What Is the Welfare State For?
1st Edition
Published on 24. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
162 pages
978-1-5292-5075-6 (ISBN)
Description
Most states in the world make some provision for the welfare of their citizens. Every state engages with health care provision, almost all provide education services, and, after an explosion of interest in recent years, a substantial majority now have national schemes in place for cash assistance.
Welfare states matter for people's lives - but there is little agreement about what one is. What are these states trying to do, and why? The book discusses the institutions and methods that characterise welfare states around the world. It focuses on the aims, purposes and justifications for social welfare services in order to explain what the welfare state is for.
Welfare states matter for people's lives - but there is little agreement about what one is. What are these states trying to do, and why? The book discusses the institutions and methods that characterise welfare states around the world. It focuses on the aims, purposes and justifications for social welfare services in order to explain what the welfare state is for.
Reviews / Votes
"A great introduction to the historical-philosophical underpinnings, moral-theoretical fundaments and overall functions-purposes of the welfare state!" Christian Aspalter, Beijing Normal University & Hong Kong Baptist University United International College "This book provides insights into the diversity of moral principles and methods of welfare states across the globe." Lutz Leisering, Bielefeld University "Concise and superbly written, this excellent book is must read for anyone who wants to understand the welfare state." Daniel Beland, McGill University"A brilliant critical contribution and powerful overview about how we got here and what is at stake .... obligatory reading for those of us who align our work with the Global South through the prism of human rights, and the struggles of migrants and indigenous peoples in Latin America and beyond." Camilo Perez-Bustillo, Saint Mary's College of California
More details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Bristol
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
1 s/w Abbildung
1 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 124 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
182 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5292-5075-6 (9781529250756)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Paul Spicker
What Is the Welfare State For?
E-Book
06/2025
1st Edition
Bristol University Press
€13.49
Available for download
Person
Professor Paul Spicker is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and a writer and commentator on social policy. His studies of housing and welfare rights developed from his early career and his research has included benefit delivery systems, the care of old people, psychiatric patients, housing management and local anti-poverty strategy and he has published widely in the field. He is a consultant on social welfare in practice, working for agencies at local, national and international levels.
Content
1. What is a welfare state?
2. What has government got to do with it?
3. The aims of social welfare policies
4. The case for welfare
5. Universal and communitarian perspectives
6. The welfare state and the market
7. Some challenges for the welfare states
8. The welfare states: past, present and future
2. What has government got to do with it?
3. The aims of social welfare policies
4. The case for welfare
5. Universal and communitarian perspectives
6. The welfare state and the market
7. Some challenges for the welfare states
8. The welfare states: past, present and future