The New(est) Kid on the Block: The Discursive Politics of Social Safety at Dutch Universities

Abstract

In recent years, Dutch universities have increasingly adopted the concept of “social safety” as a distinct policy domain, alongside Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Triggered in part by high-profile reports on harassment and misconduct in academia, social safety has emerged as a widely endorsed yet ambiguously defined framework. This study investigates the meanings associated with social safety policy work across eleven Dutch higher education institutions. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with fifteen university employees engaged in social safety tasks, we explore how the concept is understood and operationalised. Our findings reveal a strong conceptual overlap with “inclusion” and ”psychological safety”. However, we also identify critical tensions: the meanings attributed to social safety tends to emphasise individual responsibility detached from power relations anchored in social identities and marginalisation. We argue that social safety, as an evolving and contested policy term, functions as a “floating signifier” shaped by institutional needs and actors, and we call for more intersectional and systemic approaches to ensure its effectiveness.

Bibliographie: Utoft, Ea Høg/van den Brink, Marieke: The New(est) Kid on the Block: The Discursive Politics of Social Safety at Dutch Universities, Femina Politica – Zeitschrift für feministische Politikwissenschaft, 1-2026, S. 81-93.