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Chapter 17 Welfare Policies

Chapter 17 Welfare Policies. Linda Hantrais. Welfare Policies. Why study European welfare policies? Conceptualising, theorising and measuring welfare Differentiating national social welfare systems Developing European social welfare competence and legitimacy

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Chapter 17 Welfare Policies

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  1. Chapter 17Welfare Policies Linda Hantrais

  2. Welfare Policies • Why study European welfare policies? • Conceptualising, theorising and measuring welfare • Differentiating national social welfare systems • Developing European social welfare competence and legitimacy • European integration, globalisation and welfare convergence

  3. Why study European welfare policies? • Lens through which to examine European integration • Key to understanding economic policy • Part of wider relationship between national welfare systems and wider processes of European integration/globalization

  4. Conceptualising Welfare • Social welfare refers to collective provision of resources to protect against risk/need and to improve living standards • The state is key in delivering these resources • Inter-related with economic system

  5. Theorising Welfare • Social democratic perspectives emphasize universality of needs • Neo-liberals promote minimal provisions • Third way looks for alternatives to state welfare • Feminists argue that welfare is gendered to the disadvantage of women

  6. Measuring Welfare • Nationally-specific measurements make cross-national comparisons difficult • On average, 25% of GDP in EU15 • Welfare funded differently in different countries • Impact of welfare systems also varies across countries

  7. Differentiating national welfare systems • Differentiated in terms of decommodification (Esping-Andersen): • Social democratic welfare regimes • Conservative/corporatist welfare regimes • Liberal welfare regimes • Southern European and Eastern European member states struggle to fit into this scheme

  8. EU welfare systems • Original 6 member states – corporatist welfare regimes • 1970s and 1990s enlargement has shifted the EU towards social democratic welfare regime • However, UK has moved towards liberal regime • Southern European welfare states rely heavily on self-provision by family members • 2004 CEECs have adopted a hybrid system

  9. Developing social welfare competence and legitimacy • EEC social policy originally intended to support common market • By 1990s, social policy gaining greater legitimacy, but still as support for economic integration • UK vetoed social policy chapter in Maastricht Treaty • Governments have moved to a softer approach to social policy, esp. OMC

  10. European integration, globalization and welfare convergence • Economic integration has not reduced path dependent diversity between states • Social integration is becoming more necessary, so preventing ‘race to the bottom’ • National policies/institutions mediate common pressures, producing divergent outcomes • National diversity remains in place

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