We are delighted to announce this year's Barnett Prize winners, Guillaume Paugam and Benjamin Scher, for their exceptional contributions to social policy and evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.
Social Policy Winner: Guillaume Paugam
Guillaume Paugam’s award-winning paper, titled “The end of polarization? Evolutions of the distribution of employment across couples in Europe over the past 40 years,” was published in the Socio-Economic Review. This insightful research examines employment inequality among heterosexual couples in Europe over the last four decades. Utilizing data from 27 countries, Guillaume maps the transition from male-breadwinner societies to a polarization between dual-earning and dual-workless couples.
Key findings of the study include:
- A significant rise in polarization during the 1980s and 1990s, which has slowed or reversed in recent decades.
- The 1980s and 1990s saw women entering the workforce likely partnered with working men, while men losing jobs due to deindustrialization were often partnered with workless women.
- In the past two decades, female employment has increasingly led to female-single-earning couples as women have become more educated and service sector employment has risen.
- Disadvantaged, low-educated couples are more likely to rely on non-standard work rather than being dual-workless, highlighting that the quality of work is becoming a more relevant issue than employment status.
Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation Winner: Benjamin Scher
Benjamin Scher’s paper, “Criminalization Causes the Stigma: Perspectives From People Who Use Drugs,” published in Contemporary Drug Problems, sheds light on how criminalization impacts social, structural, and self-stigma among people who use illegal drugs in Canada. Through qualitative data from 24 semi-structured interviews, Benjamin's research, in collaboration with Dr. Alissa Greer and her team at Simon Fraser University, explores the mechanisms of stigma amidst Canada’s drug toxicity crisis. The study provides evidence-based suggestions to reduce stigma stemming from policies aimed at combating drug-related deaths.
About the Barnett Prize
The annual Barnett Prize is awarded to the best paper submitted by a research student for the academic year. We extend our gratitude to all students who participated in this year's competition. Congratulations once again to our winners, Guillaume Paugam and Benjamin Scher, for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
