New Policy of Welfare States: Preparing Background for Analysis of Social Situation of People with Disabilities

Abstract

The article examines the implementation of new social security and employment policy in welfare states (social-democratic, conservative corporate and neoliberal regimes) in order to take a new look at the disability policy in Russia. Basing on the analysis of international research and OECD statistic data of 30 years the article explores the shifting trends in social policy, the new rights / responsibilities rule approaches and the reasons for restricting the state interference. The author investigates into the approaches in social security which define the conditions of receiving social assistance (controlling the ‚passive‘ measures, assigning responsibility for self-sufficiency and switching to ‚active‘ measures for the working age population) and describes the shifts in redistribution of wealth and social relations. The author analyzes the measures aiming at increasing opportunities and subduing the dependency culture in employment as well as demonstrates how these measures influence labour relations, salary and social security of employees. The reasons for growing poverty, inequality in income, wage and social security of the disadvantaged population groups are unveiled. The factors promoting redistribution and reinforcement of social unity and common wealth, as well as anti-crisis regulation are determined.

Keywords

• new welfare state
• welfare-state retrenchment
• social security
• equality
• social protection employment
• disability