LIVEWHAT - Living with Hard Times
Project Description
LIVEWHAT aimed to provide evidence-based knowledge about citizens’ resilience in times of economic crises allowing for more effective policy responses to the negative consequences of such crises. It examined the ways in which European citizens reacted to the crisis that, with different degrees of intensity, struck European countries since 2008. Furthermore, the project also looked at how they deal with economic crises and their consequences more generally. While the focus of the research was on citizens’ responses (individual and collective), LIVEWHAT also examined policy responses as a baseline for assessing citizens’ resilience in times of crisis. Attention was focused on a broad range of coping strategies (not) used by European citizens in relation to the impact of the crisis, policy responses to the crisis, public discourses about the crisis, and the individual characteristics of those who are hit by the crisis. The project’s comparative perspective allows taking into consideration contextual factors at the national level for nine European countries namely France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. In particular, a large cross-national comparison of this kind helps to consider relevant variations in terms of both the scope of the economic crisis and the national characteristics of the institutional system. The data collection consists of both observational as well as experimental data.
To know more: Main results
Project website: https://www.unige.ch/livewhat/
Consortium Information
Project Coordinator: University of Geneva, Marco Giugni
Partners:
SciencesPo, Manlio Cinalli
University of Crete, Maria Kousis
Scuola Normale Superiore, Lorenzo Bosi
Autonomous University of Barcelona, Eva Anduiza
University of Sheffield, Maria Grasso
University of Siegen, Christian Lahusen
University of Warsaw, Maria Theiss
Uppsala University, Katrin Uba
Dataset 1: Comparative Dataset on Contextual Indicators
The dataset consists of comparative data on economic, social, and political indicators (legal and institutional) for the period from 2005 to 2014 retrieved from different existing sources. The indicators were assembled and standardized in order to have comparative background information on the nine countries studied. Social welfare indicators were collected using sources such as the European System of Welfare State Indicators (University of Mannheim). The political indicators come from the Comparative Political Data Set (University of Bern). The data on citizens was retrieved from for example the European Social Survey, The European Value Survey and Eurobarometers
Spatial Coverage: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Not applicable
Universe: Not applicable
Mode of Data Collection: Existing databases: System of Welfare State Indicators (University of Mannheim), Comparative Political Data Set (University of Bern), European Social Survey, The European Value Survey and Eurobarometers
Sampling Description: Indicators from 2005 (if available) until 2014
Data Collection Instruments: Not applicable
Further Documentation: Integrated report
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 2: Political Claim Analysis
The database consists of political claims retrieved through content analysis of newspaper articles on the economic crisis in five national newspapers for each of the nine countries studied in the project. There are eight types of variables that were coded: location of the claim, actor(s) making the claim, form of the claim, addressee of the claim, issue(s) of the claim, object(s) of the claim (who is affected), framing of the claim and additional variables for protest events.
Spatial Coverage: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Political claim
Universe: All claims on economic crisis in national newspapers
Mode of Data Collection: Content analysis
Sampling Description: The sampling consisted of a two-step procedure. In a first step, five national newspapers were selected for each country. 1000 articles were randomly sampled for the period between 2005 and 2014. Articles were selected if they contained one of the three keywords: crisis, recession or austerity (ev. adapted to national language(s)). Only political claims in relation to the economic crisis were coded, not factual information. Claims could take on the form of reported political decisions, verbal statements or protest actions on a number of themes (i.e. unemployment, recession, exclusion etc.). Claims concerning the activities of actors who claim to be victims of the crisis as well as claims by international actors taking place in the country were also coded.
Data Collection Instruments: Codebook
Further Documentation: Integrated report
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
Dataset 3: Population Survey
The dataset consists of individual-level data about the population of the nine country studied. Data was collected through a population survey on people’s material/economic situation, attitudes, behavior, their personal background and characteristics including their embeddedness in organizational networks. Particular emphasis was put on how citizens frame economic crises and policy responses to crises, blame attribution and potential mismatch between their views and policy responses.
Spatial Coverage: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: Computer-assisted web interviewing
Sampling Description: The survey samples employed quotas for age, gender, region and education in each country with a minimum of 2000 respondents per country
Data Collection Instruments: Online questionnaire
Further Documentation: Integrated report
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Datasets 4: Survey Experiments
Dataset 4.1: Inequality, fairness and preferences for redistribution
Spatial Coverage: Spain
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individual
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: Experiment (game design)
Sampling Description: 212 mainly student based (>90% were students)
Data Collection Instruments: experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 4.2: Income Loss Risk, Fairness Perceptions and Support for Redistribution/Insurance
In this game design lab experiment, individuals were exposed (or not) to different types of risk of income loss. The distribution of the risk was conditioned by different factors. In the lab, respondents received a fixed amount of money (8€) and were informed that 1/3 would loose the money. Before that, they could decide on a tax to compensate the losers. Two dimensions of the decision varied: the information respondents had on their position, and the distribution of the risks
Spatial Coverage: Spain
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: experiment
Sampling Description: 242 participants (students) of the BES lab at Pompeu Fabra University
Data Collection Instruments: Experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 4.3: Deprivation: Lack of Resources or Motivation to Participate
This experiment aimed at studying how deprivation impacts political participation. More precisely, does the loss of certain resources disincentives political participation. Or, on the contrary, does deprivation generate perception of injustice and emotional reactions that encourage participation in protest? In addition to measuring participants’ reaction to deprivation, the experiment also looked at how individuals who do not suffer deprivation act towards others in need (solidarity).
Spatial Coverage: Spain, Switzerland
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: Experiment
Sampling Description: non-representative sample of about 300 individuals from the pool of respondents recruited by the Democracy, Elections and Citizenship Group at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Data Collection Instruments: Experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 4.4: Attitudinal and Behavioral Consequences of Emotional Reactions to the Economic Crisis. Looks at How Emotional Responses to the Economic Crisis Shape Citizens’ Political Attitudes and Behaviors
The experiment collected data on how emotional responses to the economic crisis shapes citizens’ political attitudes and behaviors. The treatment consists in displaying a fictitious scenario designed to induce a specific emotional state. Experimental subjects are randomly assigned to one of four conditions: anxiety, anger, sadness, and a control group. The latter is designed to induce no specific emotion. Participants were asked to carefully read the text and try to put themselves in the place of the person described.
Spatial Coverage: Spain
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: Experiment (game design)
Sampling Description: Non-representative sample of about 300 individuals from the Democracy, Elections and Citizenship Group at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, recruited and administered through Qualtrics.
Data Collection Instruments: Experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 4.5: Threat of Repression – Mobilization or Withdrawal
The experiment aimed at testing how civil rights retrenchment impacts dissident attitudes. The experiment used the context of parliamentary discussion to change two laws in Spain. The laws were questioned for its potential impact on the freedom of expression. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eleven conditions: Threat (prime on repression/No prime on repression) x Legitimacy of repression (Legitimate/illegitimate) x Cost(Fines/No fines) with 3 control groups).
Spatial Coverage: Spain
Time Method: Cross-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: National population
Mode of Data Collection: Experiment
Sampling Description: Not limited to students in order to get ideological diversity (more conservative and right wing subjects rather than students).
Data Collection Instruments: Experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Dataset 4.6: Deprivation and Preferences for Redistribution
This lab experiment tested the effect of various forms of deprivation on subjects’ preferences for redistribution differentiating between three different sources of deprivation: based on luck, merit or family background. Furthermore, the experiment tested how deprivation of in-group vs. out-group impacts preferences for redistribution.
Spatial Coverage: Switzerland
Time Method: Coss-sectional
Analysis Unit: Individuals
Universe: Individuals
Mode of Data Collection: Experiment
Sampling Description: About 250 students
Data Collection Instruments: Experiment survey
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Further documentation for datasets 4: Integrated report
Dataset 5: Mapping and Organizational survey
After identification of alternative action organizations (AAO) in all the countries involved in the project, survey data was collected. Information on the organization’s actions, the constraints they encountered to achieve their goals, the people involved in the organization, organizational network as well as if they experienced increased demands for a specific issue (i.e. food programs, homeless services etc.) .
Spatial Coverage: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom
Analysis Unit: Alternative action organization (AAO)
Universe: all AAO in each country
Mode of Data Collection: Organizational survey
Sampling Description: A random sample was selected from the full list of AAO websites identified for each country (chosen to be inclusive geographically as well as cover different types of organizations). Only organizations that were active during the economic crisis (min. between 2007 to 2016). Excluded were state-, EU- or corporate-related organizations.
Further Documentation: Integrated report
How to Get the Data? To access the dataset, click here.
How to Cite?
Selected Publications
Cinalli, Manlio, and Marco Giugni (eds.). 2016. "Citizens’ Responses to the European Economic Crisis in the Public Domain". Politics and Policy 44, special issue.
Giugni, M. and M. T. Grasso (2018) "Alternative Action Organizations: Social Solidarity or Political Advocacy?" American Behavioral Scientist (Open Access)
Giugni, Marco, and Maria Grasso (eds.). 2019. "Citizen Politics in Times of Crisis". Acta Politica 54, special issue.
Grasso, Maria, and Marco Giugni (eds.). 2019. "European Citizens in Times of Crisis". European Societies 21, special issue.
Giugni, Marco and Maria Grasso. 2021. Living with Hard Times: Europeans in the Great Recession. New York: Rowman and Littlefield.