Kenneth Nelson – författare

Expert contributors discuss the concept of social sustainability from different disciplinary and policy perspectives, focusing on social protection, pensions, care, immigration and health. They highlight the importance of well-being and its fair distribution and address the trade-offs between economic and social sustainability in different policy areas. Crucially, they propose constructive measures which governments can adopt to ensure a sustainable future for welfare states.

Students and researchers of social policy, demography, social work, economics and sociology will enhance their understanding of social sustainability and its contribution to welfare state research. The book will also be invaluable for professionals and policymakers working in social and health policy, pensions and the labour market providing guidance on how to promote social sustainability through their work.

The book brings together a unique combination of scholars from social policy, sociology, political science, international relations, and law, who explore how European societies have changed over the last 20 years, the future challenges which need to be addressed and the role for social policy research. The editors argue that to advance research on European social policy, we need to develop a better understanding of the interplay between multiple policies, invest more resources in theoretical development, and effectively utilize perhaps the greatest asset of European social policy research – its multidisciplinarity.

Offering crucial insights into the dynamic nature of social policy research, this book will be a valuable guide for social policy scholars and students. Its discussion of a broad range of social policy areas will also be useful for practitioners and policymakers across a wide range of social policy fields.

Sveriges ekonomiska trygghetssystem har länge varit ett typexempel på den så kallade standardtrygghetsmodellen, där ett generellt grundskydd kombineras med en inkomstbortfallsprincip. Detta system har emellertid förändrats avsevärt under de senaste årtiondena, vilket väcker frågan om Sverige går mot en annan välfärdsmodell.  

I rapporten analyserar Kenneth Nelson och Sebastian Sirén hur de svenska transfereringssystemen har utvecklats. De undersöker förändringar i ersättningsnivåer för pensioner, sjukförsäkring, arbetslöshetsförsäkring, föräldraförsäkring och det behovsprövade skyddet mot ekonomisk utsatthet. De jämför även med andra länder med liknande förutsättningar. Författarna avslutar rapporten med rekommendationer och en diskussion om framtida vägval.  

Kenneth Nelson är Barnett Professor of Social Policy vid University of Oxford och professor i sociologi vid Stockholms universitet. Sebastian Sirén är forskare vid Statsvetenskapliga institutionen vid Uppsala universitet.  

Rapporten är en del i SNS forskningsprojekt Ekonomisk trygghet.