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Introduction

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Local Welfare Policy Making in European Cities

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 59))

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Abstract

This chapter introduces the general theoretical and methodological comparative framework of the book, its structure and the 11 European cities studied. It highlights the importance of studying welfare policy making and service provisions, not only at the national level, but also at the local level. It discusses the roles of and relations between different territorial levels and policy actors in welfare policy making. It also makes connections between local welfare systems, especially those related to childcare and care for older people, and the labour market integration and informal care responsibilities of women.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The concept “defamilialization” was initially introduced by Ruth Lister in 1994 as a counter concept to Esping-Andersen’s (1990) decommodification, (see Kröger 2011a).

  2. 2.

    This book is based mainly on the findings of the first four work packages of the FLOWS research project: Degree and structures of women’s labour market integration (WP1) led by Birgit Pfau-Effinger, University of Hamburg; Local production system (WP 2) led by Lluís Flaquer, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona and Costanzo Ranci, Polytechnic of Milan; The local welfare system (WP3) led by Teppo Kröger, University of Jyväskylä; and Local policy formation/local political actors (WP 4) led by Dagmar Kutsar, University of Tartu.

  3. 3.

    These reports are available at the project website http://www.flows-eu.eu/home/

  4. 4.

    The NUTS classification (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) is a hierarchical system for dividing up the economic territory of the EU for the purpose of the collection, development and harmonisation of EU regional statistics, socio-economic analyses of the regions, and for the framing of EU regional policies. NUTS levels are classified as: major socio-economic regions (NUTS1), basic regions for the application of regional policies (NUTS2), and small regions for specific diagnoses (NUTS3). See: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/nuts_nomenclature/introduction

  5. 5.

    In the FLOWS project an extensive survey and focus group interviews among women in the 11 cities were also undertaken but these data and findings are not used in this book as it concentrates on policy formation processes and service provisions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, 35, FI-40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland

    Marjo Kuronen

  2. Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36, 51003, Tartu, Estonia

    Dagmar Kutsar

Authors
  1. Marjo Kuronen
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  2. Dagmar Kutsar
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Correspondence to Marjo Kuronen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

    Dagmar Kutsar

  2. Dept. of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland

    Marjo Kuronen

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Kuronen, M., Kutsar, D. (2015). Introduction. In: Kutsar, D., Kuronen, M. (eds) Local Welfare Policy Making in European Cities. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 59. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16163-1_1

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