Institute

Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy

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Contact

Office of Prof. Becker
beckersek@mpisoc.mpg.de

Marstallstr. 11
D-80539 Munich
Germany

The Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy undertakes ‘basic’ (ie foundational or fundamental) research on social questions in an international context. The research projects take legal, political as well as economical aspects into account. The Institute’s library offers unique resource facilities for comparative research on social law and social policy. Additionally, we cooperate closely with the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and the Technical University Munich

The Institute consists of two departments, each of which is managed by its own Director.  The Department for Foreign and International Social Law, overseen by Professor Becker, is connected with Max Planck Law.

The Social Law Department investigates, mainly by way of comparative research, the particular features of social law as an instrument for the implementation of social policy measures and as a special field of administrative law. The main focus is on systems that safeguard against social risks, such as illness, old age, long-term care, invalidity, unemployment and accidents, as well as systems that provide social aid and support. A systematic study of the principal developments in social law is of central importance. The emphasis here is primarily on three interlinked processes: reforms in the social security systems of developed countries, the Europeanization and internationalization of social law, and the establishment of social benefit systems in developing countries.

Research Areas

Comparison of Social Law

Comparison is the central method of legal research. Since, even in times of Europeanization and internationalization, nation states are responsible for the design of social benefits systems, a deeper understanding of the national social law of different countries is important. For this reason, most of our researchers supervise region-specific departments.

Health Law

A small research unit for ‘Health Law’ focuses on new requirements for health systems, eg the integration of innovative instruments into health care.

Law and Social Sciences

At the interface between ‘Law and Social Sciences’, researchers from various disciplines work in an interdisciplinary manner and with different methodological approaches.

Research Projects

Europeanization of the Welfare State

The Europeanization and internationalization of social law is characterised by an increasing importance of supranational and international regulations. This leads to the interplay between national regulation on the one hand, and regional or global regulation on the other. It also ultimately results in an increase in plurality and potential legal conflicts within a legal system, which constitute some of the core research subjects.

Modernization of the Welfare State

The modernization of social law in the post-modern era is characterized, especially in developed countries, by an adaptation to social changes, by the use of new forms of control and steering instruments, and by further developments with regard to the design and objectives of social benefits. Comparative studies may help to better understand these developments. In this context, the question always arises as to which extent traditional systems should and can be supplemented or replaced by new ones.

Foundations of the Social State

In addition to modernization processes, the Social Law Department also deals with the foundations of guaranteeing social protection as a core task of the welfare state. They show how political communities can be designed, what tasks they should pursue as well as possible ways to achieve social policy goals.

Health Law

Health projects have been part of the Department’s research work for a long time. However, a collaborative project on personalized healthcare carried out between 2010 and 2014 has laid the concrete and organisational foundation for the formation of a research unit on health law. Interdisciplinary exchange has also led to new research questions, which are addressed here.

Law and Social Sciences

The research area ‘Law and Social Sciences’ is primarily concerned with empirical studies. They enrich qualitative legal research with quantitative and experimental work.

Migration

Every year millions of people worldwide migrate for a variety of reasons. The rights of different types of migrants such as asylum seekers, recognized refugees and labour migrants in Germany and other countries are the focus of this research area. Special attention is given to social rights.

Director

Research Highlights

Joining the Institute

Limited grants are available for guest scholars at the Insitute and there is always the possibility to pursue doctoral studies.

For further information and application please visit the Institutes’ website: https://www.mpisoc.mpg.de/en/