Modernising Social Policy for the New Life Course

ISBN:9789264041271
Publication: 6/12/2007
Pages: 222

Modernising Social Policy for the New Life Course

For many decades, social policy interventions were limited to assist and insure against a limited number of well-defined risks. As a result of diverse and ongoing social trends, however, the social order based on standard employment relations, the male breadwinner model and social security in defined but exceptional circumstances, has changed. New social risks have emerged and are often mutually reinforcing. Different groups of individuals are likely to respond to these risks differently. The development of new risks, or the additional complexity of those risks already existing, raises key questions for social policy.

In order to address these issues, the OECD held a seminar in Paris on 31 May and 1 June 2007 to develop responses to these emerging challenges. The fundamental policy question addressed in the seminar was whether the current designs of social protection systems in OECD societies are well-suited to contemporary life-course realities. The seminar looked in detail at recent policy developments in OECD countries to develop more flexible time-based social policies, as well as related issues, such as asset-based welfare programmes, as well as policies to encourage redistribution of income and/or time over the life course and how these might be structured most effectively.

Modernising Social Policy for the New Life Course presents the topics discussed at this seminar and is essential reading for anyone interested in current developments in social policy.