Beyond public and private? The changing welfare mix

Abstract

The principles behind the model of the welfare state, so popular in the decades in Western Europe after World War Two, have endured serious pressure in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Politicians armed with the ideas of neoliberalism have fought to redefine the balance of the private and state spheres in the provision of social welfare. This has seen the emergence of a mixed economy of social welfare; allowing aspects of the private market to operate in traditionally state sphere of welfare provision. This article analyses the issues connected to this and the new terminology used to describe these new models of social welfare, all of which has of been of serious interests to politicians, academics and those who work in social welfare provision. The results of this analysis are presented in three sections. Firstly, there is an examination of the concept of ‘state’ and ‘private ‘ within the context of the major changes in the last two decades. The second part reveals the workings of a range of new ‘hybrid’ institutions, interactions and practices that make up the essence of the new system of the mixed model of state welfare provision. The third section suggests new ways to provide a more effective analysis of this very difficult and complex problem. The story of Anna, a hypothetical composite case from the author’s own research, gives the reader an insight into people will fit into these new welfare systems, whether it be the effect of private investors on the performance of schools or the third sector’s involvement in Housing Associations. Instead of one unified welfare system for all citizens, we can expect the welfare system to mutate into vary diverse elements and maintain very different stances to citizens. Researchers must avoid oversimplification of these processes and retain much vigilance to trace the growth of the market in the welfare state.