In discussions of economics, governance, and society in the Nordic countries, “the welfare state” is a well-worn analytical concept. However, there has been much less scholarly energy devoted to historicizing this idea beyond its postwar emergence. In this volume, specialists from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland chronicle the historical trajectory of “the welfare state,” tracing the variable ways in which it has been interpreted, valued, and challenged over time. Each case study generates valuable historical insights into not only the history of Northern Europe, but also the welfare state itself as both a phenomenon and a concept.

CONTENTS

List of Figures
Acknowledgements

Introduction
Nils Edling

Chapter 1. Multiple Welfare States – Histories of a Keyword
Nils Edling

Chapter 2. The Languages of Welfare in Sweden
Nils Edling

Chapter 3. The Concept of ‘Welfare State’ in Danish Public and Political Debates|
Jørn Henrik Petersen and Klaus Petersen

Chapter 4. The Winding Road of the Norwegian ‘Welfare State’
Per Haave

Chapter 5. The Conceptual History of Welfare State in Finland
Pauli Kettunen

Chapter 6. The Evolving Concept of the Welfare State in Icelandic Politics
Guðmundur Jónsson

Conclusion
Nils Edling