Welfare and citizenship. The Case for a Democratic Approach to the Welfare State
Welfare and citizenship. The Case for a Democratic Approach to the Welfare State

Summary/Abstract: Ever since Marshall (1965), the relationship between welfare and citizenship has been a key topic in political and academic discourses, and this interrelationship is still far from being unambiguous. This paper reviews mainstream approaches to the welfare–citizenship nexus and argues that shifting our focus to an alternative perspective – viewing welfare as an agent of citizenship socialisation – provides a more comprehensive understanding of both democratic citizenship as a concept and its interrelationship with the welfare state. This view broadens our understanding of the functions of welfare, being a key agent of democracy among others; therefore it has crucial policy implications.

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