Apologies for cross posting but this new publication may be of interest to
some

David

Nordic Welfare States in the European Context
Edited by
Mikko Kautto and Hannu Uusitalo, National Research and Development
Centre
for Welfare and Health, Finland. Johan Fritzell, Swedish Institute for
Social Research, Stockholm University, Sweden. Bjxrn Hvinden, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology, Norway. Jon Kvist, The Danish
National Institute of Social Research, Denmark.
312 pages, London: Routledge, 2001
Hb: 0-415-24160-X       #55.00
Pb: 0-415-24161-8       #16.99

'Nordic Welfare States in the European Context' is an independent
follow-up
study to 'Nordic Social Policy' (eds. Kautto, Heikkild, Hvinden,
Marklund
and Ploug) by Routledge in 1999.

'Nordic Social Policy' concluded that despite marked economic and other
pressures in the early-1990s, actual changes in the welfare state
machinery, its outputs and people's living conditions appeared limited
in
the Nordic countries. Definitely no radical 'retrenchment' or
'dismantling'
of the welfare state had happened in any of the countries, and if there
was
overall Nordic similarity in the 1980s, it seemed to have persisted.

After the first study more evidence appeared on policy changes and on
growing income differentials in the Nordic countries. So, whether
institutional inertia indeed prevails over the 'irresistible forces'
(Pierson 1998) of convergence was a main question addressed in the
second
volume, published in February 2001. 'Nordic Welfare States in the
European
Context' addresses changes in Western European social policies and
living
conditions. The main questions asked are whether countries have
qualitatively different types of social policies, or whether the
contrasts
and disparities that used to exist between countries are narrowing.
These
questions were addressed by comparing social policy development in
Denmark,
Finland, Norway and Sweden to that in Germany, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom. Other EU countries were included in the analyses when
the
study design allowed this. Again, the 1980s were used as the start of
the
period and data availability determined the end of the period
(mid/late-1990s).

Topics covered in the eleven chapters include:

7 income distribution, health inequalities and gender equality
7 gender policies, health and social care services and policy reaction
to
family changes
7 activation, social security and employment policies
7 financing of welfare states

In the context of globalisation, ageing, changing family and employment
patterns and rising inequalities, 'Nordic Welfare States in the European
Context' offers an empirical analysis of welfare state adaptations and a
lively discussion of the 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
Europeanisation of the Nordic welfare states, rather the reverse.


Orders from
Tel. 44 (0) 8700 768853
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www.routledge.com (see 'Catalogue')
Inspection copies available. Order form and flier attached.


Mikko Kautto
Researcher
Stakes, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health
Research group 'Welfare Policies and Social Problems'
po box 220 (street address: Siltasaarenkatu 18), 00531 Helsinki, Finland

tel. - 358 9 3967 2206
fax. - 358 9 3967 2007
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