On the Implementation of Social Services of General Interest in the EU

• Despite nearly sixty years of European Integration, Social Policy remains a core state function while the 'politics' of Social Policy – the particular history, ideas and institutions upon which national social policies are based - remain quite heterogeneous, a process of convergence is nevertheless discernible in respect of policy implementation. The reasons for this relate to the nature of the European integration process but should not be confused with the broad adoption of a notional 'European Social Model', the harmonisation of national policies or, more generally, with the traditional approach to EU policy making, in the social field. This paper aims to bring together a number of congruent though often disparate discourses in the fields of political science, spatial planning and social policy to explore how the implementation typology of Social Services of General Interest produced by Humer et al. (2013) can be understood with reference to 'New Institutionalist' and Multi-Level Governance approaches in EU studies focusing on the potential for 'covert integration' in respect of core state functions.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

European Union

core state functions

social policy implementation

integration

Socialt arbete

Social work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

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