Description
Book SynopsisThis innovative book takes a unique approach to rethinking welfare states by considering two centrally interlinked issues: namely what is welfare, and what we should expect from welfare states now and in the future. Bent Greve critically considers thinking on the core elements of welfare states, how they should be ranked and how to recognise indicators of their direction of movement.
Providing expert analysis of the historical development of welfare states and the challenges and pressures experienced both regionally and globally, this book argues for a new division of welfare states and a system for balancing old and new social risk. The investigation of dilemmas and the analysis of developing welfare states are particularly illuminating and informative.
Greve provides a forward-thinking approach considering long-term stability and the challenges of inequality and poverty in different welfare regimes. He effectively combines new perspectives with attention to a strong public sector economy.
With insightful new analysis this book will be an invaluable read for researchers and students of social policy and welfare states.
Trade Review‘Bent Greve’s highly accessible book helps the reader to gain a relatively broad view on a complex issue: what is the welfare state and how is it changing? It is a very interesting and useful read both for students and researchers approaching issues related to social protection for the first time, as well as for relatively expert scholars.’ -- Emmanuele Pavolini, University of Macerata, Italy
‘An innovative and up-to-date synthesis of the literature and an excellent introduction to welfare state research. This book challenges long-held views and discusses various measures to assess welfare state development. A must read for every student of comparative social policy.’ -- Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Rethinking welfare and the welfare state: an introduction 2. Historical development of welfare states: people and ideas 3. What is welfare? 4. Welfare state regimes – many or few? 5. The welfare state mix revisited 6. Pressures on welfare states 7. Individualism versus collectivism 8. New ways of measuring societal development 9. Inequality and poverty – new challenges for welfare states 10. Populism and welfare chauvinism as challenges for welfare states 11. Labour market restructuring as a game changer 12. Elements in rethinking welfare states – a new clustering 13. Conclusions: new directions for welfare states Index
