Book Review: Handbook of Migration and Welfare by Crepaz, Markus M.L. (ed.)
| Author | Szandra Kramarics |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/13882627221137643 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
while a broader perspective is required. The book presents four main concepts: care, neoliberalism,
care crisis and gender equality, which the authors define and present extremely clearly. For
example, they explain the difference between the concepts of neoliberalism and New Public
Management (NPM), which is rarely clarified in the literature. While neoliberalism takes a holistic
view of the state and its effects on the economy and civil society, NPM focuses on various reforms
and on how, for example, efficiency can be increased. In the neoliberal care model, the caring ser-
vices are outsourced to the market and organised in accordance with market values. Both manage-
ment and ‘technological fixes’are described as solutions to different problems in care.
An important conclusion in the book is that the care crisis in the Nordic countries exists and has
been implemented through neoliberal reforms. Another conclusion is that care professionals experi-
ence disrespect and suffer from lack of recognition in society. The authors suggest further research
in the area so that the care crisis can be resolved. They suggest that more comparative research is
needed, to pinpoint both similarities and differences between the Nordic countries but also between
other welfare states. They also suggest more research concerning welfare state sustainability and the
relationship with both care and social reproduction.
The researchers in the book take different intersectional perspectives involving gender, ethnicity
and social class. However, the intersectional perspectives have not been applied systematically in
all sections. Moreover, the book lacks the perspective of people with various disabilities in the
Nordic care crisis. Persons with disabilities find it more difficult than others to get a job on the
regular labour market, while young people with disabilities often retire early. This raises several
urgent questions for further social policy research. The book could also have contained a special
chapter with discussion questions. It would have been good to collect together all the questions
arising in the separate chapters into one section.
The book combines empirical research, theoretical perspectives, reflections and experiences. It
can be read not only by researchers but also by students on various courses. But in order to be able
to look ahead, it is important to have historical knowledge and awareness of, for example, the devel-
opment of feminism, neoliberalism and welfare policy. This book has created a good basis for con-
tinued conversations and further research in the field. It is highly recommended for those readers
who wish to discover more about the care crisis and care work in different welfare regimes.
ORCID iD
Jörgen Lundälv https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0552-886X
Crepaz, Markus M.L. (ed.), Handbook of Migration and Welfare, Cheltenham (UK)/ Northampton, MA (USA):
Edward Elgar Publishing, 2022, 528 pp, ISBN: 978 1 83910 456 5 (cased), 978 1 83910 457 2 (eBook)
Reviewed by: Szandra Kramarics ,Eötvös Loránd University
DOI: 10.1177/13882627221137643
The Handbook on Migration and Welfare is the most recently published of the Elgar Handbooks in
Migration series. The subject is highly topical, as welfare states face many challenges as a result of
388 European Journal of Social Security 24(4)
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