Conservative Welfare State Systems in East Asia

Aspalter provides six country studies of the most developed welfare state systems in East Asia-Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China. He applies a political approach to examine the causal determinants of welfare state development, such as:
.historical factors
.political systems
.party systems
.the politics of legitimization
.the impact of constitutions
.state structures
.elections
.social movements

A common trend in East Asian welfare state politics appears throughout this approach, and Aspalter shows that the welfare state is being extended, not reduced, as is the case in many areas affected by economic globalization. He concludes that social insurance systems are, for the most part, divided into occupational classes. Also, social assistance is highly stigmatized, and, for the most part, guaranteed after means tests. Most importantly, the State shows a strong disapproval of government-financed social welfare policies. This provocative analysis will be of particular interest to scholars, students, and other researchers involved with East Asia and comparative social welfare systems.

List of contents

Introduction
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Singapore
Mainland China
The Future of Conservative Welfare State Systems in East Asia
Bibliography
Index

About the author

CHRISTIAN ASPALTER is Lecturer at the Institute of Societal and Social Policy, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria. Among his other publications is Conservative Welfare State Systems in East Asia (Praeger, 2001).

Product details

• Authors: Christian Aspalter, Aspalter Christian
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.09.2001
• EAN: 9780275974152
• ISBN: 978-0-275-97415-2
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Regional Studies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Human Services, Politics & government, Social welfare & social services, Regional Studies, Social welfare and social services, Politics and government, East Asia, Far East, Regional / International studies, Politics, Law, and Government: Comparative Politics