Challenges for a Global Welfare System

The discussion on globalisation has largely neglected the question of welfare/social issues. Of course, this is not astonishing -- the discussion on these issues had been fairly neglected even before questions of globalisation arrived on the agenda. And of course, these questions (social/welfare) had not been totally neglected. Instead, they have been tackled in a very limited way, just taking the national boundaries (or local, regional, and as well European or whatever) as granted. The consequences for others have been disregarded. But even taking notice of 'welfare' in connection with globalisation is in a way restricted. What really matters is the 'mode of socialisation' changes, the way of living together. Instead of looking at single issues like economic changes, ways of political negotiation etc., and the limitation on an institutional point of view the book reviews changes in soci(et)al realms in more holistic terms. The book does not aim at a definition and conceptualism of a global welfare state. However, some important restrictions of the mainstream discussion of globalisation are pointed out. Furthermore a perspective is debated which draws attention to the dangers of new lines of exclusion as well as on opportunities for social integration beyond natural borders. The various issues are tackled from a wide range of sociological and social-policy approaches.