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The Sovereign Debt Crisis, the EU and Welfare State Reform pp 43–67Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

A Framework for Social Investment Strategies: Integrating Generational, Life Course and Gender Perspectives in the EU Social Investment Strategy

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Part of the book series: Work and Welfare in Europe ((RECOWE))

Abstract

Since 2013 the European Union has promoted social investments as a national reform strategy to increase individuals’ capacities and national economic growth. However, to take full advantage of social investments, the strategy needs a more coherent framework that takes into account the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of social issues and social investments. Theoretically, this chapter establishes such a framework consisting of generational, life course and gender perspectives on social investments. The generational perspective demonstrates that social investments involve horizontal redistribution, underpin the productive and reproductive social contract between generations and increase diversity within generations. The life course perspective demonstrates how social issues and social investments in one life stage depend on the situation in prior life stages and affect the situation in later life stages and, possibly, in multiple dimensions. The gender perspective shows how social investments can improve economic and social returns when gender and ageing over the life course are taken into consideration. Empirically, cross-national patterns indicate a positive relation between social investment policies and returns.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark

    Jon Kvist

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  1. Jon Kvist
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business and Politics, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Caroline De La Porte

  2. School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Elke Heins

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Kvist, J. (2016). A Framework for Social Investment Strategies: Integrating Generational, Life Course and Gender Perspectives in the EU Social Investment Strategy. In: De La Porte, C., Heins, E. (eds) The Sovereign Debt Crisis, the EU and Welfare State Reform. Work and Welfare in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58179-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58179-2_3

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-58178-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-58179-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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