Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Netherlands
fellow
Lieselotte Blommaert
2022-2023
Home institution
Radboud Social Cultural Science
Country of origin (home institution)
Netherlands
Discipline(s)
Sociology
Theme(s)
Inequalities, inclusion & Social Innovation
Labor, Capital & Innovation
Fellowship dates
›
Biography
Lieselotte is an Instituut Gak Fellow at NIAS during 2022-2023.
Dr. Lieselotte Blommaert studies inclusion / exclusion, inequalities, discrimination and diversity in the labour market, often with a focus on recruitment and selection processes (e.g., hiring procedures).
Her research provides new insights in differences in labor market opportunities and outcomes, and what explains these. For example, it sheds light on the role of biases, stereotypes, social network resources, social contact, and (public/organizational) policies.
In recent research, she examines people's views on the pervasiveness of discrimination and unequal opportunities in society and on anti-discrimination and inclusion policies. What do people think about these matters and which factors affect their beliefs?
Tackling research questions that are both scientifically and societally relevant, she has experience with policy research and policy evaluations, projects commissioned by and in cooperation with actors like local governments or ministries.
She has broad experience with collecting new data. She uses (innovative combinations of) a variety of research methods, including surveys, experiments (e.g. field experiments, survey experiments), interviews, and case studies.
Research Project
Support for (or opposition to) antidiscrimination and diversity measures in the Netherlands and Europe
To what extent is there support for or opposition to various types of antidiscrimination or diversity policies (that that can be introduced by organizations) in the Netherlands and other European countries? To what extent and how do levels of support for such policies differ between citizens within and across different European countries?
Ethnic hiring discrimination is a persistent problem in the Netherlands, Europe and worldwide, despite existing legal frameworks promoting equality and non-discrimination. This has incited debate about what (else) can be done, particularly by organizations, to more effectively reduce hiring discrimination. A vital question in this debate is how support for antidiscrimination or diversity measures can be increased. Yet, we lack insight in such support. Research on opinions regarding antidiscrimination or diversity policies is very scarce, especially when it comes to policies more common in Europe. This project addresses these knowledge gaps by examining support for or opposition to various measures that can be taken by organizations to decrease discrimination or increase diversity. It investigates to what extent there is support for or opposition to these measures in the Netherlands and other European countries, and examines who supports which measures to a greater or lesser extent. In addition to its scientific contributions, this project can have a valuable societal impact by informing the current lively debate about ethnic hiring discrimination and how to reduce it. It can provide insights on where, for whom, under which conditions and for which policies support may be increased.
Research Interests:
Workplace discrimination and diversity policies; Public attitudes toward equality measures; Cross-national policy support