Search results

This paper compares the standard economic & a complementary socioeconomic approach to the transition. While the economic approach looks at social problems from the outside & views them as costs of transition, the socioeconomic approach looks at these problems from the inside & views them as a part of the social change taking place. Both approaches are used here to analyze four frictions, concerning (1) the PAYG pension system, which emphasizes intergenerational dependence & turns pensioners into a socially needy population; (2) the relation between low market wages & a higher welfare provision, which creates a poverty trap & leads to a culture of dependency; (3) the insufficient incentives for middle-class expansion, which contrasts with the key role this class should play in the future prosperity of society; & (4) tensions between various sections of the middle class. 6 Tables, 2 Figures, 4 Graphs, 17 References. Adapted from the source document.

It is always difficult to define the one & only measure of poverty, as there are different concepts of poverty based on a number of welfare indicators. The paper discuses main approaches to individual welfare measurement. A measure of individual welfare in the concept of relative deprivation is proposed. Three dimensions of relative deprivation are considered (economic strain, inability to afford certain items, & housing). The measure is based on multiplicative approach & thus is more sensitive to changes & differences in data than measures based on additive approach. The measure reflects the complex nature of households' relative deprivation & is applied to Slovak EU SILC 2005-2008 microdata in order to analyze the level of poverty in Slovakia in the concept of relative deprivation. Three different poverty lines are applied to the data & results are compared. Level of poverty in terms of relative deprivation is decreasing in Slovakia over time. Using the proposed approach, the results strongly depend on the number of components included in each dimension, as well as the components itself. In accordance with economic changes in the society, in the further research reappraisal of certain components could be a matter of discussion in order to reflect the present situation. Adapted from the source document.

The Czech Republic is going to face ageing of its population. It will affect the economy in many ways. The pension system is one of them. This paper provides a view on possibilities how to insure long-term stability of the pension system in the Czech Republic using a mix of pay-as-you-go & fully funded system. Simulations are based on OLG model, long-term demographic forecast & limits of fiscal policy stemming from the necessity to fulfill Maastricht criteria & The Stability & Growth Pact. Those obligations creates a frontier for plausible solutions. Results suggest that it is possible to find a solution for mixed system providing more favorable conditions than purely parametric changes of PAYG. Taking into account fiscal limits, the contribution rate to the FF pillar would be similar to the rates in other CEE countries where pension reform already started. Tables, Figures. Adapted from the source document.

The article describes the development of Czech social policy & the issues that have surrounded it since 1989. The author begins by describing the character of the communist welfare state & outlining its theoretical alternatives. Despite the introduction of energetic changes during the early years of transition, since the mid-1990s the area of social policy has been dominated by stagnation, & instead of any real & specific efforts in this area there are only debates. Despite all the problems that plague the current social policy, at present the system performs satisfactorily, as is evident in the very low rate of poverty. However, in the long run, concerns may arise over inadequate family situations, a frozen pension system, & poor work motivation. The 'reform' year of 2005 has seen the emergence of many different efforts relating to social policy, but it has not heralded any substantial changes aimed at a more efficient functioning of the system.

In this article the authors map the theoretical arguments on the gender dimension of the welfare state. They propose three integral dimensions of conceptualising the exercise of parenthood in Czech society in relation to gender equality in the labour market that co-determine the position of parents in the labour market. The authors analyse these dimensions using data from two representative sociological surveys. 1) The right to be a parent (to care for one's child) and the right to work: the measures provided in the Czech welfare state are based on the myth that there are two separate worlds of work and care in conformity with the gender principle, even though there are no significant differences between Czech men and women in terms of the value of work in their lives. 2) Equality or non-discrimination in parenthood: the right to work of mothers of young children is violated in the context of generally increasing gender inequalities in the labour market. 3) The opportunity to achieve a work/life balance: in Czech society flexible forms of employment are uncommon, working hours tend to have a fi xed start and finish, or there is negative flexibility, which renders a work/life balance impossible. The way in which state policy defi nes and employers apply the conditions of parenthood in relation to the labour market and in the context of the gender structure of Czech society makes parenthood a significant handicap for the social inclusion of women who are mothers of young children in the Czech Republic.