Does the Cultural Context Really Shape Welfare? A Comparative Analysis

Slides from our presentation to the 2013 UK Social Policy Association Conference, University of Sheffield, July 8th-10th 2013.

Abstract:

Despite increasing attention recently paid to the role of culture within comparative welfare studies, empirical explorations of the impact of culture on social policy remain rare. One recent exception is Jo’s (2011) analysis of on an in-between level conception of culture based on the exploration of stable societal values using quantitative cross-national surveys of social values in high-income nations. In this paper we update and expand this framework by adding data from the most recent releases of the European Values Study and World Values Survey and by exploring a wider range of policy areas. In so doing, we address the underlining theoretical question of whether the cultural context really shapes welfare policies and conclude that there is strong evidence to support the ‘culture matters’ thesis.