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  • © 2022

Networks and Geographies of Global Social Policy Diffusion

Culture, Economy, and Colonial Legacies

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Implements a sophisticated methodological approach
  • Includes contributions from a global sample of 164 countries
  • Combines event history analysis with social networks using macro-quantitative longitudinal analyses
  • This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Part of the book series: Global Dynamics of Social Policy (GDSP)

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Softcover Book USD 49.99
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Hardcover Book USD 59.99
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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Networks of Global Social Policy Diffusion: The Effects of Culture, Economy, Colonial Legacies, and Geographic Proximity

    • Ivo Mossig, Michael Windzio, Fabian Besche-Truthe, Helen Seitzer
    Pages 1-37Open Access
  3. Networks of Global Policy Diffusion: The Introduction of Compulsory Education

    • Helen Seitzer, Fabian Besche-Truthe, Michael Windzio
    Pages 59-81Open Access
  4. The Global Diffusion of Adult Basic Education

    • Fabian Besche-Truthe
    Pages 83-109Open Access
  5. The Emergence of Healthcare Systems

    • Alexander Polte, Sebastian Haunss, Achim Schmid, Gabriela de Carvalho, Heinz Rothgang
    Pages 111-138Open Access
  6. Introduction of Long-Term Care Systems: The Nascent Diffusion of an Emergent Field of Social Policy

    • Johanna Fischer, Alexander Polte, Meika Sternkopf
    Pages 139-167Open Access
  7. Origins of Family Policy: Prerequisites or Diffusion

    • Tobias Böger, Keonhi Son, Simone Tonelli
    Pages 169-193Open Access
  8. Critical Summary and Concluding Remarks

    • Carina Schmitt, Herbert Obinger
    Pages 255-267Open Access
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 269-272

About this book

This open access book analyses the global diffusion of social policy as a process driven by multiplex ties between countries in global social networks. The contributions analyze links between countries via global trade, colonial history, similarity in culture, and spatial proximity. Networks are viewed as the structural backbone of the diffusion process, and diffusion is anlaysed via several subfields of social policy, in order to interrogate which network dimensions drive this process. 

The focus is on a global perspective of social policy diffusion via networks, and it is the first book to explicitly follow this macro-quantitative perspective on diffusion at a global scale whilst also comparing different networks. The collection tests the network structures in terms of their relevance to the diffusion process in different subfields of social policy such as old age and survivor pensions, labor and labor markets, health and long-term care, education and training, and family and gender policy.

The book will therefore be invaluable to students and researchers of global social policy, sociology, political science, international relations, organization theory and economics.

Editors and Affiliations

  • SOCIUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Michael Windzio, Fabian Besche-Truthe, Helen Seitzer

  • Institute of Geography, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Ivo Mossig

About the editors

Michael Windzio is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bremen, Germany. 

Ivo Mossig is Professor of Human Geography with a focus on economic and social geography at the Institute of Geography at the University of Bremen, Germany and member of the Collaborative Research Center 1342 “Global Dynamics on Social Policy”. 



Fabian Besche-Truthe is a doctoral researcher in the project “The Global Develop­ment, Diffusion and Transformation of Education Systems” at the Collaborative Re­search Centre 1342 “Global Dynamics of Social Policy” at the University of Bremen, Germany. 



Helen Seitzer is a doctoral researcher in the project “The Global Development, Diffu­sion and Transformation of Education Systems” at the Collaborative Research Centre 1342 “Global Dynamics of Social Policy” at the University of Bremen, Germany. 

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Networks and Geographies of Global Social Policy Diffusion

  • Book Subtitle: Culture, Economy, and Colonial Legacies

  • Editors: Michael Windzio, Ivo Mossig, Fabian Besche-Truthe, Helen Seitzer

  • Series Title: Global Dynamics of Social Policy

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83403-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2022

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-83402-9Published: 25 November 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-83405-0Published: 25 November 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-83403-6Published: 24 November 2021

  • Series ISSN: 2661-8672

  • Series E-ISSN: 2661-8680

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 272

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Social Policy, Politics of the Welfare State, Public Policy, Social Philosophy

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
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