Attitudes, Aspirations and Welfare
Social Policy Directions in Uncertain Times
Abstract
This edited collection analyses mini-publics to study what people want from the welfare state in five European countries. The deliberative method yields new insights into how people frame social issues, their priorities and acceptable solutions. This is the first time mini-publics have been used as a research tool in this field.
The contributors’ research show that most people recognize growing inequality, population ageing, paying for health care and pensions, social care and immigration as areas where the welfare state faces real challenges. The most striking findings are the high level of support across all countries for social investment, and the way justifications for this vary between welfare state regimes. The authors also explore key areas such as immigration and intergenerational differences.
Attitudes, Aspirations and Welfare will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including politics, social policy and sociology, as well as policy-makers.
