1928-1932 : ethnic nation and Social Democratic consolidation -- 1945-1950 : making the "people's home" -- 1968-1975 : security, equality and choice : expanding the people's home -- 1991-1995 : people's home no longer? The breakdown of the miraculous welfare machine -- The end of Social-Democracy hegemony -- Conclusions : who "belongs" in the Swedish people's home?
Summary
Sweden is well known for the success of its welfare state. Many believe that success was made possible in part by the country's ethnic homogeneity and that the increased diversity of Sweden's population is putting its welfare state at risk. Few, however, have suggested convincing mechanisms for explaining the precise relationship between relative ethnic homogeneity/heterogeneity and the welfare state. This book acknowledges the important role of ethnic homogeneity in Sweden's thriving welfare state, but argues that it mattered primarily because political elites-especially social democrats-made it matter. The book shows that diversity and the welfare state are related but that diversity does not undermine the welfare state in a straightforward way
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-235) and index
