معرفی
Mara Yerkes is Professor of Comparative Social Policy in relation to Social Inequalities at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She obtained her PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2006 and has established herself as a leading researcher in gender equality, social policy, and work-family dynamics. Yerkes serves as co-chair of the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAnet) and is joint editor of the journal Community, Work and Family.
Her research centers on two broad themes: comparative social policy and social inequalities. In relation to social policy, Yerkes researches comparative welfare states, industrial relations and citizenship regimes. Regarding social inequalities, her work focuses on inequalities related to work, care, communities and families, particularly in relation to gender, generations, and sexuality. She is particularly known for her work on gender differences in work-life balance and the impact of the pandemic on gender equality.
Yerkes is the principal investigator of two major research projects: the European Research Council (ERC) project CAPABLE, a comparative study on gender inequalities in work-life balance in eight European countries, and CoGIS-NL (COVID-19 Gender (In)equality Survey Netherlands), a longitudinal research project involving researchers from Utrecht University and Radboud University Nijmegen. Her publications reveal consistent focus on comparative welfare state analysis, gender equality, and the capability approach to social policy.
- European Research Council (ERC) project CAPABLE
- Co-chair of ESPAnet (European Social Policy Analysis Network)
- Joint editor of Community, Work and Family journal
- Author of five books including Transforming the Dutch Welfare State and Social Policy and the Capability Approach
Yerkes coordinates multiple academic programs at Utrecht University including the master's degree 'Work, care and participation: policy and interventions' (AZP), the master's program 'Social Policy and Social Interventions' (SPSI), and the international minor 'Social Problems in Contemporary Europe.' She teaches courses on social risks in Europe, solidarity between young and old, and work-family balance. Her research team conducts significant work on pandemic impacts on gender equality, particularly through the CoGIS-NL project which has produced multiple policy briefs documenting changing gender dynamics during lockdown periods.
