The foundation of the current Dutch long-term care system dates back to the end of the 1960s, when compulsory social insurance to cover the costs of «exceptional medical expenses» (Awbz) was introduced. Since then the system has undergone a continuous process of reform. The essay reconstructs the original logic of the system through a historical and institutional analysis. Then the trends towards reform are considered, looking at how the problem of change has been constructed and at the actors playing a relevant role in this process. All these aspects are described and critically reviewed in order to understand the directions and impacts of institutional change.only subscribers can see the full article

This article deals with the question to what extent welfare states help or hinder inter-ethnic cohesion. Derived from socio-psychological theories, two indicators are proposed: meeting and mobility. The first points towards the possibilities of real and repeated contact, while the second refers to the absence of insider/outsider boundaries. The Dutch welfare state is presented as an illustration of how to analyse social policy when looking through this lens. In both dimensions the Dutch welfare state is acting poorly. Educational policies as well as labour market policies reduce the possibilities of meeting and mobility. only subscribers can see the full article

Part-time work is a widespread phenomenon in the Netherlands, es-pecially among women. Not only are part-time rates higher than in any other country, Dutch workers also report that they work part-time because they did not look for a full-time job. This paper de-scribes and explains the growth of part-time work in the Netherlands as a largely spontaneous process, triggered by the late but rapid en-trance of women in the labour market, the initially hesitant but in the end successful facilitation of part-time employment by labour market institutions and policies and, finally, an adjustment of the legal and tax system erasing much of the unequal treatment aspects of part-time work. Furthermore the paper provides an outlook for the Dutch one-and-a-half earner economy, comparing the Netherlands with the Uk and Germany, and poses the question why Dutch women so far did not seek the road towards full-time employment, the option preferred by their Scandinavian sisters.only subscribers can see the full article