Self-Responsibility Readdressed: Shifts in Financial Responsibility for Social Security Between the Public Realm, the Individual, and the Family in Europe

Abstract

Self-responsibility is a prominent keyword in social policy and in welfare state reforms. The concept of self-responsibility, though, has never been clearly dissected for welfare state analysis. In particular, the debate on the turn toward self-responsibility in welfare states has not been adequately conceptualized, nor has the institutionalization of the family in welfare states been correspondingly analyzed, though all welfare states, to different degrees, apply family-related conditions to social rights. In other words, welfare states have treated individuals with family differently from individuals without family, and this has an impact on the interpretation of the turn toward self-responsibility. In this contribution, we systematically and comparatively analyze welfare state change in the family-related conditions applied to social rights, in order to identify shifts in financial responsibility for social rights from the public realm to either the individual or the family. We analyze changes occurring between 1993 and 2013 for two social security levels and two target groups in six European countries. Our findings show that trends toward reducing public financial responsibility, as in shifting financial responsibility for social security from the public realm back to citizens, have not prevailed. On the contrary, public financial responsibility for social rights has in part increased and in part been reshifted onto the family, so that self-responsibility is subsumed here under the concept of subsidiarity, and therewith refers to a nonindividualized “self”. Citizens, in other words, are not increasingly conceived by welfare state regulations as isolated and self-reliant individuals, but as subjects embedded in both the public and family spheres.

Family in societal redistribution: a theoretical inquiry

“…Here, family is only implicitly part of the analysis of welfare state differences, as a unit that is more or less relevant in, for example, tax regulations, means-tests or derived rights. A systematic analysis of family in welfare state redistribution, though, has hardly been tried (for first attempts – from different angles – see Frericks, 2022; Frericks and Gurín, 2023, Frericks and Höppner, 2019; Frericks et al. , 2023).…”

Kebajikan Kewarganegaraan Partisipasi Hak Penyandang Disabilitas dalam Perumusan Kebijakan di Tingkat Pemerintahan Administratif Desa di Indonesia

“…Kebajikan kewarganegaraan dan partisipasi hak penyandang disabilitas dalam perumusan kebijakan di tingkat pemerintahan administratif desa di Indonesia menjadi bagian dalam mewujudkan kehidupan demokratis dengan memberikan solusi terhadap permasalahan partisipasi hak penyandang disabilitas dalam perumusan kebijakan. Seperti yang dikatakan oleh Frericks & Höppner (2018) bahwa tanggung jawab diri adalah kata kunci dalam kebijakan sosial, Dalam hal ini partisipasi hak penyandang disabilitas khususnya dalam perumusan kebijakan desa harus diorientasikan dalam menumbuhkan modal sosial bangsa Indonesia yang mampu berdaya saing serta integritas pada negara.…”

Linking Human Development and the Financial Responsibility of Regions: Combined Index Proposals Using Methods From Data Envelopment Analysis

“…Indeed, efficient use of limited resources that aims at achieving human development could be considered as both a financial and social responsibility (Sen 2009) of countries and regions. In this study, we understand financial responsibility as the ability and political willingness of public authorities to manage limited financial resources in a socially efficient manner, aiming at improving people's capabilities (Frericks and Höppner 2019). It is essential to consider financial responsibility; firstly, because in particular, developing regions tend to have limited financial resources; and secondly, the willingness of financial transfers from other regions depends on the perception of efficient and effective use of their financial funds.…”