The Individual and the Welfare State : Life Histories in Europe

Our health, our income and our social networks at older ages are the consequence of what has happened to us over the course of our lives. The situation at age 50+ reflects our own decisions as well as many environmental factors, especially interventions by the welfare state such as education policies, access to health care and many types of social protection from poverty relief to housing subsidies and maternity support. This book explores the richness of 28,000 life histories in thirteen European countries – ranging from Scandinavia to Central and Eastern Europe to the Mediterranean – collected as part of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Combining these data with a comprehensive account of European welfare state interventions provides a unique opportunity to answer the important public policy questions of our time – how the welfare state affects people’s incomes, housing, families, retirement, volunteering and health. The overarching theme of the welfare state creates a book of genuinely interdisciplinary analyses, a valuable resource for economists, gerontologists, historians, political scientists, public health analysts, and sociologists alike. Front Matter....Pages i-xx Employment and Health at 50+: An Introduction to a Life History Approach to European Welfare State Interventions....Pages 1-15 Front Matter....Pages 17-17 Explaining Persistent Poverty in SHARE: Does the Past Play a Role?....Pages 19-29 Childhood, Schooling and Income Inequality....Pages 31-43 Human Capital Accumulation and Investment Behaviour....Pages 45-57 The Impact of Childhood Health and Cognition on Portfolio Choice....Pages 59-66 Nest Leaving in Europe....Pages 67-80 Homeownership in Old Age at the Crossroad Between Personal and National Histories....Pages 81-92 Does Downsizing of Housing Equity Alleviate Financial Distress in Old Age?....Pages 93-101 Separation: Consequences for Wealth in Later Life....Pages 103-114 Front Matter....Pages 115-115 Early and Later Life Experiences of Unemployment Under Different Welfare Regimes....Pages 117-124 Labour Mobility and Retirement....Pages 125-135 Atypical Work Patterns of Women in Europe: What Can We Learn From SHARELIFE?....Pages 137-149 Maternity and Labour Market Outcome: Short and Long Term Effects....Pages 151-159 Reproductive History and Retirement: Gender Differences and Variations Across Welfare States....Pages 161-167 Quality of Work, Health and Early Retirement: European Comparisons....Pages 169-177 Working Conditions in Mid‐life and Participation in Voluntary Work After Labour Market Exit....Pages 179-188 Front Matter....Pages 189-189 Scar or Blemish? Investigating the Long-Term Impact of Involuntary Job Loss on Health....Pages 191-201 Life-Course Health and Labour Market Exit in 13 European Countries: Results From SHARELIFE....Pages 203-213 Work Disability and Health Over the Life Course....Pages 215-224 Health Insurance Coverage and Adverse Selection....Pages 225-231 Front Matter....Pages 189-189 Lifetime History of Prevention in European Countries: The Case of Dental Check-Ups....Pages 233-240 Disparities in Regular Health Care Utilisation in Europe....Pages 241-254 Does Poor Childhood Health Explain Increased Health Care Utilisation and Payments in Middle and Old Age?....Pages 255-267 Front Matter....Pages 269-269 Persecution in Central Europe and Its Consequences on the Lives of SHARE Respondents....Pages 271-285