A manifesto for ‘slow’ comparative research on work and employment

Abstract

We offer a defence of, and framework for, comparative research in industrial and employment relations, based on a long-term engagement with the social contexts under study. We locate ‘slow’ research strategies in relation to predominant approaches and establish a number of basic precepts of slow comparativism as a practical methodological approach. We aim to provoke a discussion among those conducting comparative research on work and employment about how truth claims are generated. We also seek a basis by which those conducting slower forms of comparativism, through what we term ‘implicit ethnographies’, can find better ways of developing and defending their modes of research within an often hostile academic political economy.

Slow design‐driven innovation: A response to our future in the Anthropocene epoch

“…To contrast the climate emergency and create alternatives to the Anthropocene, inspired by Slow Food, Slow DDI is emerging. This is not an isolated case, as other slow movements have arisen, such as slow gardening, slow goods, a slower pace in cities (Cittaslow), slow dating, slow travel (Honoré, 2005), slow science (Stengers, 2017) and slow research (Almond & Connolly, 2020; Berg & Seeber, 2016). These slow movements are cultural movements focusing on rhetorical action that avoids confrontation in favour of creating new relationships within a broader community united by a collective identity, a sense of belonging, a belief in shared ideals and a notion of heading in the same direction (Dumitru, Lema‐Blanco, Kunze, & García‐Mira, 2016).…”

“…To contrast the climate emergency and create alternatives to the Anthropocene, inspired by Slow Food, Slow DDI is emerging. This is not an isolated case, as other slow movements have arisen, such as slow gardening, slow goods, a slower pace in cities (Cittaslow), slow dating, slow travel (Honoré, 2005), slow science (Stengers, 2017) and slow research (Almond & Connolly, 2020;Berg & Seeber, 2016).…”

Migrant workers trapped between individualism and collectivism: The formation of union-based workplace collectivism

“…We advocate the notion of 'slow comparativism' in research on work and industrial relations as suggested by Almond and Connolly (2020), which allows for an alternative research approach to faster but 'thinner' comparisons that are often little contextualised. We have long-term research interests in the industries and sites being studied in both countries, allowing us to 'immerse' in the case studies and gain in-depth, ethnographic knowledge beyond the face-value of, for instance, the conducted interviews (Almond and Connolly, 2020). Thus we make contextualised comparisons of the three cases reflecting on our conceptual framework, highlighting the conceptual and thematic 'unity across countries'.…”

Towards a Socialization of the EU's New Economic Governance Regime? EU Labour Policy Interventions in Germany, Ireland, Italy and Romania (2009–2019)

“…As it stands, there is simply no attempt to understand, let alone explain, why a specific set of policy prescriptions may be targeted at a specific member‐state at a given point in time, in relation to both their national and the broader European political and economic context, and therefore how this should be factored into our assessment of whether the Semester is becoming socialized or not. Therefore, below, we analyse Semester policy recommendations only in relation to a set of four member‐states as opposed to all 28, but in much more depth; as the analysis of the transnational dynamics that are at work here requires a deep knowledge of the affected member‐states and the corresponding language skills (Almond and Connolly 2019; Erne 2018, 2019). Our ‘multi‐sited’ set of inquiry (Marcus 1995) thus includes the EU‐level, two larger countries (Germany and Italy) and two smaller ones (Ireland and Romania) that we know very well.…”