Nordic Welfare States in the European Context

ISBN-13: 9780415241618 / Angielski / Miękka / 2001 / 328 str.

Mikko Kautto; Johan Fritzell; Bjorn Hvinden

Opis

The sequel to Nordic Social Policy, this work compares social policy and developments since the 1980s in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with those in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other Western European countries. The topics covered in the book include: income distribution, health, gender policies and gender equality, family patterns, and employment. In the context of globalization, ageing populations, changing employment patterns and issues around exclusion, the study offers a discussion of the historical development of European social policy and of its future direction. It sees the crucial challenges as those resulting from changes in the interplay between the state, the market and the family, and the state's ability to respond to people's changing needs. Through empirical analysis of welfare state adaptations, it finds a greater ambiguity regarding variation and trends than theoretical models suggest. Contrary to expectation, there is little evidence of the Europeanization of Nordic social policy, rather the reverse.

Spis treści

1. Introduction: How Distinct are the Nordic Welfare States? 2. Still Different? Income Distribution in the Nordic Countries in a European Comparison 3. Nordic Health Inequalities in the European Context 4. Gender Policies and Gender Equality 5.Gender Equality in Earnings at Work and at Home 6. Changing Family Patterns - A Challenge to Social Security 7. Health and Social Care Systems: How Different is the Nordic Model? 8. Toward Activation? The Changing Relationship Between Social Protection and Employment in Western Europe 9. On Condition of Work: Increasing Work Requirements in Unemployment Compensation Schemes 10. Moving Closer? Convergence in Financing of Welfare States 11. Conclusion: The Nordic Welfare States in the European Context

O autorze

Johan Fritzell, Bjorn Hvinden, Mikko Kautto, Jon Kvist, Hannu Uusitalo