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Inequality in the welfare state? Local variation in care of the elderly – the case of Sweden
Author(s) -
Trydegård GunBritt,
Thorslund Mats
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2397.00170
Subject(s) - welfare state , welfare , bivariate analysis , variance (accounting) , inequality , public economics , politics , variation (astronomy) , demographic economics , multitude , multivariate analysis , economics , economic growth , political science , medicine , statistics , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , accounting , astrophysics , law , market economy
This article uses Sweden as an example to describe and analyse municipal variation in services and care for elderly people. Responsibility for these services lies with the municipalities. National statistical data on municipalities are analysed to map out the variations in old‐age care; to study compensating factors in the care system; and to explore the connection with municipal structural and political conditions. The overall finding of the bivariate analyses was that most relations with structure and policy were weak or non‐existent. The final multivariate model explained only 15% of the variance. The large differences between municipalities makes it more appropriate to talk about a multitude of ‘welfare municipalities’ rather than one single welfare state. The article concludes that this municipal disparity constitutes a greater threat to the principle of equality in care of the elderly than gender and socio‐economic differences.