Why We Need a New Welfare State - Tapa dura

Written by some of the leading writers in the field ... presents the thoughts of those at the heart of European policy ... required reading for anyone interested in the politics of welfare among advanced industrial countries. (Work, employment and society)

... offers an extremely sophisticated comparative analysis, well grounded in data ... an important addition to the literature for teachers and postgraduate students of social policy. (Journal of Social Policy)

Leading scholars in the field examine the highly topical issue of the future of the welfare state in Europe. They argue that welfare states need to adjust, and examine which kind of welfare architecture will further Europe's stated goal of maximum social inclusion and justice. The volume concentrates on four principal social policy domains; the aged and transition to retirement; the welfare issues related to profound changes in working life; the new risks and needs that arise in households and, especially, in child families; and the challenges of creating gender equality. The volume aims to promote a better understanding of the key welfare issues that will have to be faced in the coming decades. It also warns against the all-too-frequent recourse to patent policy solutions that have all to often characterized contemporary debate. It intends to move the policy debate from it often frustrating vague and generic level towards greater specificity and nuance.