Dimitri Gugushvili and Wim van Oorschot
Whether welfare provision should be broad-based or selectively targeted at the poor is one of the most common themes in social policy discourse. However, empirical evidence…
Abstract
Purpose
Whether welfare provision should be broad-based or selectively targeted at the poor is one of the most common themes in social policy discourse. However, empirical evidence concerning people's preferences about these distributive justice principles is very limited. The current paper aims to bridge this gap, by analyzing Europeans' opinions about a hypothetical transformation of the welfare state that would provide social transfers and services only to people on low incomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis draws on data from the 2016 European Social Survey and covers 21 countries. In order to understand what would motivate people to support the complete means testing of welfare provision, we use multilevel models with individual-level and contextual predictors.
Findings
The results show that the upper and middle classes are the most opposed to the idea, presumably as they would be the net losers from such a reform. Furthermore, our results indicate that more-egalitarian people show a higher level of support for means testing, even though the political left has traditionally promoted universalism. Some key characteristics of the welfare state also matter: People are more likely to endorse complete means testing in countries with less-generous provision and a higher incidence of poverty. However, the extent to which the existing welfare state relies on means testing has no influence on people's opinions about implementing a fully means-tested welfare model.
Practical implications
Some of the key findings are likely to be of interest to activists advocating on behalf of the poor and the socially vulnerable. Although it is generally assumed that universal provision is the best strategy to address the needs of disadvantaged people, our results suggest that from an electoral point of view, targeting within universalism may be a more appealing welfare strategy.
Originality/value
This paper details one of the very few studies to examine preferences for means-tested welfare provision in a comparative context. In addition, one of the contextual variables used in the analysis – the proportion of means-tested social benefits out of the total expenditure on social benefits – is unique to this study.
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Wim van Oorschot and Ellen Finsveen
The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether social capital inequalities are smaller in more extensive welfare states.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether social capital inequalities are smaller in more extensive welfare states.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyses data from European/World Values Surveys.
Findings
No effect of welfare stateness on social capital inequality is found.
Research limitations/implications
An extension of the analysis with a broader range of welfare states might show effect.
Originality/value
This is the first time in literature that the relationship between welfare stateness and social capital inequality is empirically studied.
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Deservingness theory is gaining popularity in the study of European welfare attitudes but has found little application in the United States. In this article, the author explores…
Abstract
Purpose
Deservingness theory is gaining popularity in the study of European welfare attitudes but has found little application in the United States. In this article, the author explores what happens if deservingness theory is applied in the study of American perceptions of deservingness and ask which criteria Americans use when deciding the deservingness of needy individuals.
Design/methodology/approach
To capture the variation in American perceptions of deservingness, the author compared qualitative data from two cases. The first case is the liberal northeastern city of Boston, Massachusetts, where 19 interviews were collected, and the second case is the conservative southern city of Knoxville, Tennessee, where 26 interviews were collected. To ensure that any differences in the use of deservingness criteria are due to differences in moral culture, the author chose to interview a similar segment in both cases – the white middle class.
Findings
The author found that interviewees in both cases defined deserving individuals as those whose neediness is due to factors beyond their control and undeserving individuals as those whose neediness is caused by their own poor work ethic. Furthermore, the author found three so-called context-related criteria that do not fit into the existing deservingness framework: a criterion following a cost-benefit logic, the principle of universalism and a principle based on family obligations.
Originality/value
These findings confirm trends in recent deservingness studies indicating that the sensitivity of deservingness theory to the importance of moral culture in the use of both deservingness criteria and context-related criteria must continue to develop.
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Tijs Laenen and Dimitri Gugushvili
In the social policy literature, it is often assumed that universal policies are more popular than selective ones among the public, because they supposedly generate broader…
Abstract
Purpose
In the social policy literature, it is often assumed that universal policies are more popular than selective ones among the public, because they supposedly generate broader self-interested coalitions and are considered morally superior. The present article revisits and challenges this assumption.
Design/methodology/approach
The article critically reviews the existing empirical literature on public support for universal and means-tested welfare schemes.
Findings
The main conclusion is that the popularity of universal vis-à-vis selective welfare remains very much an open question. First, the studies that are typically cited to support the claim that universalism is indeed more popular are inconclusive because they conflate the institutional design of welfare programs with their respective target groups. Second, there is considerable variation in public support for universal and selective welfare across countries, time and policy domains.
Research limitations/implications
The findings suggest that future research should focus on scrutinizing under which circumstances – when, where and why – universal social policies are more popular than selective ones.
Originality/value
The article makes an original case for considering perceived welfare deservingness of social policies' target groups alongside the policy design when studying popular support for differently targeted welfare schemes.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore public attitudes towards poor people in the South Caucasian countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore public attitudes towards poor people in the South Caucasian countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an analysis of data from the tenth round of the Caucasus Barometer survey, one of the most reliable sources of public opinion data in the region.
Findings
The majority of the population in Azerbaijan and Georgia would consent to paying higher taxes or reducing public services if their governments used the extra resources to provide cash assistance to more poor people, but in Armenia the level of solidarity is considerably lower. However, the majority in each of the countries supports assistance being conditional on beneficiaries actively searching for work. In contrast to conventional wisdom, some better-off groups are more in favour of supporting the poor than those who face a higher risk of poverty. The author hypothesises that this may be driven by self-interest, as in relative terms the welfare sacrifices required for financing the extension of schemes might be higher for the vulnerable than for the better-off.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to provide a comparative analysis of public attitudes towards vulnerable groups in the South Caucasus. It also contributes to the scarce literature on perceived welfare deservingness of social assistance recipients and public preferences for imposing conditionality on them. In addition, it presents a strong case for using more comprehensive questions to construct measurements of people’s welfare attitudes than those commonly used.
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Esra Sipahi Döngül and Hatice Öztürk
Social welfare, while it expresses the general well-being, happiness and quality of life of individuals and society, can also affect the social, economic and psychological…
Abstract
Purpose
Social welfare, while it expresses the general well-being, happiness and quality of life of individuals and society, can also affect the social, economic and psychological situations of individuals and society. It is aimed at examining in detail the research trends and developments regarding the concept of social welfare within the scope of international research in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the bibliometric analysis of the studies published between 1991 and 2023 on the concept of social welfare in the Web of Science (WOS) was analyzed with the VOSviewer (Version 1.6.9) package program.
Findings
This study indicates that 3,276 works on the topic of “Social Welfare” were produced. Examining the year-based distribution, 2021 has the most publications (381 works), making it the year with the highest number. Journal articles have the most publishing types, with 2,974 works. There are 3,276 published works, all in English. Upon analysis of the most frequently used keywords that were connected to one another in the study and were used at least twice, it was found that “child welfare” was the most used term with 214 repeats, followed by “social work” with 183 repetitions and “welfare state” with 154 repetitions. In terms of publications on social welfare, social work (1,233 works) and management (679 works) are the research disciplines with the most. In terms of the works, they produce in the field of social welfare, it has been shown that the USA (502 works) and the UK (650 works) are pioneers.
Research limitations/implications
Considering the limited interdisciplinary studies on social welfare and the gap in this field, it has become necessary for researchers, practitioners and policymakers to focus on this issue. This study is limited to the bibliometric analysis of English language studies published in the WOS database between 1991 and 2023 on the concept of social welfare on March 20, 2024, it is recommended to investigate similar studies in different databases in certain periods in order to explore research trends from the perspective of different disciplines.
Practical implications
This study with bibliometric analysis provides forward-looking insights into social welfare on the basis of research, practice and policy. The dominance of social welfare research by major publishing houses and leading academic institutions demonstrates the influence of this field in the literature. However, it should be noted that the promotion of different types of publications, such as books and book chapters, can contribute to the enrichment of the literature in this field. In particular, book studies with in-depth analyses and critical approaches can help expand the body of knowledge in the field of social welfare.
Social implications
By encouraging international conference papers, social welfare policies implemented in different countries can be discussed in the context of academics, experts and policymakers. At this point, it can be suggested that research in the field of social welfare should be expanded to cover different geographical regions and cultural contexts. Increasing social welfare work in regions such as Asia and Africa can contribute to a better understanding of societal issues in these regions.
Originality/value
Considering the limited number of interdisciplinary studies on social welfare and the gap in this field, it can be stated that this study is original in terms of revealing research trends on social welfare.
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Rebecca Mary Fish, Suzanne Jane Gawne and Laura Machin
Finding a balance between the provision of quality individualized care and the ongoing education of junior doctors had been flagged as a concern at a large National Health Service…
Abstract
Purpose
Finding a balance between the provision of quality individualized care and the ongoing education of junior doctors had been flagged as a concern at a large National Health Service (NHS) teaching hospital in the north of England. In response to this, the organization introduced an intervention designed to improve educational culture by providing support to educators, leaders and clinical staff.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper features themed results from eight in-depth interviews with educators, consultants and junior doctors to describe and evaluate the process and impact.
Findings
Factors that contributed to a positive educational environment included trainees and educators feeling valued, the presence of supportive leaders and the provision of a safe space for learning. Perceived barriers included time constraints, differing motivation and the generic format of formal education. Participants reflected on how the Wrap Around project helped improve the workplace educational culture and offered suggestions for further improvement including the provision of ongoing feedback to learners about their performance.
Originality/value
Research aimed at recognizing and resolving the perceived tensions between the priorities of education and health-care delivery has been flagged as a gap in the literature. The authors argue that developing and enhancing collaborative leadership and educational culture within an organization can reduce these tensions for those working on the front line. Future work should focus on addressing the perceived distinction between the two within services.