“Welfare state” and “Swedish model”: historical-theoretical analysis of concepts

Abstract

Despite the relevance of studying exemplary European experience in the issues of sustainability of the national model of a social state, in the article analysis relevant classifications and types of welfare states, common and distinctive features in concepts “welfare state” and “welfare sector”. Describes the risks and advantages of implementing this concept of state administration in modern conditions, formulates the general meaning of the concept of "welfare state".

According to international rating studies of the level of development of the world, demonstrating the progress or regress of states in their development, the most successful world "welfare states" are Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Sweden is the first state, which develop the "welfare state" and retains its own model of such a policy to this days. Given this fact, the article describes in detail the term "Swedish model" as one of the types of "state of welfare" with a description of its main features, the prerequisites for the formation and features of implementation.

Taking into account that the foundations of the "Swedish model" were laid down as early as the 1930's, the study described the origins and content of the idea of a "People's Home", which was later transformed into a strategic program for constructing the "Swedish model" of the welfare state. The study also provides an explanation of the meaning of the "third way", which is sometimes identified with the “Swedish model”. The analysis of key elements of the Swedish model reveals the factors contributing to the success of the welfare state in Sweden, and the risks that periodically threaten its existence. Ukraine during the reform of the social sector should turn to the historical experience of building a "welfare state" in Sweden and to create its own "People's Home".