Apologies for cross-postings
Members of this list may be interested in the following publication:
At the Margins of the Welfare State: Social Assistance and the
Alleviation of Poverty in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom
Author: Christina Behrendt
Publisher: Ashgate
Series: Studies in Cash & Care
The persistence of poverty in advanced welfare states casts doubt on
the fundamental operating procedures of income distribution and
redistribution. What are the reasons for this apparent failure of the
welfare state in alleviating poverty? Why are some countries more
effective than others in this respect and what can explain these
variations in effectiveness?
Addressing one of the major puzzles in comparative welfare state
research, this unique volume adopts a fresh perspective to examine why
there is income poverty in highly developed welfare states. Focusing
!
on the
basic safety net of the welfare state, it offers a systematic
and innovative analysis of the effectiveness of minimum income schemes
in a comparative study across three highly developed welfare states:
Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Blending insights from a
combination of institutional information and quantitative data from
income surveys, the author evaluates the causal mechanisms for the
persistence of income poverty in highly developed welfare states and
derives conclusions for political reforms.
Contents
Welfare states and the alleviation of poverty; Poverty and poverty
alleviation in industrialized welfare states: what do we know?;
Mapping the reduction of poverty through minimum income schemes;
Methodological puzzles and pitfalls in the measurement of poverty; Is
the entire population eligible for social assistance benefits?; Do
social assistance schemes provid!
e adequate
benefits?; Do social
assistance schemes encourage take-up?; Conclusion; Appendix;
Bibliography; Index.
Reviews
'Anyone interested in a fresh and well-written view of the European
welfare state in comparative perspective will find this book both
indispensable and enthralling. The book should be essential reading
for all comparative social policy analysts and students.'
Timothy M. Smeeding, Maxwell Professor of Public Policy and Economics
at Syracuse University and President, New York, USA
'This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of minimum
income protection in the alleviation of poverty. Its fruitful
combination of detailed institutional analysis and individual level
income distribution gives new insights to some of the redistributive
processes in contemporary welfare states. The book should be
considered by all those interested in social policy and pover!
ty.'
=0
AWalter Korpi, Professor of Social Policy, Stockholm University, Sweden
'Thanks to research contributions over the past decade, we now start
to get an understanding of the institutional diversity of social
assistance schemes in Europe. By focussing on the extent to which
these schemes fulfil their main purpose, to alleviate poverty, this
book represents an important contribution to the study of social
security. The insight offered here is all the more important as
welfare states (now) abandon the 20th century ambition of doing away
with social assistance (and these schemes will continue to be last
resort safety net for the most vulnerable groups in our societies).'
Dr Ivar Lødemel, Senior Research Fellow, Oslo University College
ISBN: 0 7546 1996 6
Publication Date: 10/2002
Number of Pages: 258 pages
Binding: Hardback
British Library Reference: 362.5'82'0941
Lib!
rary of Co
ngress Reference: 2002066594
https://www.ashgate.com/shopping/title.asp?key1=&key2=&orig=results&is
bn=0%207546%201996%206
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