INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES IN THE MODERN WELFARE STATE: FROM A SOCIAL SECURITY STATE TO A SOCIAL SERVICE STATE

Abstract

The article examines the transformation of the welfare state into a social service state, highlighting the evolution of social assistance into comprehensive social services provided by the state. It analyzes the historical genesis of the social state concept, tracing its development from early philosophical ideas of universal welfare (Plato, Aristotle) to the German 19th-century model of the Sozialstaat and the British Beveridge Plan of the mid-20th century. The study emphasizes the gradual expansion of state functions from primary social regulation and protection to the provision of diverse social services aimed at ensuring equal opportunities and supporting vulnerable groups. It also explores the typologies of social states, including liberal, conservative, and social-democratic models, and considers the global convergence of social policies under the influence of globalization and informatization. The article identifies the key principles of the modern social service state, including client-oriented, personalized, and universal approaches to social support, the delegation of service provision to non-state actors, and the active role of civil society in social welfare. The Ukrainian model of the social service state is characterized as mixed, combining paternalistic features with elements of individual autonomy and shared responsibility. The study concludes that the modern social service state transforms the relationship between the individual and the state, promoting social adaptation, personal development, and social integration through accessible and targeted social services, thereby ensuring social solidarity and humanistic values.

References

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