Suchergebnisse

With the advent of devolution, it is increasingly difficult to talk about a unitary UK social policy as policy developed by the Parliament in Westminster does not apply automatically or equally to the non-English UK nations. Devolution in 1999 created not only opportunities for increasing policy divergence across the UK, but has provided the potential for more research specifically focussed on Scotland. These opportunities are clearly reflected in the growing body of literature in recent years on devolution in general and its impact on various policy fields. This article considers the effects of devolution on social policy in Scotland since 1999. The aim of this review is to identify the key literature and to present the main debates and findings from relevant research.

The notion of flexicurity has recently become a buzzword in European labour market reform. It promises to deliver a magic formula to overcome the tensions between labour market flexibility on the one hand and social security on the other hand by offering the best of both worlds. This article gives a state-of-the-art review on flexicurity. The development of the concept is set against the background of changed economic circumstances in the last two decades. The components of flexicurity are presented in more detail, followed by a review of real worlds of flexicurity in selected European countries, with Denmark and the Netherlands as the most prominent examples. The third section considers the transferability of flexicurity policies across borders. Finally, we concentrate on collective actors involved in promoting the idea of flexicurity at European, supra-national and national levels. We conclude with a discussion of some tensions within and criticisms of the concept. Adapted from the source document.

Zusammenfassung
Das 'Genter System' einer freiwilligen, gewerkschaftsnahen Arbeitslosenversicherung wird oft als ein wesentlicher Grund für den hohen und stabilen gewerkschaftlichen Organisationsgrad in nordischen Ländern erachtet. Da Gewerkschaften und Arbeitslosenversicherung jedoch formal unabhängig sind, stellt sich die Frage, wie dieser Zusammenhang konkret entsteht. Dieser Artikel beschreibt und analysiert jene Aspekte der schwedischen und dänischen Arbeitslosenversicherung, die die Attraktivität der freiwilligen Mitgliedschaft in einer Arbeitslosenkasse begründen und darüber hinaus die vergleichsweise teure Variante einer doppelten Mitgliedschaft in Gewerkschaft und Kasse nahe legen. Abschließend werden potentiell bestandsgefährdende als auch stabilisierende Faktoren und Entwicklungen in den beiden Untersuchungsländern diskutiert.

The notion of 'flexicurity' promises to overcome the tensions between labour market flexibility on the one hand and social security on the other hand by offering 'the best of both worlds'. In this review the development of the concept will be set against the background of changed economic circumstances in the last two decades. The principal components of flexicurity are presented, followed by a review of 'real worlds of flexicurity' in selected European countries, with Denmark and the Netherlands as the most prominent examples. The subsequent section considers the transferability of flexicurity policies across borders. Finally, we concentrate on collective actors involved in promoting the idea of flexicurity and conclude with a discussion of some tensions within and criticisms of the concept.

Changes to primary care have shifted clinical control away from general practitioners and financial control away from government, argue Allyson Pollock and colleagues