Nordic Social Policy

This volume examines the relationship between Nordic social policy and economic development from a comparative perspective. It identifies the driving forces behind the development of the Nordic welfare model and the problems and dilemmas the model is facing at present. The book also traces the link between democratization and social policy, drawing attention to the role of the state and non-governmental organizations. Social Policy and Economic Development in the Nordic Countries examines Nordic social policies on unemployment, social care, family, education and health care policies, and reviews future challenges of the welfare state in the information society.

In international welfare state scholarship and political discourse the Nordic Model has become a standard concept. But how precise is the concept and to what extent do the five Nordic countries fit into this overall pattern? In this book a group of Nordic historians trace the historical origins and developments of welfare in the five Nordic countries. The aim of this book is to modify the standard concept by emphasizing both the common features and the variations between them. As a work hypothesis the authors regard "Norden" as a model with five exceptions. The articles in this book are all written by historians who have worked within the framework of a Nordic research project operating under the title The Nordic Welfare-Model - a Historical reappraisal.

By focusing on developments in the Nordic welfare states during the past decade, Nordic Social Policy provides new insights into the evolution of welfare state measures and generally assesses the peoples health in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. This comparative work includes chapters on *the changed preconditions of welfare policies *changes in the welfare measures *developments in the welfare of the people *developments in public support for the welfare states.

Taking a comparative perspective, this book casts new light on the changing inequalities in Europe.

This important sequel to Nordic Social Policy (Routledge 1999) compares welfare state development over the last twenty years in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with that of Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other Western European countries. Topics covered include: * income distribution, health inequalities and gender equality * gender policies, health and social care services and policy reaction to family changes * social security and employment policies * financing of welfare states. In the context of globalisation, ageing populations, changing employment patterns and rising inequalities, Nordic Welfare States in the European Context offers an empirical analysis of welfare adaptations and a lively discussion of the historical development of European social policy. It finds a greater ambiguity regarding variation and trends than is commonly suggested. Contrary to expectation, there is little evidence of the Europeanisation of Nordic welfare states, rather the reverse. The comparable and empirical data used in this study make it a unique contribution to understanding current trends in European social policy.

Part I of this book is devoted to the development of Scandanavian societies from agrarian societies to modern industrial economies and welfare states. Three of the chapters in Part II analyse particular welfare problems, those of inequality, poverty, and redistribution; the final essay deals with women's position in the welfare state. The papers included in Part III present theory and methods of welfare research.

First published in 1997, this volume aimed to study social care services as a specific type of social policy that operates on a different set of principles as supportive services rather than as poor relief or social security work. The focus is on determining what is specifically Scandinavian about the world-famous Scandinavian welfare state, with studies on issues including the origins of four social care service models, the development of local authority social services in Iceland and social services as a gender issue.

The five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, are well-known for their extensive welfare system and gender equality which provides both parents with opportunities to earn and care for their children. In this topical book, expert scholars from the Nordic countries, as well as UK and the US, demonstrate how modern fatherhood is supported in the Nordic setting through family and social policies, and how these contribute to shaping and influencing the images, roles and practices of fathers in a diversity of family settings and variations of fatherhoods. This comprehensive volume will have wide international appeal for those who look to Nordic countries and their success in creating gender equal societies.