Converging Worlds of Welfare? British and German Social Policy in the 21st Century Creating Sustainable Growth in Europe Series

This book takes stock of major and recent developments in welfare policy in the UK and Germany. Concentrating on trends since the 1990s it compares the similarities and differences between the two countries and analyses the degree to which social attitudes towards welfare provision, fairness, and social justice have changed. It focuses on the policy areas that have been particularly affected in recent years and examines change and possible convergence across three public policy domains: family policy, pensions and policies aimed at social and labour market integration. The book covers both public provision as well as the role of company-based social protection. Based on new empirical survey research as well as focus group interviews, the contributions analyse the ways in which social policies have adapted to common and country-specific challenges, and provide an understanding of the changing welfare landscapes in the UK and Germany.

1. Introduction. Part I: Welfare Values. 2. Differing notions of social welfare? Britain and Germany Compared. 3. Fairness and Social Provision: Qualitative Evidence from Germany and the UK. 4. Challenges of Ethnic Diversity: Results from a Qualitative Study. Part II: Welfare Policies. Part II A: Supporting Families. 5. Family Policy - Striving for Sustainability. 6. Increasing Returns: The New Economy of Family Policy in Britain and Germany. 7. Family-friendly Working Time Policy in Germany and the United Kingdom. 8. Cross-national Perspectives on Firm-level Family Policies: Britain, Germany and the US Compared. Part II. B: Supporting Pensioners. 9. Towards German Liberalism and British Social Democracy: The Evolution of Two Public-occupational Pension Regimes from 1945 to 2009. 10. The Impact of the New Public and Private Pension Settlements in Britain and Germany on Citizen's Income in Old Age. 11. Can Private Insurers Bridge the Savings Gap? Regulation and Performance of Personal Pensions in Great Britain and Germany. Part 11 C: Employment and Unemployment. 12. Higher Education and Graduate Employment - The Importance of Occupational Specificity in Germany and Britain. 13. From Unemployment Protection to 'Work First'. Is German Labour Market Policy Becoming British?. 14. Conclusion: Parallel Paths, Great Similarities, Prevailing Differences.

Jochen Clasen gained his Diploma in Sociology from the Free University of Berlin in 1988 and his PhD in Sociology and Social Policy from the University of Edinburgh in 1992. Prof. Clasen is an expert in cross-national research on social security and unemployment policy, and has particular expertise in social policy comparisons between Germany and the UK. He has published widely on methodological aspects of cross-national research and is joint editor of the Journal of European Social Policy. Recent books include Investigating Welfare State Change co-edited with Nico Siegel (Edward Elgar, 2007), and Reforming European Welfare States: Germany and the United Kingdom Compared (OUP, 2005).