Political Science
Ali Sabbaghian; Sepideh Fallahi
Abstract
BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic has led to a global crisis and countries have adopted a set of policies to deal with this crisis. The government's policy responses have created deep effects in various fields. World-wide welfare states were also affected by this crisis due to their responsibilities towards ...
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BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic has led to a global crisis and countries have adopted a set of policies to deal with this crisis. The government's policy responses have created deep effects in various fields. World-wide welfare states were also affected by this crisis due to their responsibilities towards citizens. Nordic welfare states were also affected by this crisis as the most extensive and generous type of welfare state. Sweden, as one of the prominent examples of the Nordic welfare state, was also affected by this crisis. Study QuestionThe Swedish model of the welfare state, as one of the subsets of the Nordic welfare state, has features such as equality, a commitment to full employment, and the provision of universal welfare benefits. Considering these characteristics, the question is raised, what effect has the COVID-19 pandemic crisis had on the prominent functions of the welfare state in Sweden as one of the Nordic welfare state models?Study GoalTo critically examine and analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the core functions of the Swedish welfare state, with particular attention to employment, labor market policies, welfare costs, and equality, to assess its effectiveness and provide insights for future research on welfare states. The aim is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the Swedish model, particularly focusing on inequality among immigrants, and contribute to understanding how welfare states respond to global crises. Rationale of the studyThis issue can be investigated because the Swedish welfare state from its establishment until today, despite the crises it went through in the 1970s and early 1990s and the adjustments made in this type of welfare state, is often recognized as an ideal example of the welfare state. This research seeks to investigate how crises such as the pandemic or a global disease have affected the functions of this type of welfare state, which has a relatively long history of providing full employment, social care, and equality. in this way, the performance of the Swedish welfare state can be measured as one of the outstanding examples of the welfare state in its core functions during the crisis, and this can open the way for future research regarding the future of the welfare state in general, the strengths and weaknesses of welfare states and especially the Swedish welfare state.Materials and Methods To answer the research question, according to the central features of the Swedish welfare state and the Nordic model of the welfare state, the research hypothesis states that the COVID-19 pandemic and the crises caused by this pandemic have led to an increase in measures to support the labor market, an increase in welfare costs, and an increase in inequality in the Swedish welfare state. The case study method is used to explain the hypothesis, and the theoretical framework used is the theory of Esping-Andersen about the typology of welfare states. Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s theory on welfare states, outlined in his influential book The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, classifies modern welfare states into three categories: liberal, conservative/corporatist, and social democratic. Social democratic regimes promote universal welfare services aimed at achieving high standards of equality, often through extensive social services and policies that support full employment. Sweden is categorized under the social democratic welfare state regime according to Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s typology. This type of welfare state is characterized by universalistic systems that promote equality of high standards, rather than minimal needs. It aims to decommodify welfare services and socializes the costs of caring for children, the elderly, and the helpless.Findings and ConclusionThe research findings show that the Nordic governments generally did not make fundamental changes in welfare state spending and services in response to the pandemic due to their generous welfare state tradition. They mainly started to strengthen pre-existing policies. However, although the actions of the Swedish welfare state in response to the pandemic, in the two areas of employment and labor market policies and welfare costs and services, are generally consistent with the basic functions of the Swedish model of the welfare state, in the area of commitment to equality, this pandemic has increased inequality. In the labor market, unemployment has increased mainly among low-skilled and immigrant groups, and death rates have been revealed to be higher among immigrant groups. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, by increasing the support measures of the welfare state in the field of the labor market and increasing the costs and welfare services, strengthened the characteristics of the commitment to full employment and the provision of universal benefits of the Swedish social democratic welfare state. Still, in the field of equality, inequality in Sweden especially has spread among certain groups such as immigrants. This topic can be the basis of future research regarding the immigrant crisis in Sweden and its impact on the welfare state in this country.
