Deservingness and Welfare Attitudes Through Young Eyes: The Future of the Swiss Welfare State

Abstract

This article demonstrates the value of including youth in deservingness and welfare attitude research by investigating Swiss adolescents' deservingness opinions and welfare attitudes (N = 1601, mean age = 14.6). Through a survey experiment focusing on different unemployed groups and unemployment-related policies, the study revisits prominent research results like the immigrant deservingness gap from a novel perspective, generating insights relevant within and beyond the Swiss context. First, deservingness is a vital predictor of attitudes towards social rights and obligations already in younger years. Moreover, while some patterns of adult-centred studies are replicated (older unemployed are seen as more deserving than younger unemployed), there are also stark deviations: EU unemployed living in Switzerland are not seen as less deserving than Swiss unemployed. More research focusing on youth can enhance the social legitimacy of policies, clarify the relationship between deservingness and welfare attitudes, and potentially indicate what to expect from the future of the welfare state.