Changing Social Equality: The Nordic Welfare Model in the 21st Century
Jon Kvist, Johan Fritzell, Bjorn Hvinden, and Olli Kangas
Abstract
Changing social equality through state policies was perhaps the greatest legacy of the twentieth century. The Nordic countries in particular have been able to raise living standards and curb inequalities without compromising economic growth. But with social inequalities on the rise, how do they fare when compared with countries with alternative welfare models, such as the UK, the Netherlands and Germany? Taking a comparative perspective, this book casts light on the changing inequalities in Europe. Contributions from experts in a range of fields examine the causes, direction and impact of chan ... More
Changing social equality through state policies was perhaps the greatest legacy of the twentieth century. The Nordic countries in particular have been able to raise living standards and curb inequalities without compromising economic growth. But with social inequalities on the rise, how do they fare when compared with countries with alternative welfare models, such as the UK, the Netherlands and Germany? Taking a comparative perspective, this book casts light on the changing inequalities in Europe. Contributions from experts in a range of fields examine the causes, direction and impact of changes, investigating whether support for egalitarian policies is diminishing and whether policies are becoming less effective at reducing inequalities. The book demonstrates how the Nordic countries seem to be on a track that will eventually lead to a welfare model where ‘some are more equal than others’.
Keywords:
Nordic welfare model,
social inequality,
social policy,
welfare states,
child family policy
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2011 |
Print ISBN-13: 9781847426604 |
Published to Policy Press Scholarship Online: May 2012 |
DOI:10.1332/policypress/9781847426604.001.0001 |