Fafo, NOVA and Sosialforsk seminar

A critical assessment of Francis G. Castles' book: The future of the welfare state: Crisis myths and crisis realities

This joint summer seminar by NOVA, Fafo and Sosialforsk was held at NOVA, Munthes gate 31, Friday 3 June 2005.

Francis (Frank) Castles is one of the world's leading policy researchers and has written extensively on social policy and welfare state issues. Among his previous books are Worlds of Welfare and Families of Nations (with Deborah Mitchell) (1993), Comparative Public Policy: Patterns of Post-war Transformation (1998) and The Welfare State reader (with Christopher Pierson) (2000). Frank Castles is presently Professor of Social and Public policy in the School of Social and Political Studies at Edinburgh University.

Program

Frank Castles: Crisis myths and crisis realities

Axel West Pedersen (NOVA): Presentation and comments to chapters 2: A race to the bottom? and 5: Explaining expenditure outcomes.

Thomas Lorentzen (Fafo): Presentation and comments to chapters 3: The structure of social provision, and 4: A European welfare state convergence?

Bennedichte Olsen and Sille Ohrem Naper (Sosialforsk): Presentation and comments to chapters 6: Population ageing and the public purse, and 7: Birth - rate blues: A real crisis in the making?

Frank Castles: Response to the commentators, general discussion

>> Oxford scholarship online gives a short presentation of the book here