Martin Wagener

Martin Wagener is Prof. in sociology of work and social policy and teaching at FOPES (Open school for economic and social policy) and EST (school of labour sciences). He is member of CIRTES (Centre for Interdisciplinary research Work State and Society) at UCLouvain. The objective of the research center is to analyse life courses, forms of work, types of organisations and their articulation with public policies. Its scientific identity lies in the attention it pays to two dimensions that are transversal to all the research carried out by its members: the analysis of societal changes and methodological plurality. Martin Wageners' work begins with a sociological approach that analyses individuals' trajectories in terms of local networks, education, work, housing, and social policies. He is also interested in implementing social policies through multi-sectoral networks at various levels in local contexts.

Martin Wageners thesis analysed through a biographical approach (quantitative-qualitative) the trajectories of single parenthood in their relationship to work and housing in the Brussels-capital region. He has been conducting both qualitative and quantitative evaluative research in different sectors concerning work, the organisation of the welfare state, the fight against poverty and social work (more than 25 different research projects funded mainly by scientific sources, regional/federal ministries and EU sources).   

More broadly, since 2007 he has been conducting qualitative and quantitative evaluative research in various sectors concerning work, the organisation of the welfare state, poverty reduction and social action. He has worked in multiple positions as a researcher and director of research related to the analysis of single-parent families, homelessness, disaffiliated young people and, more broadly, various social policy programmes, addressing both the issues faced by professionals and those faced by beneficiaries.