Per H. Jensen – författare

Informal work – family care, voluntary work, and undeclared or unregulated work – is a critical form of labor in today’s economy, yet remains underanalyzed and examined. This volume develops a comprehensive conceptual framework of informal work and analyses systematically the relationship of formal and informal work. Using a coherent theoretical and methodological approach, this volume explores informal and formal work in six countries and contributes to our empirical knowledge of informal work and its different interrelations with formal work in various societies. A landmark study in the analysis of work, the book demonstrates how the relationship of formal and informal work is developing, how this can be explained in the specific context of the arrangement of work and welfare, and in which ways informal work possibly contributes to social integration and social cohesion.

Informal work – family care, voluntary work, and undeclared or unregulated work – is a critical form of labor in today’s economy, yet remains underanalyzed and examined. This volume develops a comprehensive conceptual framework of informal work and analyses systematically the relationship of formal and informal work. Using a coherent theoretical and methodological approach, this volume explores informal and formal work in six countries and contributes to our empirical knowledge of informal work and its different interrelations with formal work in various societies. A landmark study in the analysis of work, the book demonstrates how the relationship of formal and informal work is developing, how this can be explained in the specific context of the arrangement of work and welfare, and in which ways informal work possibly contributes to social integration and social cohesion.

Drawing on the age arrangement approach, Rapidly Increasing Retirement Ages considers the position of older workers in the context of changing norms and ideals, discourses, welfare states, labour markets, and families as well as the changing characteristics of older workers themselves. Jensen uses statistical data to highlight how the developing practices of older workers are prompted by societal transitions from an early to late exit age arrangement. This includes transitions from early to late exit discourses, from welfare states to enabling states, from closed to open labour markets, from male breadwinner to dual breadwinner family models, and from low to high levels of work ability among older workers. In addition Jensen shows how the different dimensions of change are connected and interrelated. Intersectional in its scope, this book posits an illuminating, comprehensive and much-needed response to this growing societal issue.

This book is a vital read for academics, researchers and students of sociology, social policy, economics, welfare policy and political science. Providing a thorough examination of older workers in modern society, this book is also of benefit to practitioners and policymakers working in business management, public policy and social welfare.

There have been major shifts in the framework of social policy and welfare across Europe. Adopting a multi-level, comparative and interdisciplinary approach, this book develops a critical analysis of policy change and welfare reform in Europe.

The book applies a dynamic and change oriented perspective to shed light on policy changes that are often poorly understood in the welfare literature, and contributes to a further development of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding social change.

Using citizenship as a focus, several dimensions of change are analysed simultaneously: changes in the discipline of social policy itself; the changing character of social problems; changes in social policy and citizenship; and the emergence of new forms of social integration. The book also speculates on how different dimensions of change are interlinked.