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The Swedish Welfare State Model : A Brief Overview

Carlson, Benny LU and Hatti, Neelambar LU (2016) In Social Science Spectrum 2(4). p.216-229
Abstract
The Swedish welfare state model has its roots in home turf as well as in the soil of othernations, mainly Germany and Britain. It took on its characteristic shape as the People’s Home in the 1930s, when national models to the left and right of the political spectrum in many countries were built around “the people”. At the time it was also labelled “the middle way” between capitalism and socialism. During the 1960s “record years” the Swedish welfare state grew rapidly. It stood at its zenith around 1970, hailed internationally as the Swedish model. However, the welfare state and the economy,closely intertwined, soon entered into a protracted structural crisis. In the early 1990s,Sweden experienced a deep and to a large extent home-made... (More)
The Swedish welfare state model has its roots in home turf as well as in the soil of othernations, mainly Germany and Britain. It took on its characteristic shape as the People’s Home in the 1930s, when national models to the left and right of the political spectrum in many countries were built around “the people”. At the time it was also labelled “the middle way” between capitalism and socialism. During the 1960s “record years” the Swedish welfare state grew rapidly. It stood at its zenith around 1970, hailed internationally as the Swedish model. However, the welfare state and the economy,closely intertwined, soon entered into a protracted structural crisis. In the early 1990s,Sweden experienced a deep and to a large extent home-made financial crisis and the Swedish model became a warning example in some quarters. Out of the crisis arose a revised model in which welfare services were still provided more or less “for free” (i.e.funded by tax money) while at the same time there were customer/user choice of and competition between public and private providers. Today this revised model is under attack due to the existence of “welfare profits”. It is also challenged by demographic developments – an ageing population and many immigrants lacking entry to the labour market. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
welfare state, People’s Home, Swedish model, financial crisis, bumblebee, revised model, welfare profits, immigration, trust
in
Social Science Spectrum
volume
2
issue
4
pages
14 pages
ISSN
2454-2806
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a1bec4f4-0e6f-48fe-87bc-da036e19478d
alternative location
http://socialspectrum.in/index.php/sp/article/view/83
date added to LUP
2017-03-20 12:59:38
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:30:50
@article{a1bec4f4-0e6f-48fe-87bc-da036e19478d,
  abstract     = {{The Swedish welfare state model has its roots in home turf as well as in the soil of othernations, mainly Germany and Britain. It took on its characteristic shape as the People’s Home in the 1930s, when national models to the left and right of the political spectrum in many countries were built around “the people”. At the time it was also labelled “the middle way” between capitalism and socialism. During the 1960s “record years” the Swedish welfare state grew rapidly. It stood at its zenith around 1970, hailed internationally as the Swedish model. However, the welfare state and the economy,closely intertwined, soon entered into a protracted structural crisis. In the early 1990s,Sweden experienced a deep and to a large extent home-made financial crisis and the Swedish model became a warning example in some quarters. Out of the crisis arose a revised model in which welfare services were still provided more or less “for free” (i.e.funded by tax money) while at the same time there were customer/user choice of and competition between public and private providers. Today this revised model is under attack due to the existence of “welfare profits”. It is also challenged by demographic developments – an ageing population and many immigrants lacking entry to the labour market.}},
  author       = {{Carlson, Benny and Hatti, Neelambar}},
  issn         = {{2454-2806}},
  keywords     = {{welfare state; People’s Home; Swedish model; financial crisis; bumblebee; revised model; welfare profits; immigration; trust}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{216--229}},
  series       = {{Social Science Spectrum}},
  title        = {{The Swedish Welfare State Model : A Brief Overview}},
  url          = {{http://socialspectrum.in/index.php/sp/article/view/83}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}