Josephus Johannes Maria (Jos) van der Lans (born 2 April 1954, in Breda) is a cultural psychologist, journalist and writer.

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".

Between 1999 and 2007 Van der Lans was a member of the GreenLeft 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.

[4] Van der Lans mainly writes on the welfare state and specifically the role of social work and public housing agencies.

[5] 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).

[6] 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.

[6] 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.

In his eyes citizens act as "kings": they expect government to solve their problems immediately.

[2] According to Van der Lans these relations have changed radically: before the politicians were the "kings" and the citizens servants.