Bjørn Hvinden

The Uncertain Convergence of Disability Policies in Western Europe

In the last decades disability has emerged as a key area for European social policy. So far there have been few indications of a general trend towards greater similarity in the disability policies of member states. This paper argues that attempts to promote common approaches and patterns of effort between member states are more likely to succeed in “vacant” sub-areas of disability policy than in more “crowded” ones. Existing redistributive provisions within income maintenance, employment and independent living are examples of crowded sub-areas. By contrast, the emerging anti-discrimination legislation and other forms of market regulation recently introduced by the EU may point towards more vacant policy areas within member states.

Re-activating the Nordic welfare states : do we find a distinct universalistic model?

Purpose – To clarify the core characteristics of Nordic activation policies in the context of typologies of European activation governance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses activation governance in the light of the basic values and beliefs behind the formation of the Nordic social protection systems in the mid‐20th century. Recent model‐building efforts see the Nordic countries as being close to a “universalistic” and egalitarian type of activation policy that does not systematically submit citizens to work requirements. The authors ask whether this model captures the actual scope and contents of Nordic activation governance.Findings – The Nordic countries‐based relatively generous income security systems on a strong work ethic and ambitions to maximise labour market participation of the working‐age population. Citizenss rights to income security were generally linked to the fulfilment of work requirements. Although this active governance of unemployed citizens eroded in the 1970s and 1980...

Which way for european disability policy

In this article we discuss the challenges facing European disability policy and in what direction it is likely to move in the years to come. We argue that the emerging interaction between transnational and national policy development is of crucial importance. At the core of this relationship is the division and interplay between policies of redistribution and of regulation. Redistributive provisions, especially schemes for income maintenance for people with impairment, are in many countries under substantial pressure, while certain forms of social regulation policy have recently gained a new momentum, especially through the emerging European Union strategy to combat discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all citizens. Yet, the future success of a European disability policy will to a great extent depend on whether one manages to develop a mutually supporting interaction between policies of redistribution and policies of regulation.

The Nordic Welfare Model in the Twenty-First Century: The Bumble-Bee Still Flies!

The Nordic countries are admired for high employment, low levels of poverty and inequality, encompassing welfare states, and peaceful industrial relations. Yet the model is criticised for hampering the employment opportunities of vulnerable groups. The literature identifies several potential mechanisms of exclusion. Compressed wage structures may make employers reluctant to hire certain workers for fear that their productivity is too low to justify the cost. Second, generous benefits lower individuals’ incentive to work. Third, businesses increasingly specialise in high-skill activities. We explore these arguments comparatively by considering the employment chances of two vulnerable groups: disabled persons and migrants. The Nordic countries are compared with other rich democracies that take different approaches to social protection and wage dispersion. The Nordic countries do not perform systematically worse than other ‘varieties of capitalism’. In line with recent research, we also find that there is considerable intra-Nordic variation, which calls for further study.

Exits and Entrances: Notes for a Theory of Socialization and Boundary- Crossing in Work Organizations

The two main aspects of an employment relationship are exchange and membership. The corresponding organizational processes, allocation and socialization, are examined. The possible tensions between newcomer and oldtimers are linked to work and organizational cultures. The boundary- crossing of employees is related to the internal reward system and the external opportunity structure. The anticipated behaviour of employees is linked to different types of organizational and occupational segments, and implications for further research are suggested.

Reconstruction and reorientation : Changing disability policies in the Netherlands and Norway

The Netherlands and Norway are among the many countries that have faced serious challenges to the sustainability of their social security systems in recent years. In this article we examine the growth in benefit schemes related to illness and disability since they have been one source of particular concern in both countries. The Netherlands came to face more serious and persistent problems earlier than Norway in this policy area. Our analysis reveals significant differences with respect to the underlying assumptions in the social protection systems for the long-term sick and disabled as they were originally constructed in the 1960s. We identify a general emphasis on ‘integration’ in the Norwegian social policy discourse and legislation up until the late 1980s, whereas the Dutch legislation in the same period tended to focus on autonomy and individual ‘choice’. In the article we compare the reforms introduced in both countries to control the growth in sickness and disability schemes, by means of a common analytical and conceptual framework. ‘Incentives’ have occupied an increasingly prominent position in the policy discourse in both countries. While the Norwegian development may largely be seen as a return to and revival of partly forgotten, partly eroded assumptions behind the original social protection scheme, the Dutch policy shift amounts to a more fundamental reconstruction of the whole social security system.

Combating Poverty in Europe

Discovering methods to combat poverty and social exclusion has now become a major political challenge in Europe. This book offers an original and timely analysis of how actors at the European, national and subnational levels meet this challenge. Combining perspectives on multilevel and network coordination, the editors discuss to what extent actors join forces in these efforts and identify the factors limiting the coordination achieved in practice. The book builds on a European study comparing Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

Moral economies of the welfare state: A qualitative comparative study

This paper uses innovative democratic forums carried out in Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom to examine people’s ideas about welfare-state priorities and future prospects. We use a moral economy framework in the context of regime differences and the move towards neo-liberalism across Europe. Broadly speaking, attitudes reflect regime differences, with distinctive emphasis on reciprocity and the value of work in Germany, inclusion and equality in Norway, and individual responsibility and the work-ethic in the UK. Neo-liberal market-centred ideas appear to have made little headway in regard to popular attitudes, except in the already liberal-leaning UK. There is also a striking assumption by UK participants that welfare is threatened externally by immigrants who take jobs from established workers and internally by the work-shy who undermine the work-ethic. A key role of the welfare state is repressive rather than enabling: to protect against threats to well-being rather than provide benefits for citizens. UK participants also anticipate major decline in state provision. In all three countries there is strong support for continuing and expanding social investment policies, but for different reasons: to enable contribution in Germany, to promote equality and mobility in Norway, and to facilitate self-responsibility in the UK.

Introduction: how to achieve Active Inclusion in a multi-layered Political context?

Discovering methods to combat poverty and social exclusion has now become a major political challenge in Europe. This book offers an original and timely analysis of how actors at the European, national and subnational levels meet this challenge. Combining perspectives on multilevel and network coordination, the editors discuss to what extent actors join forces in these efforts and identify the factors limiting the coordination achieved in practice. The book builds on a European study comparing Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

Who is poor? Linking perceptions of poor people and political responses to poverty

Discovering methods to combat poverty and social exclusion has now become a major political challenge in Europe. This book offers an original and timely analysis of how actors at the European, national and subnational levels meet this challenge. Combining perspectives on multilevel and network coordination, the editors discuss to what extent actors join forces in these efforts and identify the factors limiting the coordination achieved in practice. The book builds on a European study comparing Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK.