Summary lectures
KEY CHALLENGES TO THE WELFARE STATE: SOCIAL POLICY AND
SOCIAL CHANGE
Content
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 What is a welfare state?...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 The origins of the welfare state ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Types of welfare states ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4 The welfare state and social change .............................................................................................................................................. 7
2. Post-Industrialization .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.1 Emergence of industrialization ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1 Industrialization and changing social relations .................................................................................................................. 8
2.1.2 Changing labour relations, Fordism and rise of the welfare state ................................................................................ 9
2.1.3 Features of the industrial welfare state .............................................................................................................................. 10
2.2 Post industrialization: it’s processor ........................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 Post-industrialization and changing social relations ..................................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Changing labour relations, post-Fordism and the welfare state ................................................................................. 11
2.2.3 Four (at least) consequences of post-industrialization .................................................................................................. 11
2.2.4 Towards a new welfare state? ................................................................................................................................................12
3. Individualization ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Individualization ................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.1.1 Modernization, individualization and the rise of the welfare state ............................................................................ 13
3.1.2 Dimensions of individualization .............................................................................................................................................14
3.1.3 Individualization as a “self-reinforcing process” ..............................................................................................................14
3.2 Hyper-individualization ...................................................................................................................................................................15
3.2.1 From individualization to hyper-individualization ...........................................................................................................15
3.2.2 (Hyper-) individualization, late modernity and “reflexivization” .................................................................................15
3.2.3 (Hyper-) individualization and the reform of the welfare state .................................................................................. 17
,4. Gender ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
4.1 Gender and the welfare state ........................................................................................................................................................ 18
4.1.1 What is gender? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.1.2 The welfare states ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.2 Gender and consequences for the welfare state .....................................................................................................................21
4.2.1 The past .........................................................................................................................................................................................21
4.2.2 The present ..................................................................................................................................................................................21
4.2.3 The future.................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
5. Ageing .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.1 Ageing.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.1.1 Health characteristics in older age ....................................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.2 Health conditions in older age............................................................................................................................................... 25
5.1.3 Intrinsic capacity and functional ability ............................................................................................................................. 27
5.2 Long-term Care Systems................................................................................................................................................................ 28
5.2.1 Healthy ageing ........................................................................................................................................................................... 30
6. Migration .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
6.1 Welfare shopping: immigrants as benefit-tourists? ............................................................................................................... 31
6.2 Users or abusers: do migrants deserve welfare support? .................................................................................................... 33
6.3 Migration as alternative to the welfare spending ................................................................................................................... 35
7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
7.1 The industrial welfare state ............................................................................................................................................................ 37
7.2 Five processes of social change and welfare state change: .................................................................................................. 37
7.2.1 Post-Industrialisation ............................................................................................................................................................... 37
7.2.2 Individualization ........................................................................................................................................................................38
7.2.3 Gender ..........................................................................................................................................................................................39
7.2.4 Ageing .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
7.2.5 Migration .................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
7.2.6 Interaction of processes ..........................................................................................................................................................41
7.3 Other processes of social change and the welfare state .......................................................................................................41
, 1. Introduction
1.1 What is a welfare state?
The welfare state is one of the most powerful institutions of the 20th century and beyond, and the result
of a long historical development. It began in the USA and Europe, and then spread across the world. It
brought about security.
Today, it’s important to:
• Knowing and understanding its development, both then and now
• Knowing and understanding major social changes and how these challenge the welfare state
today and in the future
→ What a welfare state is and what it should be is highly contested. Do we even need it? Is it too big or
too small?
There are many definitions for the welfare state, like:
Van Doorn (1978):
“The welfare state embodies the formulation of a social guarantee: society, organized as a
nation state, guarantees all citizens a reasonable standard of living.”
Wilensky (1975):
“The essence of the welfare state is government protected minimum standards of income,
nutrition, health, housing, and education assured to every citizen as a political right, not as
charity."
Thoenes (1962):
‘The welfare state is a society type, which is characterized by a democratic system of
government care, which guarantees the collective social welfare of its subjects, while the
capitalist production system remains largely unaltered.’
In this course we’ll use Thoenes’ definition, because it gives context.
• It states that it happens in a democratic system, why?
o The poor can vote, and they vote for parties that construct welfare states
o In democracies there is a lot of equality in ways of living, so big differences can’t exist
KEY CHALLENGES TO THE WELFARE STATE: SOCIAL POLICY AND
SOCIAL CHANGE
Content
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 What is a welfare state?...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 The origins of the welfare state ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Types of welfare states ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.4 The welfare state and social change .............................................................................................................................................. 7
2. Post-Industrialization .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.1 Emergence of industrialization ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.1 Industrialization and changing social relations .................................................................................................................. 8
2.1.2 Changing labour relations, Fordism and rise of the welfare state ................................................................................ 9
2.1.3 Features of the industrial welfare state .............................................................................................................................. 10
2.2 Post industrialization: it’s processor ........................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 Post-industrialization and changing social relations ..................................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Changing labour relations, post-Fordism and the welfare state ................................................................................. 11
2.2.3 Four (at least) consequences of post-industrialization .................................................................................................. 11
2.2.4 Towards a new welfare state? ................................................................................................................................................12
3. Individualization ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Individualization ................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.1.1 Modernization, individualization and the rise of the welfare state ............................................................................ 13
3.1.2 Dimensions of individualization .............................................................................................................................................14
3.1.3 Individualization as a “self-reinforcing process” ..............................................................................................................14
3.2 Hyper-individualization ...................................................................................................................................................................15
3.2.1 From individualization to hyper-individualization ...........................................................................................................15
3.2.2 (Hyper-) individualization, late modernity and “reflexivization” .................................................................................15
3.2.3 (Hyper-) individualization and the reform of the welfare state .................................................................................. 17
,4. Gender ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
4.1 Gender and the welfare state ........................................................................................................................................................ 18
4.1.1 What is gender? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.1.2 The welfare states ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.2 Gender and consequences for the welfare state .....................................................................................................................21
4.2.1 The past .........................................................................................................................................................................................21
4.2.2 The present ..................................................................................................................................................................................21
4.2.3 The future.................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
5. Ageing .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.1 Ageing.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.1.1 Health characteristics in older age ....................................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.2 Health conditions in older age............................................................................................................................................... 25
5.1.3 Intrinsic capacity and functional ability ............................................................................................................................. 27
5.2 Long-term Care Systems................................................................................................................................................................ 28
5.2.1 Healthy ageing ........................................................................................................................................................................... 30
6. Migration .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
6.1 Welfare shopping: immigrants as benefit-tourists? ............................................................................................................... 31
6.2 Users or abusers: do migrants deserve welfare support? .................................................................................................... 33
6.3 Migration as alternative to the welfare spending ................................................................................................................... 35
7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
7.1 The industrial welfare state ............................................................................................................................................................ 37
7.2 Five processes of social change and welfare state change: .................................................................................................. 37
7.2.1 Post-Industrialisation ............................................................................................................................................................... 37
7.2.2 Individualization ........................................................................................................................................................................38
7.2.3 Gender ..........................................................................................................................................................................................39
7.2.4 Ageing .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
7.2.5 Migration .................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
7.2.6 Interaction of processes ..........................................................................................................................................................41
7.3 Other processes of social change and the welfare state .......................................................................................................41
, 1. Introduction
1.1 What is a welfare state?
The welfare state is one of the most powerful institutions of the 20th century and beyond, and the result
of a long historical development. It began in the USA and Europe, and then spread across the world. It
brought about security.
Today, it’s important to:
• Knowing and understanding its development, both then and now
• Knowing and understanding major social changes and how these challenge the welfare state
today and in the future
→ What a welfare state is and what it should be is highly contested. Do we even need it? Is it too big or
too small?
There are many definitions for the welfare state, like:
Van Doorn (1978):
“The welfare state embodies the formulation of a social guarantee: society, organized as a
nation state, guarantees all citizens a reasonable standard of living.”
Wilensky (1975):
“The essence of the welfare state is government protected minimum standards of income,
nutrition, health, housing, and education assured to every citizen as a political right, not as
charity."
Thoenes (1962):
‘The welfare state is a society type, which is characterized by a democratic system of
government care, which guarantees the collective social welfare of its subjects, while the
capitalist production system remains largely unaltered.’
In this course we’ll use Thoenes’ definition, because it gives context.
• It states that it happens in a democratic system, why?
o The poor can vote, and they vote for parties that construct welfare states
o In democracies there is a lot of equality in ways of living, so big differences can’t exist
