Terminology week 1
Concept Meaning
Introduction lecture
Social policy = welfare The basic level of welfare through redistribution of income at level of
state policy the nations state, institutionalised social solidarity.
Old social risks The building blocks of welfare states, e.g. unemployment, retirement,
linked to rise of industrial capitalism in early nation-state.
Welfare Refers to economic well-being, i.e. having sufficient resources to
ensure ‘the good life’. Welfare is thus not only determined by the
fulfilment of physical needs (e.g. food, shelter), but also by the
realization of life chances (allowing one to achieve one’s full
potential with personal autonomy), and the ability to socially
participate in society (=without shame).
Welfare capitalism Stabilize mass consumption, smooth economic cycles, ensure
economic productivity.
Welfare pillars Social security, social assistance, employment, housing, education
and health care.
Social insurance Partly financed by the state, is granted to those persons who pay
a contribution. A person pays self. Has to do with contribution
schemes. You pay into. It used to be only for workers, if you have
social risks than you can earn it. They were more generalised, paid
out of general taxes.
Social assistance Purely a government affair, is given gratis. Refers to for example the
Bijstand. Targeted welfare for the poor, a targeted benefit only for the
people who need it, means-tested, it is for those who cannot
contribute. Targeted benefit for the poor.
Social benefits The government pays, or people receive money from the government.
It is about the amount of money, so you have all kind of benefits they
can be earner related, social assisted or wage-related. Welfare type
benefit, it can be any type of.
Lecture week 1
Solidarity The willingness to help others or to support the group one belongs to,
without immediately getting something in return.
A firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the
common good, that is the good of all and of each individual, because
we are all really responsible for each other.
The basis of solidarity is mutual obligation. This is mainly expressed
through reciprocity, or exchange. "Balanced reciprocity" occurs
where people make a direct return for the things they receive. Often,
though, reciprocity is "generalized"; there is no simple balance, but
people give because they have received something in the past, or
because some future reciprocity is possible.
Important issue → the poor are excluded
Nature of solidarity
• Formal Solidarity that goes through intermediating institutions.
, • Informal Solidarity that is associated with family and civil society
organisations.
• Two-sided, Solidarity that goes two ways with the expectation that we get
horizontal something in return. Is linked with equity principle. Expecting to
redistribution benefit just as much from others as contributing yourself, but ex ante!
→ you don’t know in advance whether you will be a net contributor
or net receiver; this is why it is solidarity and not just a market
transaction).
• One-sided, vertical Solidarity that comes from one side, you do something to help
redistribution somebody else but you do not have the expectation to get something
in return. Is linked with the need principle. Also known as the Robin
hood function of the welfare state.
• Affective Motive of solidarity, helping the more needed people without
wanting something in return (connected with vertical redistribution).
• Calculating Motive of solidarity that has a strong connection to the self interest in
the sense that you contribute because to expect to receive something
back.
Social solidarity The welfare state is a formal institution of solidarity. You pay into
the system and your money is also redistributed to anonymous others.
Formal institution involving the whole population, social solidarity
based on citizenship, equality principle comes into play. Higher lever
of (vertical) redistribution, beyond risk-sharing. It goes beyond the
idea that there is a direct connection between hat you contribute and
what you receive. Everybody is included! The positive bond between
the fates of different people.
The poor are included! It not only based on group membership, but it
is based on equality.
Redistributive principles
• Equity Distribution of resources is fair, individuals inputs into the exchange
to their outcomes from the exchange are the same.
• Need A welfare system and social assistance for the people who need it, the
people who live in poverty.
• Equality Everybody gets the same out of the welfare state.
Free rider problem It is a fundamental tension underlying all forms of solidarity. People
who do not contribute much in the welfare state, but get a lot out of
the different funds it offers.
Theoretical ideas on how Who gets how much on what basis? Delivery of welfare.
welfare is divided
Poor relief Social assistance for the poor. Poor relief is conditional: deserving
and undeserving poor/ means-testing, less eligibility, control strategy
developed to serve collective interests of elites.
From rich to poor, one sided, informal, vertical, enlightened self rich
help the poor because in the end it is beneficial for themselves,
calculating principle.
Article de Beer & Koster
Social cohesion The coherence/unity of a society; broader meaning than social
solidarity; solidarity really is focused on the support to one another.
Social capital Social relations that improve one’s productivity or, broader, one’s
fate in society; not aimed at supporting or helping others, but
mutually beneficial relations.
Indicator of solidarity acts The best known indicator of social protection by the welfare state =
amount of (gross) public social expenditures as a % of GDP.
, Article Kahl
Religious Roots The postulate that the community has a moral responsibility to
support the poor (central message of the Bible) underlies modern
social assistance, but played out in different ways in societies,
according to the relative predominance of Catholic, Lutheran and
Reformed Protestant religious heritages.
Deserving These people are not expected to work, so called less eligibility
principle. They are not able to work. If you are deserving than you
get generous help.
Undeserving These people are expected to work, because they are able to work.
These people did not get generous help.
Protestant More social assistance, you do something and you get something in
receive (two-sided solidarity). If you do not contribute/ give there
will be circumstances. The means test is more individualistic.
• Lutheran Poverty is God’s ordeal, but also a problem of laziness and
immortality. Work, profile of work is raised, work becomes a calling;
striving for material profits beyond one’s needs is reprehensible.
State of grace can be seen as for faith only. The deserving/
undeserving function is important. Individualized, poverty is
stigmatized. Principle of poor relief: all the poor should be supported,
and the able-bodied should work; if they do not want to, they should
be forced to.
Says that work is a way to come out of poverty.
• Calvinist/ reformed Poverty is God’s punishment for being a sinner and a sign of not
Protestantism being chosen. Work rationally and restlessly to produce more than
needed to survive to achieve the certitudo salutis (heaven). State of
grace can be seen as hard work and economic success. The
deserving/ undeserving function is very important. Individualized,
poverty is stigmatized. Principle of poor relief: workhouse test:
correcting and exploiting the able-bodied; helping the unable.
Predestination, protestant ethic, success is chosen by god. Being
wealthy already is a sign of that you are chosen by birth. People are
destined to be rich or destined to be poor, additional blaming of the
poor. If you are deserving than you do get generous help. Deserving
vs undeserving is ability to work.
Catholic Poverty is God’s ordeal. Work to survive, work is a burden. If you
have other means, work is not necessary. State of grace can be seen
as good works, poverty. The deserving/ undeserving function is not
important. Group oriented; poverty is not stigmatized. Principle of
poor relief: Almsgiving without too much discrimination between the
poor.
Means test: what an individual has + what the family has. You are
not poor if your family is rich, than you have to ask them for help
instead of the state.
Article van Leeuwen
Poor relief Poor relief is conditional: deserving and undeserving poor / means-
testing, less eligibility, control strategy developed to serve collective
interests of elites. For the poor people, it was a survival strategy.
Control strategy For economic and political reasons, stopping diseases, good for their
image. Self-interest. It was important to keep the poor because
otherwise they would leave.
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