Overview

Originally published in 2005. The primary focus of this work is the relationship between family, work and the welfare system. Focusing on Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, the study draws comparisons between societies which represent different types of welfare mix between state, market and civil society. Three important issues in the transformation of the European welfare state systems are considered: The conditions for social citizenship in European welfare states and how they have changed in relation to family and work; Changes in the provision of social welfare and how they have affected the interrelationship between the welfare state, the market and civil society; The impacts of constraints on public expenditure and the financing of the welfare state. The authors discuss the question of whether the welfare states of these countries have profoundly changed over the last ten to fifteen years and examine how this might provide insights into the contemporary welfare state. The framework developed by the authors can be applied in other specific areas of the development and transformation of welfare states.

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Peter Abrahamson is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen. His research interests revolve around comparative analyses of welfare state issues, such as poverty, social exclusion, changes in social policy governing, and the social dimension of the European Union. He has recently published his work in Acta Sociologica, Journal o f European Social Policy, Social Policy and Administration and Journal o f Societal and Social Policy. In 2003 he published Local Partnerships in Europe (The Copenhagen Centre) together with Louise Kjaer. Thomas P. Boje is Professor of Social Sciences (welfare and labour market) at the Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, Denmark. His research is mainly concentrated on comparative studies: one study analysing the relationship between women’s labour market involvement, caring obligations, family policies in different European welfare systems and another study analysing the Non-profit Sector and its economic, political and social impact on the Danish society in a comparative perspective. He has published widely on labour market, gender, citizenship and flexibility. Bent Greve is Professor in Welfare State Analysis and Head of the Department of Social Sciences, Roskilde University, Denmark. His research areas are welfare state and labour market in comparative perspective. He has published extensively on subjects such as social security, tax expenditures, public sector expenditures and financing, labour market development and labour market policy.

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