Minas, C., Jacobson, D., Antoniou, E. & McMullan, C. (2014) “Welfare regime, welfare pillar and southern Europe“, Journal of European Social Policy, Vol. 24, No. 2, May, pp. 135-149.
This paper uses a variety of methods of statistical cluster analysis to examine how EU countries (other than the new East European members) are grouped. Using the four dimensions, family, market vs state, religion and clientelism, the results of the analysis are that Southern European/Mediterranean (SE/M) countries form a distinct cluster that, both in its existence and in its difference from the conservative cluster, contradicts the notion of ‘three worlds of welfare capitalism’. In addition Ireland, though not geographically contiguous, falls into the SE/M grouping.
Relevant posts:
- Chen et al. (2014) “Globalisation and the Future of the Welfare State“, Institute for the Study of Labor, IZA Policy Paper No. 81, March.
- Diamond, P. & Lodge, G. (2013) “European welfare states after the crisis“, Policy Network Paper.
- Garrido, D. (ed.) (2012) The State of the European Union – The Failure of Austerity, Fundacion Alternativas & Fiedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.