Welfare state in capitalist society

Author: [Canada] Mishra
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: The "Contemporary Social Security System Research Series" was jointly completed over three years by nearly 100 experts and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, relevant research institutions, universities, and other organizations engaged in theoretical and practical research on social security. The series consists of 12 original works and 6 translations. Each volume employs normative and practical analytical methods to systematically elaborate on various systems of foreign social security theories, analyzes the formation, evolution, historical roles, challenges, and reform trends of social security models in countries and regions with representative significance worldwide, and explores the construction and improvement of China's social security system. The six translations are all classic works in the field of foreign welfare state theory research. The series provides reference value for government research departments and practical workers, as well as serving as teaching materials for postgraduate and undergraduate students in relevant research institutions and universities. This book's chapter briefly describes the emergence of neoliberalism and the response of social democratic cooperationism after 1973, which represent the contractionist and maintenance factions of the welfare state, respectively. This chapter also summarizes the main content of the book from a theoretical perspective, involving class, crisis, ideology, and policy concepts. Chapter 2 examines the actions of the contraction strategy in the United States and the United Kingdom and, based on some data inferences, concludes that the emergence of the welfare state is irreversible. Chapter 3 summarizes the process of implementing the maintenance strategy in Sweden and Austria, highlighting the differences in policies and outcomes between these countries and neoliberals. This chapter also briefly examines the criticisms of the left against social cooperationism, particularly those favoring producer interests. Chapter 4 examines the strategies pursued by Canada and Australia in recent years to emulate neoliberalism and social cooperationism. The purpose of this chapter is to expand the range of evidence obtained from the application of these two approaches beyond the traditional cases of the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, and Austria. Chapter 5 summarizes the findings of the national studies and also summarizes the main arguments of the entire book. Based on the arguments and evidence presented in the previous chapters, this chapter critically questions some of the main explanations of the welfare state. Finally, to better understand the current development of social welfare, this chapter proposes a new analytical perspective.