This book presents a new step farther into the twenty-first century, for the first time truly combining a comprehensive global data analysis with social policy theory development. The theory of global ideal-typical welfare regimes, also known as the “Ten Worlds of Welfare Regime Theory”, as set forth earlier by Christian Aspalter, is now in this book tested empirically using a quantitative global data analysis for the first time. The strong and rich results fully vindicated the Ten Worlds Theory. All in all, about 150 countries are included in this test, measuring numerous variables on two main dimensions, i.e., povertization and inequality. The innovative approach of using a new indicator, Aspalter’s Standardized Relative Performance Index, is applied, which facilitated the exact measurements of distances between relative performances of each variable, each dimension, each country, and each ideal-typical welfare regime (in relation to one another, respectively). In addition, one explanative and one normative meta-study is added to the book, to point to ways to understand and deal with the global culprit of inequality and, hence, poverty.
“On the backdrop of decades of comparative theoretical and empirical research we now, for the first time, have a truly global analysis of welfare regimes.” ---- Peter Abrahamson, Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen
Author(s): Christian Aspalter
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 209
City: Singapore
Contents
Part I Introductory Part: Background and Rationale
1 Introduction: On the Particular Nature of Ideal Types Applied and Moving Science Forward a Bit at a Time
On the Ideal–Typical Representation of Reality
On the Existence of Perfect More-or-Less-Fits
On the Nature of Ideal Types in the Ten Worlds Theory
About Moving Forward
The Way Ahead
On the Ways to Move Along
Good Wine Takes Time
New Conceptual Tools
About This Book
Part II Theory Building: From Empirical Reality for Social Policy Practice
2 On the Methodology Applied
Applying the Method of Theory Building
Applying the Abduction Method
The Methodology of Using Multi-Methods
Using the Multi-Methods and Mixing-Methods Approaches
Developing and Applying the Standardized Relative Performance Index
Learning from Physics and Chemistry: Introducing and Applying the Method of Spectral Data Analysis
The Problem of Bi-Modal Distributions in Global Social Policy Comparison
Focusing on and Developing (Non-Statistical) Meta-Analyses
Pushing Out the Limits of Discipline-Specific Methodology: One Little Step at a Time
3 Ten Ideal–Typical Worlds and Their Individual Sets of Key Characteristics
On the Distinction Between Descriptive and Explanatory Theories
Ten Worlds of Welfare Capitalism and Their Regime Characteristics
Social Democratic Welfare Regime
Christian Democratic Welfare Regime
Neoliberal Welfare Regime
Pro-Welfare Conservative Welfare Regime
Anti-Welfare Conservative Welfare Regime
Slightly Universal Welfare Regime
Selective Rudimentary Welfare Regime
Exclusion-Based Welfare Regime
Ultra Rudimentary Welfare Regime
Socialist/Communist Welfare Regime
The Overall Picture
4 Welfare Regimes and Their Povertization and Inequality Outcomes
The Dimensions of Povertization and Inequality
Looking at the Empirical Data: The Spectral Data Analysis
5 Distinct Shades and Patterns of Dehumanization: Mapping Global Welfare Regimes
Empirical Data Versus Hijacked Realities of Thought
The Reality and Concept of Dehumanization: Letting the Data Speak
Conclusion
Part III Normative/Concluding Part
6 Back to the Future: Income Polarization, Mass Povertization and Simple Ways out of It
Turning the Clock from the Past to the Future
Universal Basic Income: New Specter or New Opportunity to Eradicate Poverty Once and for All?
Getting out of the Social Policy Comfort Zone: Start Taxing the Super-Rich
7 Decency for All: Universal Basic Income, Smart Universalism, Provident Funds and Primarily Taxing the Super-Rich
Integrating Recent and Current Major Criticisms of Social Policy as We Know It
Universal Basic Income: More Than Just the Solution to Poverty, as It is also a Remedy to Intra and Inter Cis-/Trans-Gender Inequality
Acknowledging Micro-Economic and Behavioral Effects: Replacing Blind Universalism with Smart Universalism
Converting Social Insurance Systems Into Provident Fund Systems (Everywhere and All of Them, Except All Accident Insurance Systems)
Assets for the Poor and Near-Poor: A New Social Right
Taxing the Super-Super-Rich
Stop Taxing the Poor and the Near-Poor
The Win-Win-Win Solution of Provident Fund Systems
Decency for All
Epilogue
A Note to Go
References
