Social Services Disrupted by Martinelli, Flavia; Anttonen, Anneli; Mätzke, Margitta;

Long description:

Public social services are a key component of the welfare state in most of Europe, although their development trajectories, coverage and legal status still vary considerably among countries. How such services are provided, and for whom, impacts significantly on social and territorial cohesion, gender balance and, ultimately, on the development of any society. However, while much is discussed and written about social policy and welfare systems, social services remain somewhat neglected. Although they have gained a stronger foothold in national legislations and social policy agendas, their status remains weaker compared to education or health. Moreover, because of the austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis, they have been subject to cuts and reorganisation, which have brought about significant disruption.

This book revives the discussion on public social services and their redesign, with a focus on services relating to care and the social inclusion of vulnerable groups. Conveying the main findings of the EU-funded COST Action IS1102 Social Services, Welfare States and Places, the book provides rich information on the changes that occurred in the organisation and supply of public social services over the last thirty years in different European places and service fields. Despite the persisting variety in social service models, three shared trends emerge: public sector disengagement, 'vertical re-scaling' of authority and 'horizontal re-mix' in the supply system. The consequences of such changes are evaluated from different perspectives - governance, social and territorial cohesion, labour market, gender - and are eventually deemed 'disruptive' in both economic and social terms. The policy implications of the restructuring are also explored.

The book will appeal to a broad audience: researchers and students, policy-makers, civil servants, service providers, social workers and users' organisations.

Contributors include: S. Adam, A. Anttonen, A. Bagnato, S. Barillà, A. Bernát, I. Bode, P. Brokking, B. Deusdad, D. Dierckx, R. Fluder, L. Fraisse, M. García, J.L. Gómez-Barroso, E. Gubrium, L. Häikiö, I. Harsløf, J. Havlíková, J. Javornik, O. Jolanki, O. Karsio, M. Knutagård, T. Kröger, K. Kubalciková, B. Leibetseder, S. Lev, R. Marbán-Flores, R. Mas Giralt, F. Martinelli, M. Mätzke, A. Novy, E. Øverbye, C. Pace, P. Raeymaeckers, S. Sabatinelli, A. Sarlo, M. Semprebon, G. Szüdi, J. Szüdi, S.I. Vabo, D. Vaiou, S. Vella, Z. Vercseg, S. Vicari Haddock, C. Weinzierl, F. Wukovitsch

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This book revives the discussion on public social services and their redesign, with a focus on services relating to care and the social inclusion of vulnerable groups, providing rich information on the changes that occurred in the organisation and supply of public social services over the last thirty years in different European places and service fields. Despite the persisting variety in social service models, three shared trends emerge: public sector disengagement, ‘vertical re-scaling’ of authority and ‘horizontal re-mix’ in the supply system. The consequences of such changes are evaluated from different perspectives – governance, social and territorial cohesion, labour market, gender – and are eventually deemed ‘disruptive’ in both economic and social terms. The policy implications of the restructuring are also explored.

‘Social Services Disrupted is an important, informative book that will benefit those interested in changes in welfare state developments throughout Europe over the past 30 years from what preceded it. It is also timely, given recent reports about the electoral success in some European countries of more politically extreme candidates extending state involvement in social service provisioning.. . . I highly recommend this book.’

Table of Contents:

Contents:

Introduction
Flavia Martinelli, Anneli Anttonen and Margitta Mätzke

PART I CONTEXT AND CONCEPTS
1. Social services, welfare states and places. An overview
Flavia Martinelli

2. The European Union policy framework for social services. Agendas, regulations, and discourses
José Luis Gómez-Barroso, Stefania Barillà and Ivan Harsløf

3. Public policy conceptions. Priorities of social service provision in Europe
Margitta Mätzke, Anneli Anttonen, Peter Brokking and Jana Javornik

PART II THE TRANSFORMATION OF GOVERNANCE
4. Social services in post-industrial Europe. An incomplete success story and its tragic moments
Ingo Bode

5. The vertical division of responsibility for social services within and beyond the State. Issues in empowerment, participation and territorial cohesion
Stefania Sabatinelli and Michela Semprebon

6. The horizontal ‘re-mix’ in social care. Trends and implications for service provision
Bettina Leibetseder, Anneli Anttonen, Einar Øverbye, Charles Pace and Signy Irene Vabo

7. The ‘activation turn’ and the new horizontal division of labour at the local level. The case of social assistance services in Austria, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland
Peter Raeymaeckers, Bettina Leibetseder, Robert Fluder, Erika Gubrium and Danielle Dierckx

8. Care in the wake of the financial crisis. Gender implications in Spain and the United Kingdom
Blanca Deusdad, Jana Javornik, Rosa Mas Giralt and Raquel Marbán-Flores

PART III RECENT TRAJECTORIES IN CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE
9. Care for older people in early twenty-first century Europe. Dimensions and directions of change
Teppo Kröger and Angela Bagnato

10. How marketisation is changing the Nordic model of care for older people
Anneli Anttonen and Olli Karsio

11. The de-institutionalisation of care for older people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. National strategies and local outcomes
Kateřina Kubalčíková, Gábor Szüdi, Jaroslava Szüdi and Jana Havlíková

12. Care for older people in three Mediterranean countries. Discourses, policies, and realities of de-institutionalisation
Blanca Deusdad, Sagit Lev, Charles Pace and Sue Vella

PART IV LOCAL INITIATIVES, SOCIAL INNOVATION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
13. The Janus face of social innovation in local welfare initiatives
Liisa Häikiö, Laurent Fraisse, Sofia Adam, Outi Jolanki and Marcus Knutagård

14. Social innovation in the field of Roma inclusion in Hungary and Austria. Lessons to foster social cohesion from Thara and Tanodas
Carla Weinzierl, Andreas Novy, Anikó Bernát, Florian Wukovitsch and Zsuzsanna Vercseg

15. The social inclusion of immigrants in the United Kingdom and Italy. Different but converging trajectories?
Rosa Mas Giralt and Antonella Sarlo

16. Housing and neighbourhood. Basic needs, governance and social innovation
Peter Brokking, Marisol García, Dina Vaiou and Serena Vicari

PART V SOCIAL SERVICES DISRUPTED. CHALLENGES AND SCENARIOS
17. Challenges and dilemmas in the provision of social services
Anneli Anttonen

18. The role of the state in the development of social services
Margitta Mätzke

19. Social services disrupted. Changing supply landscapes, impacts and policy options
Flavia Martinelli

Index