Generational Tensions and Solidarity Within Advanced Welfare States (Social Welfare Around the World)

"This book explores generation as both a reference to family or kinship structures, and a reference to cohorts or age sets. The principal objective is branching out this two-part concept through studies of tensions and solidarity within and between generations of advanced and robust welfare states. Answering key questions using multiple disciplinary approaches, the book considers how generations challenge advanced and robust welfare states; how new and young generations are affected by living in an advanced welfare state with older generations; how tensions or solidarity are understood when facing challenges; and what the key characteristics are of certain generation types. It contributes to the development of a more comprehensive generation approach within social sciences by developing the concept of generation by exploring different challenges to the welfare state such as migration, digitalization, environmental damages, demands for sustainability, and marginalization. Highlighting the escalating tensions and altered versions of solidarity between generations, this book shows how a comprehensive concept of a generation can create new insights into how we collectively coordinate and resolve challenges through the welfare state. It will be of interest to all scholars and students of social policy, sociology, political science, and social anthropology"-- Provided by publisher. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of contributors Preface Chapter 1 Generational tensions and solidarity within advanced welfare states Introduction Generation as a multifaceted concept Reaffirmation of solidarity in advanced welfare states Tensions in the advanced welfare states Generation perspective on the welfare state A new research agenda References Part 1 The politics of generations Chapter 2 Welfare state redistribution between overlapping generations – normative theories applied to two contemporary debates Introduction Two contemporary policy issues Presentation of the two theories Application to the two cases Conclusions Notes References Chapter 3 The age profile of European welfare states: A source of intergenerational conflict? Introduction Voter preferences and age-related political priorities: theoretical perspectives and previous findings Outline of the empirical analysis and hypotheses Data and methods Converging or diverging age-related spending profiles? Cross-country variation in voter preferences Disagreement across age groups? Summary Discussion Note References Chapter 4 Solidarity with future generations: Protection clauses in constitutions Introduction Solidarity and constitutions Solidarity with future generations The Norwegian tensions over implications for the welfare state Conclusion – tensions over solidarity with future generations? References Part 2 Generations within families Chapter 5 Thinking through generation: On parenting and belonging among adult children of immigrants in Norway Introduction Questions of generation and belonging Second-generation parenthood as a vital conjuncture Generation as thought-distinction and structural relation The second generation in Norway Parenthood as vital conjuncture: ruptures, continuities, and belonging Generational ruptures and tensions Generational continuities Belonging to what? Overlapping belongings in advanced welfare states References Chapter 6 The welfare state and family: Intergenerational tensions and solidarity within the housing sector Introduction The welfare state and intergenerational dependency within the family Housing – the wobbly pillar of the welfare state Wealth and family transfers – data and analysis Age inequalities in wealth and family support Concluding remarks References Chapter 7 Will more education work?: Economic marginalization and educational inequalities across birth cohorts 1955–1980 Introduction Previous research Empirical analysis Comments on explanations Final remarks: Will rising educational levels work? Notes References Part 3 Historical and ascriptive generations Chapter 8 The digital generation: Representations of a generational digital divide Introduction The digital generation as a social generation Moral panic and mediated youth culture Folk devils on the internet Data and methods Results Discussion Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9 The Baby-boomer generation: Another breed of elderly people? Introduction Baby boomers as a generation Images of the Baby boomers Research questions: how different are the Baby boomers? Data and measurements Dependent variables Control variables Analyses Results Summary and discussion Limitations Conclusion References Chapter 10 Social generations in popular culture Introduction Still a problem of generations Developments in the concept of social generations Globalising local (Anglo-American) terms “Generation” as an emic term Generation on social media Bonding, and bonding through boundaries Conclusion Notes Literature Chapter 11 Solidarity and tension across generations in welfare democracies Introduction Social generation as a modern concept Motivation towards order across generations Mutual understanding and solidarity Generation-specific norms Pluralism and complexity as key source of tensions The welfare state and political solidarity The dynamics of political craftsmanship Conclusion References Chapter 12 Generational analysis of the advanced welfare state Introduction Generation concepts in welfare state studies Why generational analysis? Where to apply a generational analysis Solidarity in advanced welfare states Tensions between social reality and the welfare state Generations at the genesis of the welfare state References Index