Jos van der Lans
Encyclopedia
Josephus Johannes Maria van der Lans (Breda
, 2 April 1954) is a cultural psychologist
, journalist
and writer. Between 1999 and 2007 he was member of the Dutch Senate for GreenLeft
background. Between 1960 and 1967 he attended a Catholic primary school in Amsterdam
(until 1964) and The Hague
. Between 1967 and 1973 he attended a Catholic secondary school in The Hague. He attended the atheneum
and specialized in sciences. Between 1973 and 1981 he studied psychology
at the Catholic University Nijmegen. In 1977 he received his candidate's exam (roughly equivalent to a bachelor degree
) and in 1981 he received his doctoral exam (roughly equivalent to a master degree
. Van der Lans specialized in cultural psychology and Psychology of religion
. He also took additional courses in communication studies
and education studies. He wrote his doctoral thesis about "Youth Culture, Provo and the Youth Movement" . Between 1979 and 1981 he attended courses to become a teacher in civics
and science education
. Between 1977 and 1981 he worked as a student-assistant on the faculty of social sciences at different departments. Between 1977 and 1983 he worked as a journalist for the quarterly magazine Psychologie & Maatschappij (Psychology and Society).
As a student Van der Lans was active in the student movement and in university politics. Between 1975 and 1977 he was chair of the Nijmegen Student Union and between 1977 and 1978 he was the student member of the board of the subfaculty of psychology. In 1978 Van der Lans joined the Communist Party of the Netherlands
, which he left in 1986 because internal struggles had caused the decline of the party.
for the magazine Jeugd en Samenleving (Youth and Society). Between 1982 and 1987 he was editor of the magazine Marge, the monthly journal for social work
. Between 1983 and 1984 he was part-time teacher in psychology at the Advanced School in Nijmegen. Between 1987 he was assistant editor in chief
and later editor in chief of the Welzijnseweekblad, the weekly magazine for social work and the Tijdschrift voor de Sociale Sector, another journal on social work. Between 1987 and 1995 he wrote for De Helling (The Slope), the quarterly of the think tank
s of the political parties CPN, the Pacifist Socialist Party
and the Political Party of Radicals. These parties merged in 1989 to form GreenLeft
, which Van der Lans joined. De Helling became the quarterly of the think tank of this party. In this period Van der Lans was also active in civil society. He was a member of the Board of the Catholic Youth Organization, Catholic Service Institute for Life Forming. He also was a member of the board of the De Helling.
Between 1990 and 1991 Van der Lans was full time freelancer with his own advice bureau, which worked in the (semi-)public sector
. Between 1991 and 1994 he worked for De Volkskrant
, a major centre-left daily as editor of the opinion & discussion page "Forum". He also worked for the Tijdschrift voor de Sociale Sector and other magazines in the semi-public sector. In 1993 he left De Volkskrant and worked De Groene Amsterdammer
, a left wing weekly (between 1993 and 1999) and for Vrij Nederland
, another leftwing weekly (between 2001 and 2004). At Vrij Nederland he edited the opinion & discussion page "Burning Issues". He also had a column in the Tijdschrift voor sociale vraagstukken (since 1994) and the weekly magazine for parents J/M (between 1997 and 1999). He continued to be active for de Helling as an editor. Between 1995 and 2000 he also was a member of the board of the GreenLeft
think tank.
In 2005 Van der Lans wrote Koning Burger (King Citizen) a critical analysis of the relationship between government and citizen. It was followed by Ontregelen (De-regulate) on the position of professionals in the (semi-)public sector. Van der Lans continues to work as a freelancer. He writes several columns: for the magazine of Aedes (the federation of public housing
agencies), for DANS (the magazine of the centre for amateur dancing) and the GreenLeft magazine.
Furthermore he is the member of several boards in the semi-public sector, such as organisation advise bureau De Beuk, HVO Querido, a foundation for social work, the Foundation for the interest of homeless people in Amsterdam ("Stichting Belangenbehartiging Amsterdamse Dak- en Thuislozen"), the Foundation Culture at 't IJ and his own foundation EROPAF! (RIGHT AT IT!), an initiative based around his vision on the role of professionals and citizens in the public sector.
parliamentary party in the Dutch Senate. He spoke on a range of issues: transport, public works and water management; housing, spatial planning and the environment; culture and economic affairs
. Between 2003 and 2007 he chaired the parliamentary committee on Transport, Public Works and Water Management. He voted against his own parliamentary party on the parliamentary approval of the marriage between Willem-Alexander
en Máxima Zorreguieta out of republic
an sentiments.
and specifically the role of social work
and public housing
agencies. He is primarily interested in the relationship between government, citizens and professionals in the public sector.
Since 1994 Van der Lans has pled, together with Paul Kuypers
in their Modern Paternalisme (Modern Paternalisme), against the culture of non-interference in social work. Social workers should intervene actively in the life of their clients without becoming moralist (as in the 1950s) or overly persistent (as in the 1970s). According to Van der Lans this culture of non-intervention is a result of the larger scale of social work and the increased respect for privacy
of citizens. Professionals such as teachers, policemen and social workers, should according to Van der Lans be freed from the increased bureaucracy
in the public sector. In the eyes of Van der Lans, the increased bureaucracy is a result of the larger demand of the transparency in the civil service from the politics. When professionals free themselves from bureaucracy they can orient themselves to their work on the "front lines of society". They should interfere in the life of their clients with a "right at it"-mentality.
Van der Lans is very critical of the role of citizens in the public sector. In his eyes citizens act as "kings": they expect government to solve their problems immediately. The government reacts as servant: politicians claim to want to listen to citizens. According to Van der Lans these relations have changed radically: before the politicians were the "kings" and the citizens servants. Van der Lans denies that there is a problem of representation in politics: never has politics tried to respond so strongly to the demands of citizens. This has shown the weakness of government however, which cannot deal with all the demands of all the citizens in the short term.
ren.
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
, 2 April 1954) is a cultural psychologist
Cultural psychology
Cultural psychology is a field of psychology which assumes the idea that culture and mind are inseparable, and that psychological theories grounded in one culture are likely to be limited in applicability when applied to a different culture...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and writer. Between 1999 and 2007 he was member of the Dutch Senate for GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
Background
Van der Lans has a CatholicRoman Catholicism in the Netherlands
The Catholic Church in the Netherlands; , is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased significantly in recent decades, the Dutch Catholic Church is today the largest...
background. Between 1960 and 1967 he attended a Catholic primary school in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(until 1964) and The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Between 1967 and 1973 he attended a Catholic secondary school in The Hague. He attended the atheneum
Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs
Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs or pre-university secondary education is the highest variant in the secondary educational system of the Netherlands. After leaving elementary school students are enrolled in different types of secondary schools, according to their academic ability...
and specialized in sciences. Between 1973 and 1981 he studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the Catholic University Nijmegen. In 1977 he received his candidate's exam (roughly equivalent to a bachelor degree
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
) and in 1981 he received his doctoral exam (roughly equivalent to a master degree
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
. Van der Lans specialized in cultural psychology and Psychology of religion
Psychology of religion
Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious traditions, as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The science attempts to accurately describe the details, origins, and uses of religious beliefs and behaviours...
. He also took additional courses in communication studies
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
and education studies. He wrote his doctoral thesis about "Youth Culture, Provo and the Youth Movement" . Between 1979 and 1981 he attended courses to become a teacher in civics
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
and science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
. Between 1977 and 1981 he worked as a student-assistant on the faculty of social sciences at different departments. Between 1977 and 1983 he worked as a journalist for the quarterly magazine Psychologie & Maatschappij (Psychology and Society).
As a student Van der Lans was active in the student movement and in university politics. Between 1975 and 1977 he was chair of the Nijmegen Student Union and between 1977 and 1978 he was the student member of the board of the subfaculty of psychology. In 1978 Van der Lans joined the Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
, which he left in 1986 because internal struggles had caused the decline of the party.
Journalist and Writer
Since 1981 Van der Lans started to work as journalist. First as a freelancerFreelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
for the magazine Jeugd en Samenleving (Youth and Society). Between 1982 and 1987 he was editor of the magazine Marge, the monthly journal for social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
. Between 1983 and 1984 he was part-time teacher in psychology at the Advanced School in Nijmegen. Between 1987 he was assistant editor in chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
and later editor in chief of the Welzijnseweekblad, the weekly magazine for social work and the Tijdschrift voor de Sociale Sector, another journal on social work. Between 1987 and 1995 he wrote for De Helling (The Slope), the quarterly of the think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
s of the political parties CPN, the Pacifist Socialist Party
Pacifist Socialist Party
The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:...
and the Political Party of Radicals. These parties merged in 1989 to form GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
, which Van der Lans joined. De Helling became the quarterly of the think tank of this party. In this period Van der Lans was also active in civil society. He was a member of the Board of the Catholic Youth Organization, Catholic Service Institute for Life Forming. He also was a member of the board of the De Helling.
Between 1990 and 1991 Van der Lans was full time freelancer with his own advice bureau, which worked in the (semi-)public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
. Between 1991 and 1994 he worked for De Volkskrant
De Volkskrant
de Volkskrant is a national daily Dutch morning newspaper, the leading centre-left broadsheet, although now in tabloid size.-History:...
, a major centre-left daily as editor of the opinion & discussion page "Forum". He also worked for the Tijdschrift voor de Sociale Sector and other magazines in the semi-public sector. In 1993 he left De Volkskrant and worked De Groene Amsterdammer
De Groene Amsterdammer
De Groene Amsterdammer is an independent Dutch weekly newsmagazine published in Amsterdam and distributed throughout the Netherlands. It is conventionally considered to be one of the four most influential written media in its sector, along with HP/De Tijd, Vrij Nederland and Elsevier.- History and...
, a left wing weekly (between 1993 and 1999) and for Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland is a Dutch magazine which was established during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II as an underground newspaper but has since grown into a magazine. The weekly magazine is generally considered to be intellectually left-wing...
, another leftwing weekly (between 2001 and 2004). At Vrij Nederland he edited the opinion & discussion page "Burning Issues". He also had a column in the Tijdschrift voor sociale vraagstukken (since 1994) and the weekly magazine for parents J/M (between 1997 and 1999). He continued to be active for de Helling as an editor. Between 1995 and 2000 he also was a member of the board of the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
think tank.
In 2005 Van der Lans wrote Koning Burger (King Citizen) a critical analysis of the relationship between government and citizen. It was followed by Ontregelen (De-regulate) on the position of professionals in the (semi-)public sector. Van der Lans continues to work as a freelancer. He writes several columns: for the magazine of Aedes (the federation of public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
agencies), for DANS (the magazine of the centre for amateur dancing) and the GreenLeft magazine.
Furthermore he is the member of several boards in the semi-public sector, such as organisation advise bureau De Beuk, HVO Querido, a foundation for social work, the Foundation for the interest of homeless people in Amsterdam ("Stichting Belangenbehartiging Amsterdamse Dak- en Thuislozen"), the Foundation Culture at 't IJ and his own foundation EROPAF! (RIGHT AT IT!), an initiative based around his vision on the role of professionals and citizens in the public sector.
Member of the Senate
Between 1999 and 2007 Van der Lans was a member of the GreenLeftGreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
parliamentary party in the Dutch Senate. He spoke on a range of issues: transport, public works and water management; housing, spatial planning and the environment; culture and economic affairs
Economic policy
Economic policy refers to the actions that governments take in the economic field. It covers the systems for setting interest rates and government budget as well as the labor market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.Such policies are often...
. Between 2003 and 2007 he chaired the parliamentary committee on Transport, Public Works and Water Management. He voted against his own parliamentary party on the parliamentary approval of the marriage between Willem-Alexander
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange is the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. Since 1980 he is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is also the head of the House of Amsberg since the death of his father in 2002. He was in military service and he studied...
en Máxima Zorreguieta out of republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an sentiments.
Political and social ideas
Van der Lans mainly writes on the welfare stateWelfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and specifically the role of social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
and public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
agencies. He is primarily interested in the relationship between government, citizens and professionals in the public sector.
Since 1994 Van der Lans has pled, together with Paul Kuypers
Paul Kuypers
Paul Herman Felix Kuypers was a Dutch agriculture expert, widely known in Ierapetra as the "Dutchman". He is credited with introducing new planting techniques first on Syros island and later in Ierapetra, Crete. He came to Ierapetra in 1966 and co-operated with local farmers...
in their Modern Paternalisme (Modern Paternalisme), against the culture of non-interference in social work. Social workers should intervene actively in the life of their clients without becoming moralist (as in the 1950s) or overly persistent (as in the 1970s). According to Van der Lans this culture of non-intervention is a result of the larger scale of social work and the increased respect for privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
of citizens. Professionals such as teachers, policemen and social workers, should according to Van der Lans be freed from the increased bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
in the public sector. In the eyes of Van der Lans, the increased bureaucracy is a result of the larger demand of the transparency in the civil service from the politics. When professionals free themselves from bureaucracy they can orient themselves to their work on the "front lines of society". They should interfere in the life of their clients with a "right at it"-mentality.
Van der Lans is very critical of the role of citizens in the public sector. In his eyes citizens act as "kings": they expect government to solve their problems immediately. The government reacts as servant: politicians claim to want to listen to citizens. According to Van der Lans these relations have changed radically: before the politicians were the "kings" and the citizens servants. Van der Lans denies that there is a problem of representation in politics: never has politics tried to respond so strongly to the demands of citizens. This has shown the weakness of government however, which cannot deal with all the demands of all the citizens in the short term.
Private life
Van der Lans co-habits. He has four children, two of which are foster childFoster Child
Foster Child is a 1987 documentary film by Gil Cardinal, exploring the filmmaker's search, at age thirty-five, for biological family. Cardinal often meets with frustration during his search, but eventually finds his natural family and discovers his Métis roots.This National Film Board of Canada...
ren.
Publications
This is a selection of Van der Lans' publications- "Giftige bonbons" ("Poisonous Chocolates" stories, 1986)
- "Modern Paternalisme" ("Modern Paternalism" manifest, 1994, with Paul Kuypers)
- "De onzichtbare samenleving" ("The Unseen Society" essays, 1995)
- "Lage landen. Hoge sprongen. Nederland in beweging 1898-1998" ("Low Countries. High Jumps. The Netherlands on the move 1898-1998" 1998 with Herman Vuijsje)
- "Typisch Nederlands. Vademecum van de Nederlandse identiteit" ("Typically Dutch. Handbook on the Dutch identity" 1999 with Herman Vuijsje)
- "Het verlangen naar de stad" ("the Desire of the City" 2002 with Herman Vuijsje)
- "Het woninkrijk der Bloemstraters" ("The small kingdom of those who lived in the Bloemstraat" 2003)
- "Bemoeien werkt" ("Intervention works" 2003 with Nies Medema en Marc Räkers)
- "Koning burger - Nederland als zelfbedieningszaak" ("King Citizens - the Netherlands as Supermarket" 2005)
- "Ontregelen - De herovering van de werkvloer" ("De-regulate - The return of the professional" 2008)
External links
- josvdlans.nl personal site
- profile on Eerste Kamer.nl
- profile op de Balie.nl
- profile on GroenLinks.nl
- profile op parlement.com