Social Policy in Europe: its Impact on Families and Work

Abstract

Whether or not Europeans are able to achieve a healthy work/life balance is due, at least in part, to the effects of social policies in the different nations. In the comparative literature on European social policy, the differences between various welfare regimes is an important and recurring theme. Europe is made up of a diverse collection of nations and there are wide variations in social policy across the European Union. The Esping-Andersen typology of welfare regimes still provides a convenient starting point for analysing the implications of social policy for the everyday lives of people. In this well-known typology, a distinction is made between the liberal, the corporatist and the social-democratic regime.

This chapter would not have been possible without the help and support of Marijke Veldhoen.