TY - JOUR
T1 - Welfare State Changes and Outcomes
T2 - the Cases of Portugal and Denmark from a Comparative Perspective
AU - Alves, Sonia
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - It is well known that welfare states ensure a certain level of social protection affecting levels of well-being and the extent of inequalities in society. Changes within crucial domains of social policy, such as education, health, or social protection, have, therefore, a major effect upon individuals’ opportunities. In this article I compare the effects of these changes in two countries from the mid-1980s to the financial crisis of 2008. Portugal that was a latecomer in welfare state development and Denmark was at the forefront of de-commodification and universalization of social rights. The conclusion of this article is that income inequality has been steadily increasing in Danish society; while in Portugal, despite improvements in many social domains (healthcare, poverty alleviation, unemployment protection), problems of inequality remain deeply embedded in the country’s social and institutional structures.
AB - It is well known that welfare states ensure a certain level of social protection affecting levels of well-being and the extent of inequalities in society. Changes within crucial domains of social policy, such as education, health, or social protection, have, therefore, a major effect upon individuals’ opportunities. In this article I compare the effects of these changes in two countries from the mid-1980s to the financial crisis of 2008. Portugal that was a latecomer in welfare state development and Denmark was at the forefront of de-commodification and universalization of social rights. The conclusion of this article is that income inequality has been steadily increasing in Danish society; while in Portugal, despite improvements in many social domains (healthcare, poverty alleviation, unemployment protection), problems of inequality remain deeply embedded in the country’s social and institutional structures.
KW - Welfare state regimes
KW - Welfare state outcomes
KW - Inequality
KW - Portugal
KW - Denmark
U2 - 10.1111/spol.12075
DO - 10.1111/spol.12075
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0144-5596
VL - 49
SP - 1
EP - 23
JO - Social Policy and Administration
JF - Social Policy and Administration
IS - 1
ER -