Some have argued that the concept of the modern welfare state has been in crisis since at least the oil-price shocks of the 1970s. Today, one rarely engages in a discussion of welfare states without encountering such terms as ‘recalibrate,’ ‘recast,’ ‘dismantle,’ or ‘restructure.’ Yet until the recent global financial crisis, the welfare states of many countries were relatively stable—or even expanding. The Times They Are Changing? presents a series of readings that critically examine whether the recent financial crisis will have short-lived implications for welfare states or will usher in a new era of substantial reform and retrenchment of social policies in welfare states around the world. Contributors include policy researchers and academics from several countries in Western Europe, as well as the South Pacific and USA. Various national and regional case studies reveal the profound impact the financial crisis is having on policies implemented by welfare states as well as on our perceptions of the welfare state as a concept. The Times They Are Changing? offers revelatory insights into the current global financial crisis and its long-term implications for the role of the state in the social well-being of its citizens.
