be real. But the Nature, and the homogeneity are a built consciousness. They are a social representation. The identities are flexible and changeable. Depend on our experience, ideals, ideologies and, indeed, the social configuration of where and when we lives.
4- You think that we are only “members” of social groups or social class. But WE CAN BE SUBJECTS AND CAN UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND HIM/HER ARE BE SUBJECTS.
5- You think that the States  need to compete with other. They are as FIRMS. But this is a part of the modern Capitalism system. The alternative is to think a system where States are part of a administrative global system of representation and organization that search the best for everyone without exclude anyone.
6- You think that you are “objective” and “realistic” but you are “white”, “rich class”, a huge professional that look the recent past.
7- you think that I am “idealistic” and “…” but I am “white”, “middle class”, a professional that look the ancient time and the future.

The solution is not to reduce the Welfare state. Is TO BUILD A NEW CITIZENSHIPS without barriers, without WALLS here. And, then we can build a new Welfare World, new welfare regions cities, a new welfare system.

Figure 2: In Leganes: Demostration

But, today, we need, first, to dream.
Juan_Jose Villalon
UNED, Spain
Twiter: @JuanJvillalon
Facebook: Juanj Villalon

New paper about Research in Urban Sociology

P1020644Resume of “Researching social stratification in large urban zones today”

By: Juan_José Villalón_Ogáyar

I have just published a new paper. The title is: “Researching Social Stratification in Large Urban Zones Today” In Public Spaces: Times of Crisis and Change. Research in Urban Sociology, Volume 15, 289_318 Published online: 07 Nov 2016; 289-318.)

You can find here:

The permanent link to this document:


The current state of globalisation is aggravating the inequalities within globalised cities, and generating a high degree of conflict. If we seek to find out to what extent ghettos, agents in conflict or if there is a situation of unsustainable imbalance caused by this degree of inequality, we should consider the objective data and the social consciousness of stratification enclosed in social interaction of the people living in neighbourhoods in global cities. This chapter explains how we can study this topic with an example: a town into Metropolitan Area of Madrid in 2012, with a theoretical perspective that ask about how is the human space today and how everybody builds his social identification, and a methodology that uses the Problem-Centred Interview to collect data. From this perspective, it is discussed if the new urban social structure tends to be dual or fragmented. When it is studied the social awareness, it may be understood that urban people tend to develop fragmented identities today based into consume and family that joint everyone with other by small groups or weak bonds. However, into a poor urban area, there are other boundaries that a lot of people recognize based into class and ethnic differences that mean polarization and conflict but these ones only work in particular problematic situations. So, the image of system of stratification in large cities appears as a dynamic thing, under the influence of a series of different factors which are not only global but local too.

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