Comparing Welfare States

This accessible, broad-ranging textbook provides a critical introduction to British and comparative social policy. Drawing on the comparative analysis of welfare regimes, the book show how the welfare systems of individual countries can only be understood through exploring the wider global context. The chapters highlight the richness, complexity and dynamics of welfare regimes in different countries, while at the same time considering shared features and trends. Comparing Welfare States provides a unique way into analysis of the British welfare state through its wider international focus. In this extensively revised second edition, the British case is related to the experiences of the United States of America, Sweden, Germany and Ireland, and set in the context of policy issues within the European Union. Throughout the authors problematize traditional notions of welfare, emphasizing variations in levels and forms of provision and in the ways in which different social groups experience welfare. Particular attention is paid to the interactions between family policies and issues of race and gender and to the processes by which individuals or groups are given or denied access to full welfare citizenship. This book will be an invaluable text for students of British and comparative social and public policy and to all of those interested in the study of European welfare states.