The latest regional study on the social sector in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein has been produced as part of the ZPE project on social entrepreneurship and innovation in social services. Drawing on desk research and empirical surveys of managerial staff, the study outlines how the district’s social infrastructure as a whole – as well as within individual fields of the social sector – has developed over time. It also identifies current challenges and highlights opportunities for innovative action.
The study presents concrete data on the economic significance of the sector, particularly with regard to turnover and employment shares. In addition, it reports findings on provider structures, problem profiles, and the self-understanding of both non-profit and private-sector providers of social services.
It becomes clear that the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein reflects the characteristics typical of the development of the German social welfare system, albeit in a form shaped by local particularities. The study documents how the nationwide expansion of social services is manifested in the selected municipality and how structural changes in the provider landscape influence the self-perception of managerial staff at all organisational levels. As a result, the investigation goes beyond a regional stocktake and takes on the character of an exemplary case study whose findings are intended to contribute to the professional discourse on the welfare state. Particular reference is made to the discursive strands concerning the economisation, hybridisation, professionalisation and innovation of social services.
The study is available at the following link:
https://dspace.ub.uni-siegen.de/entities/publication/9b8919a7-5e7a-4271-9093-9447e07e1ed2
as well as under the following DOI: 10.25819/ubsi/10883