Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker?

Marta Szebehely; Gabrielle Meagher

doi:10.1177/0958928717735062

Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker?

Marta Szebehely, Gabrielle Meagher

Department of Sociology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This article builds on recent research on the fortunes of universalism in European social policy by tracing the development of eldercare policy in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Six dimensions of universalism are used to assess whether and how eldercare has been universalized or de-universalized in each country in recent decades and the consequences of the trends thereby identified. We find that de-universalization has occurred in all four countries, but more so in Finland and Sweden than in Denmark and Norway. Available data show an increase in for-profit provision of publicly funded care services (via policies promoting service marketization), and an increase of family care (re-familialization), as well as of services paid out-of-pocket (privatization). These changes have occurred without an explicit attack on universalism or retrenchment of formal rights. Nevertheless, the changes threaten the class- and gender-equalizing potential of Nordic welfare states.

Language	English
Pages	294-308
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of European Social Policy
Volume	28
Issue number	3
Early online date	10 Dec 2017
DOIs	10.1177/0958928717735062
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2018

Fingerprint

universalism

Denmark

Finland

Norway

Sweden

European social policy

social policy

privatization

welfare state

gender

profit

trend

services

policy

Keywords

universalism
privatisation
eldercare
Nordic countries
re-familialisation

Cite this

Szebehely, M., & Meagher, G. (2018). Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker? Journal of European Social Policy, 28(3), 294-308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928717735062

Szebehely, Marta ; Meagher, Gabrielle. / Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker?. In: Journal of European Social Policy. 2018 ; Vol. 28, No. 3. pp. 294-308.

@article{c2d36593f2e944c589f0334e8ad9ff7b,

title = "Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker?",

abstract = "This article builds on recent research on the fortunes of universalism in European social policy by tracing the development of eldercare policy in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Six dimensions of universalism are used to assess whether and how eldercare has been universalized or de-universalized in each country in recent decades and the consequences of the trends thereby identified. We find that de-universalization has occurred in all four countries, but more so in Finland and Sweden than in Denmark and Norway. Available data show an increase in for-profit provision of publicly funded care services (via policies promoting service marketization), and an increase of family care (re-familialization), as well as of services paid out-of-pocket (privatization). These changes have occurred without an explicit attack on universalism or retrenchment of formal rights. Nevertheless, the changes threaten the class- and gender-equalizing potential of Nordic welfare states.",

keywords = "universalism, privatisation, eldercare, Nordic countries, re-familialisation",

author = "Marta Szebehely and Gabrielle Meagher",

year = "2018",

month = "7",

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/0958928717735062",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

pages = "294--308",

journal = "Journal of European Social Policy",

issn = "0958-9287",

publisher = "SAGE Publications",

number = "3",

}

Szebehely, M & Meagher, G 2018, 'Nordic eldercare – weak universalism becoming weaker?', Journal of European Social Policy, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 294-308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928717735062