Welfare State In Finland Research Articles

The Nordic Welfare State and the Development of Northern Finland

This article provides an overview of the legal regulation involved in building – and dismantling – the Nordic welfare state in Finland. Within this context this article details how legislative reforms have been reflected in the development of Northern Finland, as well as the effects on the Sami population and a comparison between Nordic countries. The Nordic welfare state was implemented in Finland primarily through parliamentary legislation. Human and fundamental rights played no role in the process of building the welfare state. The beginning of the 1990s marked the end of what had been massive build-up of the public sector. Over the last 20 years or so we have seen cutbacks in municipal services such as schools, healthcare centres, and social services. The future of municipal government in Finland looks very different than it did when the welfare state was being created. We may well be facing a bleak future with weaker municipalities, fewer public services, less state funding for municipalities, less manoeuvring space in relation to the state, and more privatisations. Wise structural reforms might be the way ahead if we want to create functional regional and local governance and thus to guarantee the future of the Nordic welfare state in Finland.

Oscillating meanings of the Nordic model: ideas and the welfare state in Finland and Sweden

ABSTRACTThe future of the Nordic model of welfare has been widely debated in the academic literature. Some argue that the Nordic model is not sustainable under the conditions of globalization, while others argue that the way in which the Nordic model has produced long-term stability under uncertain structural conditions is evidence of the opposite. This article advances a different perspective through analyzing discourses and frameworks of meaning associated with the Nordic model, using Sweden and Finland as cases. Based on semi-structured elite interviews, I argue that while there is a consensus on the benefits of maintaining a Nordic model, the very ideas concerning the value foundations and institutional architecture of the model differ greatly between elites. There exists a variety of legitimate ideas associated with the Nordic model and, consequently, these approaches, all of which claim ownership of the term, represent legitimate facets of it, even when they initially would seem to contradict each other.

The Long History of Lutheranism in Scandinavia. From State Religion to the People’s Church

Abstract As the main religion of Finland, but also of entire Scandinavia, Lutheranism has a centuries-long history. Until 1809 Finland formed the eastern part of the Swedish Kingdom, from 1809 to 1917 it was a Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire, and in 1917 Finland gained independence. In the 1520s the Lutheran Reformation reached the Swedish realm and gradually Lutheranism was made the state religion in Sweden. In the 19th century the Emperor in Russia recognized the official Lutheran confession and the status of the Lutheran Church as a state church in Finland. In the 20th century Lutheran church leaders preferred to use the concept people’s church. The Lutheran Church is still the majority church. In the beginning of 2015, some 74 percent of all Finns were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. In this issue of Perichoresis, Finnish historians interested in the role of church and Christian faith in society look at the religious history of Finland and Scandinavia. The articles are mainly organized in chronological order, starting from the early modern period and covering several centuries until the late 20th century and the building of the welfare state in Finland. This introductory article gives a brief overview of state-church relations in Finland and presents the overall theme of this issue focusing on Finnish Lutheranism. Our studies suggest that 16th and early 17th century Finland may not have been quite so devoutly Lutheran as is commonly claimed, and that late 20th century Finland may have been more Lutheran than is commonly realized.

Focusing on the Family: The Lutheran Church and the Making of the Nordic Welfare State in Finland, 1940s to 1960s

Focusing on the Family: The Lutheran Church and the Making of the Nordic Welfare State in Finland, 1940s to 1960s

Evaluating the New Governance of the Welfare State in Finland

This article discusses the new governance of the welfare state in Finland. The basic research question is whether there is a change from old to new governance and as well as defining the underlying “reasons” calling for reform in governance. The five dimensions to be evaluated are modernization of macro level governance structures; reforms of governance, welfare tasks between central government and municipalities, restructuring municipal organizations, and development of citizen participation. The main findings show that the new governance is less hierarchical, more flexible and more networked than the “old” model. It consists of new forms of democratic governance and active citizenship, including commonly shared values and good governance. Service provision is redefined in terms of the interplay between state, municipalities and private and third sector actors.

Economic Crises and Support for the Welfare State in Finland 1975-1993

In this article the relationship between the economic situation and public support for the welfare state is investigated. Two hypotheses are presented: (1) serious economic crises reduce the support for welfare, and (2) once the crisis is over, support will gradually return to its pre-crisis level. These hypotheses are studied using Finnish public opinion data from 1975 to 1993, and considerable support for them is found. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that, even during a deep recession, public opinion gives higher priority to the welfare functions of the state over other functions.

Social Movements, Voluntary Associations and the Development of the Welfare State in Finland

Social Movements, Voluntary Associations and the Development of the Welfare State in Finland