What is the future of welfare in Europe? The European welfare state is generally considered to be one of the finest achievements of the post-1945 world. Set up to eradicate poverty by providing a minimum standard of living and social safety net, the welfare state has come under increasing strain from ageing societies, growing unemployment, a deskilling society, and mass migration (both from inside and outside of Europe). With contribution from some of Europe's leading experts on this subject, this path-breaking volume highlights the internal and external pressures on the welfare state and asks whether any European welfare model is sustainable in the long term. This book will be of interest to all students, academics and professions working in the field of European social policy.
Preface; Introduction: the future of welfare in a global Europe, Bernd Marin. Part I From Warfare to Welfare and Workfare: War and the welfare state, Herbert Obinger and Klaus Petersen. Part II Demographic Metabolism, New Measures of Age and Ageing, and the Active Ageing Index (AAI) 2012-2015: Demographic metabolism: enabling future generations, Wolfgang Lutz; An easily understood and intergenerationally equitable normal pension age, Warren C. Sanderson and Sergei Scherbov; The Active Ageing Index (AAI) 2012-2015, Asghar Zaidi. Part III Towards a Human Investment State: Future-Able Education, Skill Formation, and Economic-Financial Literacy as Prerequisites of Sustainable Welfare Society: Social investment, skills, and inequality: hard choices in education and welfare state policies, Marius R. Busemeyer; Skills, stakes, and clout: early human capital foundations for European welfare futures, Pieter Vanhuysse; ‘Reform, inform, educate’: a new paradigm for pension systems’ sustainability. Lessons from the 2011 ‘Rescue Italy’ pension reform, Elsa Fornero. Part IV Class, Generation, Gender, and Age Cleavages in Ageing Societies: Cleavages in ageing societies: generation, age, or class?, Martin Kohli; Women’s work and pensions. Drawing lessons from Central and Eastern Europe, Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak; Reallocation of resources across age in a comparative European setting. The National Transfer Accounts project, Alexia Fürnkranz-Prskawetz. Part V Too Sick to Work? Disability - and Happiness - in Stressful and Long-Life Societies: Too sick to work? The role of mental ill-health as a driver of inactivity and long-term unemployment, Christopher Prinz; Happily ever after. The role of welfare policies, Orsolya Lelkes. Part VI Fragile Welfare Sustainability: Two Model Cases in Point: How sustainable is the Swedish model?, Joakim Palme; Plea for an ‘Agenda 2020’, Bert Rürup. Part VII No European Social Model in Europe - or Towards a European Social Union?: No ‘European social model’ in Europe? A polemic statement of disappointment by a critical proponent, Bernd Marin; The case for a European social union. From muddling through to a sense of common purpose, Frank Vandenbroucke.
Biography
Bernd Marin is Executive Director of the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna, Austria. He edited Welfare in an Idle Society? (Ashgate, 2013) and co-edited Transforming Disability Welfare Policies (Ashgate, 2004); Mainstreaming Ageing (Ashgate, 2007); and Women's Work and Pensions: What is Good, What is Best? (Ashgate, 2010).
