Borbála Kovács
Biographic Data
| ID | 4156630 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Borbála Kovács |
| GIVEN NAMES | Borbála |
| FAMILY NAME | Kovács |
| SIGNATURE | KOVÁCS B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Aarhus University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3992-5946 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 65 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Perceptions About the Role of Money in Contemporary Romanian Foster Care
Despite foster care becoming central to the protection of children in state care in Romania following the push for a rights‐based approach in anticipation of European accession, empirical research on fostering remains sparse. Using a mixed methods qualitative design combining findings from 15 in‐depth interviews with 16 diverse expert participants with the analysis of a 2019 high‐profile scandal surrounding the international adoption of eight‐yea…
Making Sense of Bureaucratic Information: Conceptualising Bureaucratic Translation
Using ethnographic material of new parents’ encounters with welfare workers during the process of claiming and receipt of universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, this article proposes the concept of bureaucratic translation. Drawing on Latourian conceptual foundations, we show that the communication of bureaucratic information is not only symbolically loaded, but invariably in need of ‘translation’. We highlight five interrelated pr…
Rights‐Based Practice in Romanian Child Protection and Public Education Two Decades on: Six Points of Consensus Among Diverse Experts
Close to two decades after Romania's landmark legislation on the rights of the child and adoption, this paper explores six points of consensus concerning rights‐based practice in child protection and public education. Drawing on conceptual work on ‘assemblages’ in social services reform and an analytical focus on inconsistencies, incoherences and tensions in professional practice, we explore 30 key informants' narrative focus on ‘sites of strain’…
Performative agency among street-level bureaucrats: Its Implications for Citizen Encounters With the Welfare State
Purpose The purpose of this study is to use ethnographic immersion in low-discretion bureaucratic contexts to explore how performative communication affects welfare bureaucracy outcomes in two European contexts. Design/methodology/approach Comparative ethnographic study of face-to-face welfare bureaucratic encounters between frontline workers and new parents claiming and/or receiving universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, using a m…
Different, Yet the Same: Three Decades of Family Policy Change in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania
The article analyses over-time changes in family transfers in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania from 1990-2018 to seek evidence of similarity in the ethos of policy adaptation. Informed by recent scholarship signalling growing disparities in social entitlements along socio-economic lines in Hungary and Romania, the analysis assesses whether three decades of change in family transfers in three different policy contexts might exhibit the selective, pr…
When a crisis undermines quality public service provision: Romanian early childhood education and care through the Sars-Cov-2 epidemic
What appeared to be the success of many Eastern European states in managing the toll of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in its first round has been attributed to the early introduction of strict lockdown. However, erring on the side of caution came at a high price, with mixed economies of welfare shifting sometimes radically towards families, with the related costs unevenly distributed. Using the case of early childhood education and care (ECEC), the art…
Flat-rate personal income tax in Lithuania, Romania and Hungary: A revolutionary policy idea without revolutionary outcomes
A decade of writing on the politics of flat-rate tax adoption and diffusion across post-socialist Europe and Asia has presented these reforms as revolutionary, but at least bold. However, in what ways they might have proven so and for whom has not been investigated. Based on a micro-level study of actual personal income tax rates for the 1991–2018 period, the article engages critically with the scope of the flat tax ‘revolution’ in three differen…
Family Policy and the Organisation of Childcare
Post-Socialist Informalities: Power, Agency and the Construction of Extra-Legalities from Bosnia to China
Adjusting social welfare and social policy in Central and Eastern Europe: Growth, crisis and recession
This chapter discusses the politics of welfare state adaptation in two post-socialist welfare states, notably Hungary, representing the so-called post-communist European welfare state type, and Romania as a representative of the developing welfare state type, using Fenger’s welfare state typology. The discussion focuses on the past ten years of social policy adaptation in the area of old age pensions, social insurance, labour market and family po…
Informality ‘in spite of’ or ‘beyond’ the state: Some evidence from Hungary and Romania
Framed in the growing body of research on informality, this article attempts to define a distinction between informality performed ‘in spite of’ and ‘beyond’ the state. ‘In spite of’ the state refers to the case where state institutions already regulate a given situation, but citizens decide that state governance is not enough (or not appropriate, effective). ‘Beyond’ the state refers to the case where state institutions do not regulate a particu…
States” of informality in post-socialist Europe (and beyond)
This article explores the main debates and works that underpin the theoretical conceptualization of this special issue and documents the exponential growth of literature on informality both globally and, especially, in post-socialist spaces. In spite of this growth, informality is still relatively understudied considering how widespread and significant a phenomenon it has become. In particular, if we go beyond a merely economistic view of the phe…
Socio-economic deficits and informal domestic childcare services in Romania: The policy drivers of the commodification of care from a micro-level perspective
This article makes the argument that while the commodification of early years childcare services in the Romanian context is shaped by similar drivers as elsewhere in Europe, the overwhelmingly informal character of this commodification is first and foremost policy-induced. In particular, the configuration of family policy provisions and the care gaps created by the absence of quality childcare alternatives especially during the first three years …
Looking at the ‘sharing’ economies concept through the prism of informality
How do the ‘sharing economies’ relate to the long history of informal economic practices as understood in the social sciences? This article examines conceptions of the sharing economy in terms of its relation to scholarship on informality. By using two case studies of informal economic practices that originated in socialist-era societies and continue to the present day in modified forms, we critique the notion that sharing economies are significa…
The totality of caring”: Conceptualising childcare arrangements for empirical research
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level empirical research by drawing on theoretical discussions about the social, spatial and temporal dimensions of embodied childcare and empirical data in the form of parental narratives from a Romanian qualitative study. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds o…
Welfare States’ and Social Policies in Eastern Europe and the Former USSR: Where Informality Fits In
Since the end of socialism scholars have been debating whether post-socialist welfare policies in Eastern Europe and the former USSR could be considered converging into Western European patterns, and possibly fit one of Esping-Andersen's (1990) welfare state classifications, or whether they should be considered an exception or sui generis and therefore studied beyond these categories. This article is informed by post-2008 crisis material and cont…
Managing access to full-time public daycare and preschool services in Romania: Planfulness, cream-skimming and ‘interventions
This article engages with differently qualified parents’ experiences of and success in accessing public full-time early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in a Romanian urban context to illustrate the ways in which post-socialist welfare states are transformed not only from above, through formal rules, but also from below, through informal practices. Through the exploration of the narratives of both parents and managers, the article fin…
Introduction: The Failure and Future of the Welfare State in Post-socialism
Debates on the post-socialist welfare state evolved in two main directions. While some scholars have maintained that they would eventually converge with Western European patterns, some others have pointed at the need of a more ‘particularist’ approach, seeking to demonstrate that post-socialist states might follow a different and non-traditional path, individually or as a region in terms of welfare provision. Our current work is an attempt to con…
Welfare States’ and Social Policies in Eastern Europe and the Former USSR: Where Informality Fits In
Since the end of socialism scholars have been debating whether post-socialist welfare policies in Eastern Europe and the former USSR could be considered converging into Western European patterns, and possibly fit one of Esping-Andersen's (1990) welfare state classifications, or whether they should be considered an exception or sui generis and therefore studied beyond these categories. This article is informed by post-2008 crisis material and cont…
Informality ‘in spite of’ or ‘beyond’ the state: Some evidence from Hungary and Romania
Framed in the growing body of research on informality, this article attempts to define a distinction between informality performed ‘in spite of’ and ‘beyond’ the state. ‘In spite of’ the state refers to the case where state institutions already regulate a given situation, but citizens decide that state governance is not enough (or not appropriate, effective). ‘Beyond’ the state refers to the case where state institutions do not regulate a particu…
Introduction: The Failure and Future of the Welfare State in Post-socialism
Debates on the post-socialist welfare state evolved in two main directions. While some scholars have maintained that they would eventually converge with Western European patterns, some others have pointed at the need of a more ‘particularist’ approach, seeking to demonstrate that post-socialist states might follow a different and non-traditional path, individually or as a region in terms of welfare provision. Our current work is an attempt to con…
Managing access to full-time public daycare and preschool services in Romania: Planfulness, cream-skimming and ‘interventions
This article engages with differently qualified parents’ experiences of and success in accessing public full-time early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in a Romanian urban context to illustrate the ways in which post-socialist welfare states are transformed not only from above, through formal rules, but also from below, through informal practices. Through the exploration of the narratives of both parents and managers, the article fin…
Looking at the ‘sharing’ economies concept through the prism of informality
How do the ‘sharing economies’ relate to the long history of informal economic practices as understood in the social sciences? This article examines conceptions of the sharing economy in terms of its relation to scholarship on informality. By using two case studies of informal economic practices that originated in socialist-era societies and continue to the present day in modified forms, we critique the notion that sharing economies are significa…
States” of informality in post-socialist Europe (and beyond)
This article explores the main debates and works that underpin the theoretical conceptualization of this special issue and documents the exponential growth of literature on informality both globally and, especially, in post-socialist spaces. In spite of this growth, informality is still relatively understudied considering how widespread and significant a phenomenon it has become. In particular, if we go beyond a merely economistic view of the phe…
Performative agency among street-level bureaucrats: Its Implications for Citizen Encounters With the Welfare State
Purpose The purpose of this study is to use ethnographic immersion in low-discretion bureaucratic contexts to explore how performative communication affects welfare bureaucracy outcomes in two European contexts. Design/methodology/approach Comparative ethnographic study of face-to-face welfare bureaucratic encounters between frontline workers and new parents claiming and/or receiving universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, using a m…
Socio-economic deficits and informal domestic childcare services in Romania: The policy drivers of the commodification of care from a micro-level perspective
This article makes the argument that while the commodification of early years childcare services in the Romanian context is shaped by similar drivers as elsewhere in Europe, the overwhelmingly informal character of this commodification is first and foremost policy-induced. In particular, the configuration of family policy provisions and the care gaps created by the absence of quality childcare alternatives especially during the first three years …
The totality of caring”: Conceptualising childcare arrangements for empirical research
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level empirical research by drawing on theoretical discussions about the social, spatial and temporal dimensions of embodied childcare and empirical data in the form of parental narratives from a Romanian qualitative study. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds o…
Welfare States’ and Social Policies in Eastern Europe and the Former USSR: Where Informality Fits In
Since the end of socialism scholars have been debating whether post-socialist welfare policies in Eastern Europe and the former USSR could be considered converging into Western European patterns, and possibly fit one of Esping-Andersen's (1990) welfare state classifications, or whether they should be considered an exception or sui generis and therefore studied beyond these categories. This article is informed by post-2008 crisis material and cont…
Managing access to full-time public daycare and preschool services in Romania: Planfulness, cream-skimming and ‘interventions
This article engages with differently qualified parents’ experiences of and success in accessing public full-time early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in a Romanian urban context to illustrate the ways in which post-socialist welfare states are transformed not only from above, through formal rules, but also from below, through informal practices. Through the exploration of the narratives of both parents and managers, the article fin…
Introduction: The Failure and Future of the Welfare State in Post-socialism
Debates on the post-socialist welfare state evolved in two main directions. While some scholars have maintained that they would eventually converge with Western European patterns, some others have pointed at the need of a more ‘particularist’ approach, seeking to demonstrate that post-socialist states might follow a different and non-traditional path, individually or as a region in terms of welfare provision. Our current work is an attempt to con…
The totality of caring”: Conceptualising childcare arrangements for empirical research
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate a conceptually and empirically grounded new understanding of childcare arrangements for cross-national and longitudinal micro-level empirical research by drawing on theoretical discussions about the social, spatial and temporal dimensions of embodied childcare and empirical data in the form of parental narratives from a Romanian qualitative study. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds o…
States” of informality in post-socialist Europe (and beyond)
This article explores the main debates and works that underpin the theoretical conceptualization of this special issue and documents the exponential growth of literature on informality both globally and, especially, in post-socialist spaces. In spite of this growth, informality is still relatively understudied considering how widespread and significant a phenomenon it has become. In particular, if we go beyond a merely economistic view of the phe…
Socio-economic deficits and informal domestic childcare services in Romania: The policy drivers of the commodification of care from a micro-level perspective
This article makes the argument that while the commodification of early years childcare services in the Romanian context is shaped by similar drivers as elsewhere in Europe, the overwhelmingly informal character of this commodification is first and foremost policy-induced. In particular, the configuration of family policy provisions and the care gaps created by the absence of quality childcare alternatives especially during the first three years …
Looking at the ‘sharing’ economies concept through the prism of informality
How do the ‘sharing economies’ relate to the long history of informal economic practices as understood in the social sciences? This article examines conceptions of the sharing economy in terms of its relation to scholarship on informality. By using two case studies of informal economic practices that originated in socialist-era societies and continue to the present day in modified forms, we critique the notion that sharing economies are significa…
Adjusting social welfare and social policy in Central and Eastern Europe: Growth, crisis and recession
This chapter discusses the politics of welfare state adaptation in two post-socialist welfare states, notably Hungary, representing the so-called post-communist European welfare state type, and Romania as a representative of the developing welfare state type, using Fenger’s welfare state typology. The discussion focuses on the past ten years of social policy adaptation in the area of old age pensions, social insurance, labour market and family po…
Informality ‘in spite of’ or ‘beyond’ the state: Some evidence from Hungary and Romania
Framed in the growing body of research on informality, this article attempts to define a distinction between informality performed ‘in spite of’ and ‘beyond’ the state. ‘In spite of’ the state refers to the case where state institutions already regulate a given situation, but citizens decide that state governance is not enough (or not appropriate, effective). ‘Beyond’ the state refers to the case where state institutions do not regulate a particu…
Family Policy and the Organisation of Childcare
Post-Socialist Informalities: Power, Agency and the Construction of Extra-Legalities from Bosnia to China
Different, Yet the Same: Three Decades of Family Policy Change in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania
The article analyses over-time changes in family transfers in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania from 1990-2018 to seek evidence of similarity in the ethos of policy adaptation. Informed by recent scholarship signalling growing disparities in social entitlements along socio-economic lines in Hungary and Romania, the analysis assesses whether three decades of change in family transfers in three different policy contexts might exhibit the selective, pr…
When a crisis undermines quality public service provision: Romanian early childhood education and care through the Sars-Cov-2 epidemic
What appeared to be the success of many Eastern European states in managing the toll of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in its first round has been attributed to the early introduction of strict lockdown. However, erring on the side of caution came at a high price, with mixed economies of welfare shifting sometimes radically towards families, with the related costs unevenly distributed. Using the case of early childhood education and care (ECEC), the art…
Flat-rate personal income tax in Lithuania, Romania and Hungary: A revolutionary policy idea without revolutionary outcomes
A decade of writing on the politics of flat-rate tax adoption and diffusion across post-socialist Europe and Asia has presented these reforms as revolutionary, but at least bold. However, in what ways they might have proven so and for whom has not been investigated. Based on a micro-level study of actual personal income tax rates for the 1991–2018 period, the article engages critically with the scope of the flat tax ‘revolution’ in three differen…
Perceptions About the Role of Money in Contemporary Romanian Foster Care
Despite foster care becoming central to the protection of children in state care in Romania following the push for a rights‐based approach in anticipation of European accession, empirical research on fostering remains sparse. Using a mixed methods qualitative design combining findings from 15 in‐depth interviews with 16 diverse expert participants with the analysis of a 2019 high‐profile scandal surrounding the international adoption of eight‐yea…
Making Sense of Bureaucratic Information: Conceptualising Bureaucratic Translation
Using ethnographic material of new parents’ encounters with welfare workers during the process of claiming and receipt of universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, this article proposes the concept of bureaucratic translation. Drawing on Latourian conceptual foundations, we show that the communication of bureaucratic information is not only symbolically loaded, but invariably in need of ‘translation’. We highlight five interrelated pr…
Rights‐Based Practice in Romanian Child Protection and Public Education Two Decades on: Six Points of Consensus Among Diverse Experts
Close to two decades after Romania's landmark legislation on the rights of the child and adoption, this paper explores six points of consensus concerning rights‐based practice in child protection and public education. Drawing on conceptual work on ‘assemblages’ in social services reform and an analytical focus on inconsistencies, incoherences and tensions in professional practice, we explore 30 key informants' narrative focus on ‘sites of strain’…
Performative agency among street-level bureaucrats: Its Implications for Citizen Encounters With the Welfare State
Purpose The purpose of this study is to use ethnographic immersion in low-discretion bureaucratic contexts to explore how performative communication affects welfare bureaucracy outcomes in two European contexts. Design/methodology/approach Comparative ethnographic study of face-to-face welfare bureaucratic encounters between frontline workers and new parents claiming and/or receiving universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, using a m…
Political science (13 works) · Economics (12 works) · Social Policy and Reform Studies (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Law (7 works) · Law (6 works) · Political economy (6 works) · Welfare (6 works) · Business (5 works) · Context (archaeology (5 works)