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The historical schools of economics have been neglected within the arena of economic theory since the Second World War in favour of the now-dominant classical and neoclassical schools of economic thought. As alternative frameworks re-emerge, this book offers a revaluation of the legal theorist, economist and politician Torkel Aschehoug (1822–1909) and his historical-empirical approach to economics, a highly influential current in Norway during the last decades of the nineteenth century.
With its implications for health care, the economy, and an assortment of other policy areas, population aging is one of the most pressing issues facing governments and society today, and confronting its complex reality is becoming increasingly urgent, particularly in the age of COVID-19. In The Four Lenses of Population Aging, Patrik Marier looks at how Canada’s ten provinces are preparing for an aging society. Focusing on a wide range of administrative and policy challenges, this analysis explores multiple actions from the development of strategic plans to the expansion of long-term care capacity. To enhance this analysis, Marier adopts four lenses: the intergenerational, the medical, the...
The ‘open society’ has become a watchword of liberal democracy and the market system in the modern globalized world. Openness stands for individual opportunity and collective reason, as well as bottom-up empowerment and top-down transparency. It has become a cherished value, despite its vagueness and the connotation of vulnerability that surrounds it. Scandinavia has long considered itself a model of openness, citing traditions of freedom of information and inclusive policy making. This collection of essays traces the conceptual origins, development, and diverse challenges of openness in the Nordic countries and Austria. It examines some of the many paradoxes that openness encounters and...
Using a comparative framework, this new volume focuses on how non-standard employment can be regulated in very different social, political and institutional settings. After surveying these new forms of work and the new demands for labour-market regulation, the authors identify possible solutions among local-level actors and provide a detailed analysis of how firms assess the advantages and disadvantages of flexible forms of employment. The authors provide six detailed case studies to examine the successes and failures of experimental approaches and social innovation in various regions in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
In Religion in Modern Societies, Gunnar Skirbekk examines the challenging relationship between religion, science, and the state, and explores literature on religion in Western and Muslim-majority societies. Through the lens of modernity theory and the perspective of philosophy of science, key issues are discussed, including freedom of expression and the interaction between religion and modern institutions. Chapters include: • Science and Religion • The Problem of Evil • Freedom of Expression • Multiculturalism and the Welfare State • Religion as Social Integration • Islam in a Historical Class Perspective The topics discussed are universal issues which in principle hold relevance for all of us living in a modern science-based world and societies in crisis. This volume is essential reading to those with an interest in philosophy of religion, religion and science, the work of Jürgen Habermas, the theory of modernization, and the politicization of religion.
This book is about an idea that has a long and distinguished pedigree, the idea of a right to a basic income. This means having a modest income guaranteed – a right without conditions, just as every citizen should have the right to clean water, fresh air and a good education.
International Organizations (IOs) are important actors within global social governance. They provide forums for exchange, contention and cooperation about social policies. Our knowledge about the involvement of IOs varies significantly by policy fields, and we know comparatively little about the specific roles of IOs in social policies. This volume enhances and systematizes our understanding of IOs in global social governance. It provides studies on a variety of social policy fields in which different, but also the same, IOs operate. The chapters shed light on IO involvement in a particular social policy field by describing the population of participating IOs; exploring how a particular global social policy field is constituted as a whole, and which dominant IOs set the trends. The contributors also examine the discourse within, and between, these IOs on the respective social policies. As such, this first-of-its kind book contributes to research on social policy and international relations, both in terms of theoretical substantiation and empirical scope.
'This innovative book provides insightful analyses and critique of policy ideas and practices regarding the challenges and opportunities facing ageing European societies. Through pertinent case study examples, it elucidates the ideological and institutional factors that underlie policy responses in different European societies. It demonstrates the pivotal role of ideas and of international organisations in shaping the policy and practice landscape, and driving through key policy reforms in Europe. This edited book provides an invaluable resource for policy-makers, researchers and scholars interested in ageing, policy and the political process.' Sara Arber, University of Surrey UK Demographic...
When political parties make policy decisions they are influenced by the competition they face from other parties. This book examines how party competition and party systems affect reforms of social protection. Featuring a historical comparison of Italy and Germany post-1945, the book shows how a high number of parties and ideological polarisation lead to fragmented and unequal social benefits. Utilising a comparative approach, the author brings together two important issues in welfare state research that have been insufficiently investigated. Firstly, the complex influence of party competition on social policy-making, and second, how some social groups enjoy better social protection than oth...
This volume provides an important and exciting contribution to the knowledge on punishment across Europe. Over the past decade, punitiveness has been studied through analyses of ‘increased’ or ‘new’ forms of punishment in western countries. Comparative studies on the other hand have illustrated important differences in levels of punitiveness between these countries and have tried to explain these differences by looking at risk and protective factors. Covering both quantitative and qualitative dimensions, this book focuses on mechanisms interacting with levels of punitiveness that seem to allow room for less punitive (political) choices, especially within a European context: social po...