Performative agency among street-level bureaucrats: its implications for citizen encounters with the welfare state

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use ethnographic immersion in low-discretion bureaucratic contexts to explore how performative communication affects welfare bureaucracy outcomes in two European contexts. Design/methodology/approach Comparative ethnographic study of face-to-face welfare bureaucratic encounters between frontline workers and new parents claiming and/or receiving universal family entitlements in Denmark and Romania, using a most-different comparative design. Findings Irrespective of discretion, “successful” bureaucratic interactions are judged based on demeanour (performative agency). This judgement carries over to general dispositions towards the welfare state. Originality/value A performative taxonomy of welfare bureaucrats involved in the delivery of universal and contributory family services and benefits helps explain perceived outcomes of face-to-face frontline welfare encounters. The paper also argues for moving beyond logocentrism in ethnographic studies of street-level welfare work towards a more encompassing understanding of language.