What happens to extensive and generous welfare states when they are faced with serious economic crisis and the effects of globalization? This thorough analysis of the processes of social policy restructuring in two Nordic welfare states endeavours to answer this and other questions related to their survival in a world of intensifying global competition.

This work combines a theoretical and empirical cross-national perspective to examine how societal transformations in European welfare states affect patterns of solidarity between men and women, and across generations. countries between the assumptions made at the macro-level of social policy on family issues and the reality of women's nd men's contributions at home. In countires where social policy relies on family solidarity as the main source of support, this may result in growing social inequality. Finally, the chapters reveal the crucial role of women in the transformation of family life...

Christian and Social Democratic parties have been the driving force behind welfare state developments post-WWII. This valuable book investigates whether continued party differences have contributed significantly to the design of social welfare in three conservative welfare states, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, since the mid-1970s. Rather than assuming continued differences or convergence between parties, the primary focus is to empirically analyze party positions with regard to employment and labour market policies, social security, and family policies as well as the implemented...

Governance is now a major topic in political science. To date, analysts of governance have paid scant attention to social policy or welfare state reform. In this book, the concept of governance is used to analyse the outgoing variety of the welfare mix as well as shifting responsibilities and modes of interaction. This unique and path-breaking work analyses the governance of welfare state reform in the areas of health, pensions, labour market and education policy. The authors compare both the different processes of reform (politics) and the change of policies in different welfare state...

"Social Exclusion in European Welfare States" focuses on the relationships between economic performance, labour market performance and social inclusion/exclusion. The volume examines the alleged trade-off between the social and economic capabilities of a society and their impact on well-being, and suggests that welfare regimes whose policies are more balanced in terms of prioritizing economic as well as social goals are more successful in tackling social misfortune than others. The book attempts to promote a better understanding of the differences in policy regimes and the performances of...

This work is a comparative account of social care services for children and older people in five key industrial nations (Finland, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States). The authors break new ground by moving beyond institutional description and seeking to understand the normative and moral qualities of welfare systems. The book builds on existing theories of welfare state regimes by extending the analysis to the arena of social care.

Are the policies for welfare in European states coherent and do member states follow them rigorously and in line with the recommendations of the OECD? These fourteen country studies consider how well, and how far, OECD recommendations on welfare are observed in member states.

This important book offers valuable insights into the way in which social policies and welfare state arrangements interact with family and gender models. It presents the most up-to-date research in the field, based on a variety of national and comparative sources and using different theoretical and methodological approaches. The authors address different forms of support (care, financial, emotional) and employ a bi-directional perspective, exploring both giving and receiving across generations. They illustrate that understanding how generations interact in families helps to reformulate the...

This book explores Europe's third sector - the non-profit organisations and providers of social services such as mutuals, co-operatives, associations, voluntary organisations and charities that are important yet often overlooked features in contemporary socio-economics and social policy. The pathbreaking contributions examine the third sector in Europe within a framework which seeks to conceptually integrate two hitherto separate debates: that concerning the 'social economy' of co-operatives and mutuals, and the debate on voluntary and non-profit organisations. Theoretical concepts are...