Intro:
The connection between welfare regimes and family policies has been critical in social policy studies. Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s famous model of welfare regimes and his classification of welfare states system in his work The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalisms serve as a foundation for looking at how social policies vary from one country to another. But, his framework has faced criticism for not giving enough focus to family dynamics and the role of family as a key social institution. In response, Pierpaolo Donati offers a different view with his relational approach. This paper will look closely at both Esping-Andersen’s and Donati’s models, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each in explaining the link between welfare regimes and family policies.
Research Question
How do Esping-Andersen’s and Donati’s ideas explain the different ways countries deal with family policies in their welfare systems?
Thesis Statement
This research will show that to fully understand family policies, we need to consider both structural factors like welfare institutions and relational factors like family norms and values by combining Esping-Andersen’s and Donati’s perspectives.