Six Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states
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Karen Nielsen Breidahl
Abstract
Are the features of the Scandinavian welfare states, such as redistributive income security, reflected in the activation policies introduced in order to promote and ease the integration of immigrants into the labour market? By analysing and comparing the development of activation policies for immigrants in Norway, Sweden and Denmark from the early 1990s until 2010 the chapter illustrates how it is particularly questionable when we are dealing with immigrants as the target group and the elements of activation reforms concerning income security. Despite the traditions regarding the welfare state is common in the three countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden appear quite different on some points when immigrants as a target group is taken into account. In closing, the chapter discusses the underlying factors behind these trends and the implications for the features of the Scandinavian welfare states and immigrants as a target group.
Abstract
Are the features of the Scandinavian welfare states, such as redistributive income security, reflected in the activation policies introduced in order to promote and ease the integration of immigrants into the labour market? By analysing and comparing the development of activation policies for immigrants in Norway, Sweden and Denmark from the early 1990s until 2010 the chapter illustrates how it is particularly questionable when we are dealing with immigrants as the target group and the elements of activation reforms concerning income security. Despite the traditions regarding the welfare state is common in the three countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden appear quite different on some points when immigrants as a target group is taken into account. In closing, the chapter discusses the underlying factors behind these trends and the implications for the features of the Scandinavian welfare states and immigrants as a target group.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures v
- Notes on contributors vii
- 40th anniversary preface xi
- Introduction 1
-
Current developments
- Universal Credit: overview and gender implications 15
- Family support and the Coalition: retrenchment, refocusing and restructuring 35
- Housing, the welfare state and the Coalition government 55
- The 2012/13 reforms of higher education in England: changing student finances and funding 77
- Division and opposition: the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 97
-
Social policy in the developed and developing worlds
- Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states 117
- Welfare retrenchment under Left and Right government leadership: towards a consolidated framework of analysis? 137
- From black hole to spring: the coming of age of social policy in the Arab countries? 165
- China’s developmental model in Africa: a new era for global social policy? 183
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Severe crisis: social policy in most challenging circumstances
- The Greek welfare state in the age of austerity: anti-social policy and the politico-economic crisis 205
- From opportunity to austerity: crisis and social policy in Spain 231
- From financial crisis to welfare retrenchment: assessing the challenges to the Irish welfare state 257
- The Great Recession and US social policy: from expansion to austerity 277
- Seeking refuge in the Nordic model: social policy in Iceland after 2008 297
- Index 319
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures v
- Notes on contributors vii
- 40th anniversary preface xi
- Introduction 1
-
Current developments
- Universal Credit: overview and gender implications 15
- Family support and the Coalition: retrenchment, refocusing and restructuring 35
- Housing, the welfare state and the Coalition government 55
- The 2012/13 reforms of higher education in England: changing student finances and funding 77
- Division and opposition: the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 97
-
Social policy in the developed and developing worlds
- Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states 117
- Welfare retrenchment under Left and Right government leadership: towards a consolidated framework of analysis? 137
- From black hole to spring: the coming of age of social policy in the Arab countries? 165
- China’s developmental model in Africa: a new era for global social policy? 183
-
Severe crisis: social policy in most challenging circumstances
- The Greek welfare state in the age of austerity: anti-social policy and the politico-economic crisis 205
- From opportunity to austerity: crisis and social policy in Spain 231
- From financial crisis to welfare retrenchment: assessing the challenges to the Irish welfare state 257
- The Great Recession and US social policy: from expansion to austerity 277
- Seeking refuge in the Nordic model: social policy in Iceland after 2008 297
- Index 319
