Thursday, June 27, 2013
C0.17 (Oudemanhuispoort)
The Nordic welfare model is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) this paper demonstrates how the Nordic countries are gradually changing their welfare models. The paper examines changes in policy design and outcomes of policies for child families, jobless and the aged from 1990 onwards. For all three areas we investigate policy changes in eligibility criteria, generosity of cash benefits and quality of service benefits. Tentative analysis suggests that universalisms is becoming less pronounced and participation in the labour market is becoming still more important for entitlement to benefits. Generosity is diminished significantly, especially for middle and high income earners. Quality is under strain in particular in childcare in tandem with more children in care and the same or less amount of staff. These profound changes have taken place in such a way that although core characteristics are still in place, new structures and understandings of the welfare state are also developing. Thus classical typologies need revision, so that they include more focus on the combination of universality and institutional attachment to the labour market as well as a closer look at the quality of services. Moreover, measures of what welfare comprises should include not only public but also private elements.
