Book Review: Social Policy in Changing European Societies. Research agendas for the 21st Century by K. Nelson, et al.
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/13882627231159987 |
| Author | Artan Mustafa |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
chapter also includes rich discussion on other topics such as social determinants of health and
vaccinations.
As suggestions for future editions of the book, other emerging topics which could also be
included are climate change and its impact on health from the human rights perspective, or the inter-
actions between long-term care and the right to health. For example, socio-health coordination is
essential for people with limited autonomy, such as those living in care homes, which was an
issue during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in potential human rights violations in many
European states. Nevertheless, the book already covers a wide range of areas which have been
chosen wisely by the authors, given the relevance and topicality of all of the issues. Health and
Human Rights: Global and European Perspectives undoubtedly provides inspiration and a
highly useful guide for any reader with an academic or professional interest on such an essential
topic.
ORCID iD
María Dalli Almiñana https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1293-0769
Nelson, K., et al. (2022), Social Policy in Changing European Societies. Research agendas for the 21st Century,
Cheltenham (UK)/ Northampton, MA (USA): Edward Elgar Publishing, 2022, 328 pp., ISBN: 978 1 80220
170 3 (cased), 978 1 80220 171 0 (eBook).
Reviewed by: Artan Mustafa ,University for Business and Technology (UBT), Kosovo
DOI: 10.1177/13882627231159987
This edited book is a reflection on, and review of, the research in social policy. It focuses on com-
parative research in Europe over the last two decades. The general introduction by the editors is
followed by three parts: Part one consists of seven chapters devoted to key social policy themes
or sectors; part two consists of six chapters on cross-cutting themes; and part three, through five
chapters, elaborates on future research challenges in the field. The chapters are comprehensive
and written by well-known sector experts.
The book applies D. Béland’sdefinition of social policy as “an institutionalized response to
social and economic problems”. It points out that today (Chapter 1, p. 3) on average in
European countries, social expenditure (in cash and in-kind programmes) amounts to more than
21% of GDP, making it one of the largest shares of national expenditure. The welfare effort has
nevertheless been two-dimensional since the 1980s –with stagnation and decline in traditional seg-
ments such as unemployment benefits but expansion in newer areas such as family policy or
broader social investment (Chapter 1, p. 5). Its politics have also been two-dimensional in terms
of gains and losses for the actors involved, with social investment providing more opportunities
for “affordable credit claiming”compared to austerity-prone traditional areas (Chapter 8, p. 128).
What has more significantly stagnated, and this is a major recurring theme in the book, is overall
theorising in social policy. As an illustration, Chapter 3 (p. 39) on family policy candidly says that
research in the sector has not been “embedded in a thick theoretical framework”and “concepts
98 European Journal of Social Security 25(1)
To continue reading
Request your trial