Political Science I / From the Minimal State to the Welfare State
Practice question · Sort into groups

Sort each risk by whether it is an OLD social risk the classic welfare state was designed for, or a NEW one it was not.

Groups: Old social risk · New social risk

Hints
  1. The old risks fit a male breadwinner in stable full-time work.
  2. Anything arising from both adults working, or from discontinuous careers, is new.
Show the answer

Old social risk: Industrial injury, Old age after a long continuous career, Unemployment of a male breadwinner

New social risk: Reconciling work and family when both adults are employed, Obsolete skills in mid-career

Why

The old column is exactly what contributory social insurance was built to cover, which is why it covers it well. The new column is what the same design covers badly, and the people it covers badly are disproportionately women, the young and the low-skilled, which is a consequence of the design rather than of anyone's intention.

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