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  • Book
  • © 2006

Enabling Social Europe

  • Results of the Europäische Akademie’s project ‘European Social Policy’ asking for the future of the European welfare systems. Two aspects are dealt with: 1. Potential and limitations of the ‘European social model’ as a normative framework and 2. its future by increasing personal autonomy and individual responsibility
  • Interdisciplinary project with scientists from sociology, politics, philosophy, economy,law

Part of the book series: Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment (ETHICSSCI, volume 26)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-LXXII
  2. Introduction

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages 1-4
  3. Social Policy in the 21st Century

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages 5-89
  4. European Union and Social Policy

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages 91-156
  5. National and Supra-national Social Policy: Comparative Case Studies

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages 157-266
  6. Elements of a European Social Policy

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages 267-300
  7. Erratum

    • B. v. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante et al.
    Pages E1-E1
  8. Back Matter

    Pages 301-339

About this book

‘Enabling Social Europe’ examines how the paradigm of the ‘enabling welfare state’ might offer a new perspective for European social policy in the decades to come. The ‘enabling’ concept is perceived as going beyond that of mere ‘activation’, thus also embracing policies aimed at increasing personal autonomy, individual responsibility and social inclusion by endowing individuals with the resources and capabilities needed to manage and balance their life courses in a better way.

The study is distinguished by a unique collaboration of social and economic policy experts coming from a wide range of disciplines: economics, law, sociology, political science, and philosophy. The authors seek to shed new light on whether European social policy ought to play a role in the future and, if so, what sort of role that could be. They convincingly argue that despite an implicit normative consensus on the ‘European social model’, there is still room for a multifaceted world in which welfare regimes can maintain their own path-dependent ways of achieving a fair and just society with a high level of welfare for all.

The empirical part of the book contains an appraisal of policies and reforms with a view to the ‘enabling welfare state’ approach in four important policy areas: health care, old-age security, family policy, and poverty prevention. Within each sector, the authors compare the policies and practices of two countries attributable to different regime types: Germany and the United Kingdom, Poland and Germany, Finland and Estonia, and Belgium and Denmark.

This book is highly recommendable not only for scholars and policymakers active in this field, but also for students of welfare and labour economics, sociology, social policy, political science and law.

Authors, Editors and Affiliations

  • Europäische Akademie GmbH, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany

    Friederike Wütscher

  • St. Augustin, Germany

    B. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante, P.-L. Rauhala, G. Verschraegen, M. Żukowski

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Enabling Social Europe

  • Authors: B. Maydell, K. Borchardt, K.-D. Henke, R. Leitner, R. Muffels, M. Quante, P.-L. Rauhala, G. Verschraegen, M. Żukowski

  • Editors: Friederike Wütscher

  • Series Title: Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29772-3

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-540-29771-0Published: 05 December 2005

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-06747-1Published: 22 November 2010

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-540-29772-7Published: 03 February 2006

  • Series ISSN: 1860-4803

  • Series E-ISSN: 1860-4811

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: LXXII, 336

  • Topics: Social Structure, Social Inequality, Engineering, general

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access