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Local welfare systems and social cohesion

10-12 June 2013

Innovation through Local Welfare Culture:The Capacity of Intergenerational Relations to Act against Social and Economic Risks
Drago Lucian Ivan The National School of Political Studies and Public Administration of Bucharest, Visiting PhDc at Universitat Autonoma Barcelona i_dragos_lucian@yahoo.com

Introduction
Hypothesis
H1. The successful transfer of national welfare policies to local entities able to re-construct intergenerational relationships is the key to limiting the financial burden that crushes European potential for development. H2.The welfare state can be based around the national coverage of the state and the local coverage of the people, seen as active counterparts through inter-generational relationships. H3.The local systems are in need of help from the welfare state. . H4. The family through intergenerational relationships supplied services for each other, but they also transferred material possessions

Definition and measurement Definition:


Role of the state in the protection against life risks: A big public insurance company (Social Security), which also owns, or contracts with, a service provision company/ies It usually includes: - Cash benefits: old age, unemploym., sick leave, maternity pensions - In-kind benefits or welfare services: HC, social care, education But when is protection against risks extensive enough for an state to be called welfare state?: When is protection againsts risks so extensive that it becomes inefficient at the local level?

When do we need to combine national welfare systems with local welfare systems?

The role of state/market/family in protection from risks?

THE WS, POLITICS & MARKETS: Definition


GOVERNANCE & POLITICS INTEREST GROUPS THE MARKET Financial markets DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT & INSTITUTIONS

PRIVATE FINANCERS: Banks, insurers, citizens


Product markets

PUBLIC & SOCIAL INSURANCE

THE WS

PRIVATE PROVIDERS: Hospitals, doctors, schools, nursing homes

PUBLIC WELFARE SERVICE PRODUCTION

TYPES OF WS
THE WORLDS OF WELFARE CAPITALISM
Based on Hicks & Kenworthy 2003

The liberal world

The conservative world

The social democratic world

THE WS: Definition and measurement


Measurement:
Quantitative indicators: expenditure (per hab. or GDP), % employment Qualitative indicators: nature of entitlement (poverty, employment, citizenship), decommodification (= universal = benefits independent of employment or income), coverage (% population), generosity of benefits, number of programmes covered

Types of WS:
Different types of WS: depending on values/ranking in quantitative and qualitative dimensions

Causes of WS Main theses nowadays:


- Different types of WS (HC systems) have different causes - Different WS sectors (eg pensions, HC) can be of different types, and have different causes

Discussion and Conclusion


The numerous and various institutions of the welfare state serve to facilitate the process of intergenerational relationships at the local level. The welfare state can check and even control the development of this local system. It would be an error to view the local welfare state under the form of intergenerational relationships as either essentialistic or fatalistic fashion. There is a great need for a local welfare system to combat local problems.

Shifting from one welfare state model to another.


Romania has experience periods in which social protection was family-centered or community-centered and now it seems it is situated in the paradigm of state-centered social protection. The majority of European countries have used a welfare state focused on social protection through a state-centered system. The period of state-centered social protection presents great advantages when the population is mostly made out of active individuals. The majority of European population is made-out of young-adults and older-adults. The welfare state can create policies that can support the family and the community to develop local social protection systems through both implicit and explicit.

Thank You! I appreciate your feed-back! Ivan Dragos Lucian i_dragos_lucian@yahoo.com

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