Competing Institutional Logics and Paradoxical Universalism: School-to-Work Transitions of Disabled Youth in Switzerland and the United States

Abstract

<p class="Default">Disablement is a complex social phenomenon in contemporary societies, reflected in disability policies oriented towards contrasting paradigms. Fraught with ambivalence, disability raises dilemmas of classification and targeted supports. Paradoxical universalism emphasizes that to achieve universality requires recognizing individual dis/abilities and particular contextual conditions and barriers that disable. Myriad aspects of educational and disability policies challenge both conceptualization and realization of universal policies, such as compulsory schooling, with widespread exclusion or segregation prevalent. Resulting tensions between providing support and ubiquitous stigmatization and separation are endemic, and particularly evident during life course transitions that imply shifting memberships in institutions and organizations. Particularly visible among disabled youth, school-to-work transitions are fundamentally challenged by contrasting policies, institutional logics, and institutionalized organizations. Analyzing institutional logics facilitates understanding of the lack of coordination that hinders successful transitions. Examining such challenges in the United States and Switzerland, we compare their labor markets and federal governance structures and contrasting education, welfare, and employment systems. Whereas lacking inter-institutional coordination negatively impacts disabled young adults in the United States, Switzerland’s robust vocational education and training system, while not a panacea, does provide more coordinated support during school-to-work transitions. These two countries provide relevant cases to examine ambivalence and contestation around the human right to inclusive education as well as the universality of the right (not) to work.</p>

Negotiating the “Maze”: SEN and the Transition From Lower Secondary Education in Austria

“…Second, at the institutional level, graduates are confronted with contradictory norms and have to cope with them: The stigmatising label "special educational needs" guided their former routes throughout education on the one hand. On the other hand, they have to prove themselves ready for competition and achievement to succeed during further education or in the transition from school to work (Blanck, 2020;Schmidt, 2017;Tschanz & Powell, 2020). Third, they are confronted with a bundle of typically low expectations regarding their ability to continue education.…”

Universalism in Social Policies: A Multidimensional Concept, Policy Idea or Process

“…This idea of universalism was inspired by post-World War II British social policies-flat-rate pensions and health care services-that were designed to include the entire population. The idea of universalism thus emerged in a liberal welfare regime and referred to specific social policies (on liberal welfare regimes see, in this issue, Béland, Marchildon, & Prince, 2020;Tschanz & Powell, 2020).…”

“…Others insist that governments must define and supervise standards to be respected by all providers, but that it does not matter whether providers are public, private for profit or nonprofit (see in this issue the discussion of universality by Béland et al, 2020; see also Budowski, 2020). Besides questions of quality, providers also matter when implementing services and transfers (see Mehrara, 2020;Rosenstein & Bonvin 2020;Tschanz & Powell, 2020), as, for example, the selection of 'legitimate beneficiaries' may have exclusionary effects.…”

“…Policy outcomes are a third dimension of universalism. In increasingly diverse societies, universalism requires "some degree of particularism or positive selectivism" (Anttonen & Sipilä, 2014, p. 14) to ensure that groups with specific needs are "on an equal footing with the rest of the citizenry" (Stefánsson, 2012, p. 62; see also Mehrara, 2020;Tschanz & Powell, 2020).…”

“…The idea is generally discussed on the national and global level, and processes and dimensions generally on the national level or the level of single programs or policies. However, it is also important to look at the intersection of policies (see, in this issue, Tschanz & Powell, 2020).…”