From a ‘welfare state’ to a ‘welfare society’?
HÅKAN JOHANSSON (PROF.), SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, LUND UNIVERSITY,
SWEDEN
Background and outline of presentation
• Coordinates research group on civil society and voluntary
social work
• The aim with this presentation is to explore voluntary
organizations’ (VOs) role in the Swedish welfare state:
current changes and state-of-the-art
– Part 1. Key features of the Swedish/Nordic social model
– Part 2. Changes in government and governance
– Part 3. Employment and service provision
– Part 4. Conclusion
The Swedish welfare model: key
features
• A heuristic device with many names: A Social Democratic Welfare
state regime; ‘a Nordic social model’, ‘a Nordic Social Market
Economy’ or ‘an Institutional-redistributive model’
– Extensive public (state) involvement in transfer and service delivery (social security
and social welfare services)
– Public welfare systems based on principles of universalism and social rights
– Welfare policies colored by ideals of redistribution, egalitarian values, and the
ambition to secure universal access to income maintenance and services within
health, care and education.
– Close link between welfare policies and active labour market policies; wide ranging
institutionalized collaboration between the social partners (at all levels);
– High level of social trust between citizens and between citizens and public authorities
• Voluntary organizations (VO) – a footnote in Esping-Andersen’s classic work from 1990!
The Swedish welfare model: what about
voluntary organizations
• Sweden in international comparisons ….
– Tradition of popular movement organizations, extensive membership
based associations and school of democracy (labour movement,
temperance movement, women’s movement etcetera)
– Provision of voice and leisure activities are central, not welfare service
production
– Funding comes from membership fees and government subsidies, not so
much philantrophy, private donations or government contracts
– Interconnectedness with the political sphere, partners in corporativist
arrangements
– VO, historically a forerunner, the avantgarde and a cornerstone in welfare
production
The Swedish welfare model: welfare state
regime models vs. welfare mix models
Market
State
Civil society
organizations
Family
VO’s and the Swedish welfare model: an
institutionalized role under change?
• Scholars have detected a series of ongoing changes over the
last decades
• Funding regimes – more contract and less public subsidies
• Membership profile – more organizations with less members
• More professional organizations and business like organizations
• More volunteers and donors, and even charity oriented organizations
• More public contracts and less critical advocacy
» …. from ’voice to service’?
• Issue that have become politically salient with change in government, CentreConservative Government from 2006 and onwards
Changes in government and
governance: main elements
1.
Rhetorical and conceptual changes: from popular movement
organizations to ’idea-based organizations’ and ’civil society’
2.
Emphasis on dialogue and consultation with VO’s in a wide array of
policy sectors
– Partnership forum. Wide coverage of CSOs and key politicians.
– Public authorities responsibility to cooperate with CSOs
– Compacts/Agreements in social welfare; integration, culture and human
rights policies
3. New Acts and systems to promote diversification of service providers,
public, private for-profit and voluntary non-profit organizations
Changes in government and governance: new
ambitions and ideological critique?
Government Declaration (October 2006)
• The basis for security [trygghet] and community [gemenskap] are based
upon a strong civil society such as associations, sports movements,
churches, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. The solidarity of the
public welfare system is a complement to a society which is increasingly
characterized by compassion, responsibility and idealism
• Key articles by Ministers in charge (June 2007)
• There has for long been an ideological blindness in Sweden to what the
nonprofit sector is contributing and could help with. The public has not been
willing or able to see and relate to the nonprofit sector as the actor in
society it is - and could be. Instead of a respectful close relationship - but
with a clear division between nonprofits and the public - the nonprofit sector
have sometimes been neglected, sometimes institutionalized in the State's
narrow templates
Changes in government and
governance: national agreements
A national agreement with VOs in
social welfare policies
•
•
•
•
•
•
UK Compact served as a role
model
Government: strengthen voluntary
organizations voice function and to
encourage diversification of
service providers
Mixed positions among VOs
A total of 80 national VOs
participated in deliberation and
discussion
Formal document completed in
october 2008
Now signed by approx 50
organizations
An agreement with six principles
• 1) Autonomy and independence; 2)
Dialogue: 3) Quality; 4) Continuity;
5) Transparency and 6) Diversity
From political salience to oblivion?
• Agreements in several policy areas,
but lost salience nationally
• Few agreements locally, but in
major cities/regions (Stockholm,
Gothenburg and the Region of
Skåne)
Changes in government and governance:
models for diversification of providers?
Aims to encourage citizenconsumership
Status ’freedom of choice systems’
at local level
• Background: different efforts to foster
public procurement/contracting out
Local elderly and disability care services:
• New Act on ’freedom of choice systems’ –
foster diversity of providers and consumer
choice (2008)
• Policy fields: elderly care and disability
care, health- and medical care and active
labour market services. Voluntary for
municipalities, not for PES
• Public control of providers: if following
general standards (no price competition),
all providers treated equally
• VO not the drivers of change
• A majority of Swedish municipalities
implemented and/or are about implement
freedom of chocie systems.
• Only 15 per cent decided NOT to
implement.
• Clear connection between political
majority at local level and decision to
implement
• But limited knowledge on what
implications for VOs
No. of persons employed in welfare
service sectors, all spheres (1)
2002
2003
2010
Non-profit organizations
24434
26035
35510
For-profit companies
38467
44500
94364
Public organizations
505777
604689
614450
267
553
2537
568945
675777
744861
11,1 %
10,4 %
17,2 %
Public companies (AB)
Total
Share non-public
Source: Statistics Sweden, Företagsregistret (Hartmann 2011). Including service sectors elderly care,
disability care, IOF, childcare service and education. Definition based on judicial form in Företagsregister.
No. of persons employed in welfare
service sectors, voluntary sector (2)
Definition
Year
No. employed
Of total work
force (%)
Non-profit sector
1992
101,118
2,4
Social economy
1995
199,187
5,3
Social economy
1997
170,224
4,3
Voluntary sector
2002
145,000
3,3
Voluntary sector (social welfare
services)
2004
35,000
0,8
Social economy
2004
147,235
3,9
Voluntary sector (in general)
2008
91,335
2,0
Source: Westlund 2003; Wijkström & Einarsson 2006; Trydegård 2001; SCB 2006; Westlund 2007; Prop.
2009/10:55; SCB 2010
No. of persons employed in elderly care and
disability care in for-profit and non-profit
organizations (3)
Source: Szehebely 2011. Share of all employed within elderly care and disability care
services. Database: SCB Företagsdatabasen
Note: Lightgrey = for profit and darkgrey= not-for profit.
Conclusions
1. A changing role for VOs in the Swedish welfare state: what about
’from voice to service’
2. If we aim to understand a changing welfare state – do address the
right actors and relations?
3. What kind of model is emerging: a welfare state or a welfare mix
model?
4. Invitation to an international and comparative debate on the role of
VOs in changing welfare states: in the backdrop of the crisis
Contact details
• Håkan Johansson (Dr. Professor); School of Social Work;
Lund University; Box 23; SE-221 00 LUND, Sweden.
• E-mail: Hakan.Johansson@soch.lu.se
• Telephone: +46 (0)46 2220988.