Jowell-Kaase Prize winner revealed

The recipient of €1,000 as part of the 2019 Jowell-Kaase Early Career Researcher Prize has been announced by the European Social Survey (ESS).

All five members of the Prize Committee unanimously agreed that the 2019 Jowell-Kaase Prize should be awarded to Mark Visser of Radboud University (Nijmegen, Holland).

As part of the prize package, Visser has been invited to deliver a keynote-style speech at the 4th International ESS Conference – Turbulent times in Europe: Instability, insecurity and inequality – being held at the University of Mannheim on 15-17 April.

During the conference, over 150 papers that use ESS data on a range of topics including climate change, democracy, immigration, politics, social inequality, survey methods and welfare will be presented over three days.

Visser received his PhD in 2017 and was nominated for the Prize by Gerbert Kraaykamp, the Director of Radboud Social Cultural Research and the National Coordinator of ESS in the Netherlands.

The Jowell-Kaase Prize Committee was impressed with Visser’s use of ESS data, stating:

“Visser has a truly impressive track record using ESS data in various combinations in many of his publications. His research productivity is all the more impressive that he has finished his PhD only recently.

“His work combines state-of-the-art methods with innovative theory-building, and he consistently takes a pan-European, comparative perspective.

“In short, he makes the best possible use of ESS data, and there is little doubt he will play a major role in the ESS community in the years to come.”

Visser was first author on research published by The Sociological Quarterly in March 2013 that assessed Rounds 3-4 survey data to examine the fear of crime amongst respondents in 25 European countries.

An article that featured in Social Indicators Research in February 2014 included Visser’s analysis of Round 5 data that investigated the extent to which economic circumstances and welfare affect economic deprivation.

A European Journal of Political Research paper by Visser used Rounds 1-5 data to find which groups of people are most likely to support a radical left ideology.

The Jowell-Kaase Prize Committee was formed of members of the ESS Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), ESS Conference organising committee and ESS General Assembly.

The prize – named after Professor Sir Roger Jowell and Professor Max Kaase, the founders of the ESS – recognises excellence in the field of comparative social research by a promising new researcher.

The ESS is very grateful to Max Kaase, who kindly reviewed the Committee’s decision and was fully supportive of the decision.