Showing papers in "Social Policy & Administration in 2003"

Investing in the Citizen‐workers of the Future: Transformations in Citizenship and the State under New Labour

Abstract: There is growing interest in the idea of the “social investment state”. This paper analyses the emergence of such a state in the UK, in the context of a brief account of the more general transformations of citizenship and the state under New Labour. It argues that, despite the iconic status of the child in the social investment state, it is the child as “citizen-worker” of the future rather than “citizen-child” of the present who is invoked by the future-oriented discourse of social investment.

Researching Quality of Life in Early Old Age: The Importance of the Sociological Dimension

Abstract: Measurement of quality of life has become a major feature of much social and epidemiological research in health and social care settings. It is seen as an important alternative to more process-based outcome measures but remains poorly defined. A major weakness is the absence of any coherent theoretical underpinning whether sociological, psychological or philosophical. Into this conceptual vacuum proxies for quality of life have been introduced. Quality of life [QoL] research into older populations has focused on measures of health and illness as equivalents of QoL. This paper argues that this response is inadequate as it reduces old age to a dimension of health, disability and disease. Instead, we argue that it is necessary to create a theoretically based measure of QoL in early old age which relates to those aspects of later life that are not defined by health. We present a model of QoL that is derived from aspects of contemporary social theory as they relate to the ontology of late modernity. In particular, we utilize a model based upon needs satisfaction. The model contains four domains: Control, Autonomy, Pleasure and Self-realization. The measure consists of a 19-item scale. The four domains load on to a single latent QoL factor. We argue that the CASP 19 scale offers an approach to QoL that integrates a sociologically based model of quality of life with a meaningful and valid research instrument.

Women Reconciling Paid and Unpaid Work in a Confucian Welfare State: The Case of South Korea

Abstract: The participation of married women in the labour market has been increasing since industrialization in the 1960s in Korea; in 1999 it overtook that of unmarried women This raises the issue of how women reconcile paid and unpaid work and how state policy responds to this issue In Korea, there have been numerous policy reforms designed to support working women in combining work and family life For example, a parental leave scheme was introduced in 1995 and maternity benefits were also introduced in 2001 However, it is doubtful whether these policies can be effective in practice in Korea, where Confucian traditions in respect of women's roles remain strong Confucian tradition has long influenced Korean society culturally and socially Although Korean society today is not as Confucian as in the past, some traditions still remain strong, particularly with regard to the family: for example filial piety, seniority, the married woman's responsibility for her parents-in-law This paper will argue that Confucian tradition makes for difficulties in Korean women's experiences of reconciling paid and unpaid work and also affects the formation of state policy The paper explores the impact of the Confucian welfare regimes on Korean women's experience of reconciling paid and unpaid care work, and questions the gendered characteristics of the Confucian welfare state

Mending Nets in the South: Anti‐poverty Policies in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain

Abstract: The marginal role of social assistance and the absence of minimum income programmes have long been thought to constitute defining characteristics of the southern European model of welfare. Nevertheless, over the 1990s significant innovations in this field have taken place. The paper aims to contribute to the analysis of recent developments by critically examining the experience of anti-poverty policies in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. It is argued that the “patchiness” of safety nets in southern Europe is due to a unique set of constraints, the most relevant of which are the role of families and the “softness” of state institutions. A review of national profiles reveals that new policies introduced in all four countries mark progress towards redressing some of the historical imbalances of that welfare model. In particular, fully fledged minimum income schemes now operate in Portugal and in certain Spanish regions, while an experiment involving a number of Italian municipalities is still in progress. In spite of this, the paper concludes that social safety nets in southern Europe remain frail in terms of institutional design as well as political support and legitimacy.

When Is a Change Big Enough to Be a System Shift? Small System-shifting Changes in German and Finnish Pension Policies

Abstract: In the wake of Esping-Andersen's and Pierson's landmark publications, comparative welfare state research has revolved around the retrenchment of social policy and the transformation of welfare state regimes One of the chief problems of these studies is the treatment of time Very often, changes are incremental and their real impacts are not immediately visible but take years or even decades before the consequences fully materialize The purpose of this paper is to discuss those incremental processes—that consist of series of smaller “not-system-shifting changes”—which may gradually change central features of a welfare state Pension programmes, spanning long time periods, provide a good example Only in some rare cases were pension schemes reformed in one step and in such a way that one can definitely ascertain a system shift Most changes, however, are gradual, and recurrently enacted minor adjustments seem to leave the basic principles of the scheme intact In this paper pension reform policies in Germany and Finland will be used to answer the question of when a change is big enough to be labelled as a system shift It is argued that small “not-system-shifting” changes of the last two decades will eventually alter the basic characteristics of old-age security in both countries

Japan's Radical Reform of Long-term Care

Abstract: Japan's mandatory long-term care social insurance system started in 2000. Many important choices about the basic shape and size of the system, as well as a host of details, were necessary when the program was being planned. It represents a reversal from earlier steps toward a tax-based direct-service system, and is based on consumer choice of services and providers. The benefits are in the form of institutional or community-based services, not cash, and are aimed at covering all caregiving costs (less a 10 percent co-payment) at six levels of need, as measured by objective test. Revenues are from insurance contributions and taxes. The program costs about $40 billion, and is expected to rise to about $70 billion annually by 2010 as applications for services go up. There are about 2.2 million beneficiaries, about 10 percent of the 65+ population. The program has operated within its budget and without major problems for two years and is broadly accepted as an appropriate and effective social program.

Out of the Generosity of Your Heart: Are We Creating Active Citizens through Compulsory Volunteer Programmes for Young People in Australia?

Abstract: Using governmentality as a theoretical framework, we examine two Australian policy areas where young people are disciplined into becoming good, active citizens. These policies-mutual obligation through the work for the dole programme, and school-based active citizenship programmes similar to American service learning programmes-both mirror volunteer-ope activities, in a social context where volunteers are viewed as good citizens. In this study, we present findings from a qualitative study that addresses the question of whether young people will develop active citizenship through compulsory volunteer-type programmes. The findings show that first, young people are very conscious of the lack of choice involved in these programmes and that this weakened their sense of agency. Second, the programmes failed to develop positive community attitudes and active social behaviours. These results suggest that policies that compel individuals to contribute to society may actually weaken their citizenship identities.

Developing Early Years Childcare in England, 1997–2002: The Choices for (Working) Mothers

Abstract: The UK has long been near the bottom of the EU “childcare league”. Attitudes of policymakers towards employment for the mothers of young children were ambivalent up to and including the Thatcher years, and the problem of “reconciling” work and family was historically deemed to be a private decision. This changed in 1998, when the Labour government put forward the first ever national childcare strategy. This paper argues that the aims behind the strategy were intimately linked to the attack on poverty and social exclusion in that: (1) efforts to stimulate provision focused on disadvantaged neighbourhoods; (2) subsidy was provided for early years education, rather than care (in order to give children a better start in life); and (3) stimulating provision was intended to promote women's employment, especially among lone-mother families, thereby improving the material welfare of poor families. The means of expanding childcare have taken the form of a complicated set of demand- and supply-side subsidies, reflecting the ongoing commitment to a mixed economy of childcare. The paper argues that this has implications for access and quality, and that there are tensions between the social investment approach to childcare on the one hand, and the desire to promote mothers’ employment on the other.

Organizational restructuring in European health systems: the role of primary care.

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to review the strategies developed across European health care systems during the 1990s to improve coordination among health care providers. A second goal is to provide some analytical insights in two fields. On the one hand, we attempt to clarify the relationships between pro-coordination strategies and organizational change in health care. Our main conclusion is that the specific features of health care impede the operation of either market or hierarchical coordination mechanisms. These can, however, be selectively successful if applied as levers to promote the role and impact of the pro-cooperative coordination strategies which are ultimately required to foster adequate inter-professional and inter-organizational coordination. On the other hand, we try to cast some light on the ongoing debate on convergence versus path dependency within the broader field of welfare state reform. Evidence on pro-coordination reforms in health care apparently supports some insights from previous work on the centrality of the socio-political structure to account for varying patterns of selective path dependency across countries. In particular, the informal power resources of specialist physicans vis-a-vis primary care professionals and the state are critical to explain the different rhythm and fate of pro-coordination reform across Europe. Against received wisdom, the evidence examined suggests that selective path depency might apperently be compatilble with a general trend towards convergence understood as hybridization. (aut.ref.)

Employers and the Management of Retirement

Abstract: In the UK early withdrawal from the labour market is seen as a risk and a cost, worsening the dependency ratio, raising public and private pension costs and threatening additional welfare expenditure over the longer term. Explanations of the retirement process have focused on the welfare state and the impact of pensions and other social security policies. This paper argues that a missing actor in these accounts is the employing organization. Early retirement in the UK has been predominantly driven by the labour requirements of employers rather than state policies to encourage older workers to take early retirement. There is a case for arguing that significant change in retirement behaviour in the UK will come primarily from the modification of employers’ policies. This research is a case study of three employers: one public-sector and two commercial. It examines the dynamics of the retirement decision. This paper reports the public-sector case. The findings indicate that employers, in order to reduce their pensions liabilities and stem the cost of early retirement, are trying to regain control of the retirement process. The employees interviewed felt they experienced little choice concerning their retirement, had limited knowledge of the options open to them and found pensions complicated and confusing.

The “Employment‐first” Welfare State: Lessons from the New Deal for Young People

Abstract: New Labour is introducing an 'employment first' welfare state. A new Jobcentre Plus Agency is transforming the passive culture of the benefit system and creating more explicit links between individual behaviour and engagement with labour market programmes. The New Deal for Young People (NDYP) has been at the forefront of these changes. This article reports on the findings from four independent case studies to explore how the NDYP is being implemented at the front line and how this welfare to work regime has changed young people's experience of the welfare state. It concludes that the programme is not the monolithic instrument of social control, suggested by many of its social policy critics, but a complex and sometimes contradictory synthesis of employment assistance and pressure which has made real progress in improving front line services and getting young long term unemployed people into work.

Convergence in the Social Welfare Systems in Europe: From Goal to Reality

Abstract: The history of the social welfare systems in Europe in the postwar period appears as autonomous national processes because the construction of Europe which imposed common rules in many areas was equally consistent with the national development of social welfare systems, within each national culture. However, the idea of a common system of social protection has always remained linked to political and economic European construction which would create a more cohesive society. Many studies have analysed the trend of specific social policies and their convergence or divergence in Europe. Therefore, global convergence is often conceived as resulting from the domestic dynamics of each social risk. The paper focuses on one specific topic: the quantitative evaluation of convergence among the EU and OECD countries at the macroeconomic level. In the first part we explain the construction of social indicators which can assess the convergence or divergence of social expenditure in EU and OECD countries. In the second part we show many methodological problems and difficulties of interpretation of the social indicators. Then we see that the analysis of national trajectories of social expenditure and the link with economic development can enrich the analysis of convergence in social protection. Finally, the empirical analysis supports the idea of “adjustment” reforms rather than radical changes in a transitional period.

The Trajectory of Post-communist Welfare State Development: The Cases of Bulgaria and Romania

Abstract: Governments of countries undergoing a post-communist transition face the dilemma of balancing conflicting demands for greater economic efficiency (to achieve a successful transition to a market system) with demands for enhanced social protection (to legitimize regime change through a visible improvement in living standards which includes vulnerable groups). This paper analyses the transition in Bulgaria and Romania. Unlike other European countries, these countries did not embark on retrenchment policies until the mid- to late 1990s, so convergence with policies of spending constraint elsewhere in Europe was belated and partial. The social problems created by strict economic policies, exacerbated by a determination to reorganize the post-communist welfare states along the lines promoted by international organizations, are now being recognized. Post-communist governments in South-eastern Europe have belatedly started to address the social aspects of transition to democracy and the market. This probably reflects the process of regime change in Bulgaria and Romania, which has been characterized as a “two-step transition to democracy”, with liberal governments only succeeding transformed communist elites in power after a protracted transition.

The Third Way and Social Welfare: The Myth of Post-emotionalism

Abstract: The ‘passive’ welfare state was accused of promoting a dependency culture. ‘Active’ welfare and the ‘what works?’ approach of Britain’s New Labour government is allegedly implicated in an age of post-emotionalism, in which people are largely indifferent to the needs of others and committed primarily to their personal well-being. This paper seeks first, to extend recent debates about agency and motivation in social policy and relate them to the notion of post-emotionalism. Second, it draws on a recent empirical study of popular and welfare provider discourses, which suggests that popular opinion can accommodate an appreciation of human interdependency, while welfare providers remain committed to a public service ethos. None the less, Third Way thinking is associated with a narrowing of solidaristic responsibilities. The problem for the future of health, social care and state welfare policies lies not with the imagined consequences of post-emotionalism, so much as with an ideological context that perpetuates a distorted ethic of responsibility.

The Dutch and Danish Miracles Revisited: A Critical Discussion of Activation Policies in Two Small Welfare States

Abstract: Denmark and the Netherlands are usually considered to belong to two different families of welfare states: the Scandinavian and the Continental model respectively. Yet, in both states active labour market policies, or activation, have increased during the  s and are currently prominent. Both in Denmark and in the Netherlands activation has been viewed as an important reason for the low unemployment rates which both states have experienced since the early to mid-  s, hence explaining the so-called Dutch and Danish jobs miracles. The paper examines critically the activation measures taken in both countries and their alleged positive effect upon (un)employment. It further examines their effect on rights and obligations from a citizenship perspective. The paper concludes that in both cases the positive development of labour market performance cannot primarily be attributed to activation measures. Furthermore, activation has reduced the entitlements and increased the obligations affiliated with social citizenship.

Education in the Context of Conflict and Instability: The Palestinian Case

Abstract: This paper draws on the results of a study carried out in the West Bank, in 1999 , to explore the role of education as a coping strategy among the children of Palestinian refugees, and to examine how the state of being refugees affects perceptions of the value and importance of education. The paper first reviews the background to the development of a formal education system in Palestine and considers the different approaches to education in different political contexts, with ensuing particular reference to the West Bank. The findings of the regional study are then reported, with special reference to the various functions of education as a coping strategy—remedial, incentivemobilizing and identity-building. Education, for those who have lost their property and whose identity is under threat, emerges as a key channel for maintaining consciousness of collective rights.

Social Policy in South Korea: Cultural and Structural Factors in the Emergence of Welfare

Abstract: There are a number of features that make South Korea an interesting place to study social policy. First, it has experienced rapid economic development with the associated changes in urbanization and demography. This change has created social problems, which the state has had to address. Second, the country retains a strong cultural tradition and repeated affirmation of the values and practices of Confucianism. In this paper, these two features are considered in relation to the way social policy has been addressed. The thrust of the paper will be on the policy responses to perceived social problems and the way in which other social problems are individualized within families. These policies are informed and shaped by Korean politics and culture.

The Uncertain Convergence of Disability Policies in Western Europe

Abstract: In the last decades disability has emerged as a key area for European social policy. So far there have been few indications of a general trend towards greater similarity in the disability policies of member states. This paper argues that attempts to promote common approaches and patterns of effort between member states are more likely to succeed in “vacant” sub-areas of disability policy than in more “crowded” ones. Existing redistributive provisions within income maintenance, employment and independent living are examples of crowded sub-areas. By contrast, the emerging anti-discrimination legislation and other forms of market regulation recently introduced by the EU may point towards more vacant policy areas within member states.

Turkey and the European Union: Modernizing a Traditional State?

Abstract: This paper discusses the difficulties encountered when reforms are attempted to the administration of public policy in Turkey. This discussion is timely, since Turkey has recently stepped up its modernization agenda in its drive to gain membership of the European Union. The paper briefly examines the political and administrative structure of Turkey before discussing the influence of the EU on the country's modernization agenda.

Introduction: Open Markets versus Welfare Citizenship: Conflicting Approaches to Policy Convergence in Europe

Abstract: Few would have predicted the rapid progress of the EU in developing common economic institutions 20 or 30 years ago, although many commentators might have foreseen the relatively slow development of convergent social policies. This paper sets the European debate in the context Of the path-breaking work of Polanyi and Schumpeter at the end of the Second World War. It argues that the economic institutions of the EU are at least as important as the social policy institutions in understanding current developments, and suggests that a commitment to a broadly liberal market agenda at the economic level constrains and moulds social policies.

Pressures on State Welfare in Post‐industrial Societies: Is More or Less Better?

Abstract: Although contemporary comparative welfare state research has advanced our knowledge of how welfare states respond to exogenous and endogenous pressures, the nature and implications of these pressures themselves on post-industrial societies remains somewhat unknown. In the research literature phenomena such as globalization, Europeanization, demographics, individualization and changing labour markets are often claimed to put considerable pressure on welfare states. We analyse which of the alleged pressures are real "crises" or "challenges" to welfare states and which pressures should only be considered as "controversies"—phenomena whose impacts are non- significant, ambiguous, or have not been asserted. We suggest that pressures on post-industrial societies may not, as is commonly believed, be countered with retrenchment and restructuring of welfare states. In fact, some pressures seem to call for more rather than less welfare state.

Quasi‐markets in British Health Policy: A Longue Durée Perspective

Abstract: Quasi-markets in health care are generally associated with the period 1991–7 in the later years of office of the British Conservative Party. This paper aims to place such claims in a wider framework by exploring definitions of and conditions of success for quasi-markets over a longer timescale, beginning in the 1930s and ending with the current New Labour government. It suggests a typology of quasi-markets based on hard versus soft, direct versus indirect and internal versus external forms. It applies these categories and the conditions for success for quasi-markets to seven historical periods. Both the typologies and the conditions for success of quasi-markets varied over time, defying a simple linear development, suggesting a more nuanced historical narrative than simple continuity or discontinuity accounts of recent developments provide. Covering such a large topic over a long sweep of time, with the absence of clear evidence for much of the period, necessarily means that verdicts tend to be impressionistic. However, even at this level, the tentative conclusions provide important contextual elements in the debate on quasi-markets.

Greek Policy towards Immigration and Immigrants

Abstract: The policy of Greek authorities towards immigrants is the subject of this paper. By the term “policy” we mean both the legal framework concerning immigration and the practices of Greek authorities and their agencies regarding immigrants. We argue that this policy is defined by the commitments and the obligations undertaken by Greece as a member of the EU, but also by the number, the ethnic composition, the economic and social situation of immigrants, the attitudes of Greeks towards them and, also, the effects of their presence. In this context, the policy is characterized by dilemmas and hesitations. This is due to the attitudes of Greek opinion and concerns about the possibility that the immigrants could in the long term create problems of national integration. Those main concerns are counterbalanced, to some extent, by the contribution of immigrants to the economy. Like other members of the EU, Greek authorities have tried twice, in 1997 and in 2001, to legalize the illegal immigrants. Legalization seems to benefit both the immigrants and the Greeks. Crime rates have been reduced and xenophobia is losing ground. On the other hand, recent studies have shown that the situation of the immigrants has started to improve. Despite these positive developments, the dilemmas of immigration policy have already registered in everyday life and allow for various hostile practices towards the immigrant population.

Integrating health and social care at the micro level: Health care professionals as care managers for older people

Abstract: A common problem in the provision of coordinated long-term care is the separation of health and social care. The present government has been increasingly concerned with promoting convenient, user-centred services and improving integration of health and social care. One arrangement that could contribute to this for some older service users is for health care staff to act as care managers, coordinating the provision of both health and social care. This paper presents the findings of a survey of arrangements in place in local authorities for health staff to work as care managers for older people. This was designed to provide details about the range and scope of care management activities undertaken by health care professionals. Key areas of enquiry included: which kinds of health care staff undertook care management and in what settings; how long the arrangements had been in place and how widely available they were; whether there was a distinction between the types of cases and care management processes undertaken by health care staff compared with their social service department counterparts; and what management and training arrangements were in place for the health care staff.

Islam, Social Traditions and Family Planning

Abstract: This article explores the doctrine of Islam and the different theological interpretations of the position of Islam about family planning in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and Jordan, following the Sunni and Shia traditions. Principles that led to fatwas (rulings) in both these theological traditions, together with the main arguments of the debate between the proponents and opponents of family planning in Islam and the Higher Judge's interpretation (Islamic Courts in Jordan) of the position of Islam on family planning, are included. Men's and women's views are summarized, based on the findings of natural group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted in 1998 with couples and individuals within their social networks in the different contexts in Jordan. Based on a gap analysis between doctrine, policy and people's beliefs, this study shows a need for family planning programmes to address men and women in a culturally sensitive manner: Men shape reproductive decisions. It is therefore argued that if men were more pro-actively involved in family-planning awareness campaigns, there might be a transformation of values and perceptions around fertility and family planning. Another conclusion drawn from the findings is that local resources, especially religious men, can be instrumental in promoting political trust in—and a sense of ownership of—family planning programmes in Jordan. Using local resources in advocacy for family planning, based on the cultural context of Shari’ah, seems effective in changing the reproductive behaviour of men.

Social Inequality under a New Social Contract: Long-term Care in Japan

Abstract: The 1990s saw the beginning of new developments in the social policy agenda of Japan. A combination of further cuts in social expenditure and increases in financial resources through various means has become inevitable in response to the increasing cost burden of an ageing society, the prolonged recession and changes in the Japanese family. In this context, “kaigo hoken” (long-term care insurance) was introduced in 2000 to increase revenue and fill the gap vacated by the family. The scheme introduced a different concept to the public: that long-term care was no longer “expected’’ from the family or “allocated” by the state, but has become part of a “social contract” based upon a system of mandatory contributions, uniform entitlements and consumer choice. This paper first explores the role of the new scheme in creating social inequalities among individuals (and families). A panel survey is used to highlight different patterns of care provision and the varying degree of financial pressure among different income groups. Second, based on qualitative research, the paper examines how the new scheme has transformed the relationship between older people and their families who have played a central role in this arena. The scheme has consequently divided “traditional” families and their liberal counterparts, as a result of care work being “commodified”. It is apparent that this scheme has not only responded to fill the existing care gap but may also help accelerate the changes that have been taking place for the last two decades.

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Private Sector: What Are the Lessons for Health and Social Services?

Abstract: In seeking a more seamless provision of health and social care, the government is promoting the merger of the functions of primary and community health services and social services. In the private sector, mergers have been commonplace. The primary aim of this paper is to identify the key concepts and explanatory frameworks in the literature on mergers and acquisitions in the private sector that are relevant to the development of new organizational structures in health and social care. The evidence suggests that it is difficult to merge two organizations successfully. Reasons for this are explored and the implications for health and social care mergers drawn out.

Health Authorities, Priority‐setting and Resource Allocation: A Study in Decision‐making in New Labour's NHS

Abstract: This paper analyses the decision-making process of health authorities under New Labour in the NHS through a study of their qualitative responses to questionnaires. We find a considerable frustration and cynicism with the government's plans for reform, with its interference at the local level with services, and an acknowledgement of the differences between health authorities’ practice and what they believe the government requires, with, often, only minimal effort being made attempting to achieve new governmental performance targets. We conclude by making suggestions for an alternative strategy less likely to antagonize local health service providers.

Querulous Citizens: Welfare Knowledge and the Limits to Welfare Reform

Abstract: Governments face pressures to improve services and (at the same time) to contain taxes and to ensure that their decisions are accountable to increasingly well-informed and challenging citizens. The dilemma of “squaring the welfare circle” confronts New Labour in a particularly acute form, since the party has set ambitious targets for improvements in the NHS, education and elsewhere, and is also committed to economic prudence and transparency. This article uses new data from a major national survey to investigate knowledge and beliefs in the main policy areas. It shows that most people are generally strikingly well-informed in some areas and ill-informed in others. A government which wishes to pursue a progressive direction in redistribution, increasing taxation of the better-off, or expanding provision for those on low incomes, faces real difficulties because many people hold inaccurate beliefs about policy impact and the policy context in these areas. However, NHS costs are more accurately perceived across the population, and the proposed expansion is likely to create less controversy. Current high-profile policies appear to follow the contours of public knowledge reasonably accurately, but further policy development will require positive efforts to lead debates and improve public knowledge.

Support for Carers of Older People: The Roles of the Public and Voluntary Sectors in Sweden

Abstract: This study examines the support services offered to informal caregivers, whether directly or indirectly, in Sweden over the period of a special investment initiative between 1999 and 2001. Data wer ...