The book "Contested Welfare States: Welfare Attitudes in Europe and Beyond" by Stefan Svallfors analyses the results of a broad research program on attitudes towards welfare policies across European countries. In eight chapters, the relationship between individual-level and country-level variables and their impact on attitudes toward and evaluations of welfare policies is explored.
There are six research projects included in the book. Five of them focus on the European case, while the last one points out differences in welfare state attitudes between Europe and the United States. A comparative analysis can be conducted because cross-national data on attitudes towards the welfare state have recently become available. All of the research projects in the book are based on the module Welfare Attitudes in a Changing Europe of the 2008 European Social Survey. It is assumed that the data is comparable because the questionnaire, although translated into the local language, is the same for all participating countries.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Perceived Performance of the Welfare State
3. Opinions on Welfare State Responsibilities by Groups
4. The Role of Norms
5. Migration and Welfare State Attitudes
6. Class, Age, and Attitudes Toward Government Responsibility
7. Framing Effects on Welfare State Attitudes
8. Comparative Analysis and Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The work aims to analyze the multifaceted relationship between individual-level characteristics, societal norms, and institutional frameworks in shaping public attitudes toward welfare policies across Europe and the United States.
- The impact of socio-economic background on welfare support.
- The role of perceived future risks and dependency on welfare state outcomes.
- The influence of normative conceptions such as authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, and egalitarianism.
- Differences in welfare state attitudes between European countries and the United States.
- The significance of framing effects on public opinion regarding government intervention.
Excerpt from the Book
Contested Welfare States: Welfare Attitudes in Europe and Beyond
The book ‘Contested Welfare States: Welfare Attitudes in Europe and Beyond’ analyses the results of a broad research program on attitudes towards welfare policies across European countries. In eight chapters, the relationship between individual-level and country-level variables and their impact on attitudes toward and evaluations of welfare policies is explored. There are six research projects included in the book: Five of them focus on the European case, while the last one points out differences in welfare state attitudes between Europe and the United States. The book defines welfare state attitudes as “normative orientations toward the (re)distribution of resources and life chances and toward public policies aimed at ameliorating adverse conditions” (Svallfors, 2012, p. 2). A comparative analysis can be conducted because cross-national data on attitudes toward the welfare state have recently become available (Svallfors, 2012, p. 229). All of the research projects in the book are based on the module Welfare Attitudes in a Changing Europe of the 2008 European Social Survey (Svallfors, 2012, p. 12). It is assumed that the data is comparable because the questionnaire, although translated into the local language, is the same for all participating countries.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the research framework based on the 2008 European Social Survey and defines the scope of welfare attitude analysis.
2. Perceived Performance of the Welfare State: Explores how the perceived effectiveness of state services acts as a mediator between objective performance and public support.
3. Opinions on Welfare State Responsibilities by Groups: Examines how high-risk groups perceive the state's responsibility and how future risk influences their support.
4. The Role of Norms: Analyzes how normative conceptions like authoritarianism and ethnocentrism moderate the relationship between citizens' social positions and their support for welfare.
5. Migration and Welfare State Attitudes: Investigates the impact of migration on social support and the fear of low-wage competition among the workforce.
6. Class, Age, and Attitudes Toward Government Responsibility: Evaluates how socio-economic class and age influence the demand for government intervention in different national contexts.
7. Framing Effects on Welfare State Attitudes: Utilizes experimental data to determine how different framings of political issues shift public preferences regarding welfare state size.
8. Comparative Analysis and Conclusion: Synthesizes findings to propose an emerging Eastern and Southern European welfare regime and summarizes the mediating role of self-interest vs. normative values.
Keywords
Welfare state, public attitudes, European Social Survey, social policy, welfare institutions, risk perception, normative beliefs, authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, framing effects, comparative analysis, socio-economic background, government responsibility, social inequality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this publication primarily analyze?
The book analyzes the factors shaping public attitudes toward welfare policies, exploring how individual and institutional variables correlate with support for state intervention.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The work focuses on the intersection of self-interest, risk perception, societal norms, and socio-economic variables in the context of European and American welfare systems.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to understand what drives citizens' support for the welfare state and whether this support is based on material self-interest or broader normative values.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The researchers use comparative multilevel analysis and survey-embedded experiments based on data from the 2008 European Social Survey.
What is treated in the main body?
The chapters break down the influences of class, age, migration, and norms, while comparing how different European regimes and the US population evaluate government responsibility.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Keywords include welfare state, comparative analysis, attitudes, institutional frameworks, normative beliefs, social policy, and framing effects.
How does ethnocentrism affect welfare support?
According to the text, ethnocentrism generally decreases welfare state support as social diversity is perceived as contradictory to established welfare interests.
Does the economic crisis impact welfare preferences?
Interestingly, the research found few framing effects related to the 2007-2009 economic crisis, as citizens' preferences remained relatively stable during this period.
- Quote paper
- Hannes Oswald (Author), 2022, Review of Stefan Svallfors "Contested Welfare States: Welfare Attitudes in Europe and Beyond", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1321826
