ABSTRACT
The post-war welfare state was built upon the assumption of stable and standardized lifecourses. Since the 1970s welfare states have been confronted by structural shifts which are fundamental in nature and undercut some basic assumptions on which they were built. Among these latter are assumptions about ‘full-employment’, family, gender relations, the ‘standard worker’ and the inclusiveness of social and political communities. In the last two to three decades there has been a shift towards what is called a more postindustrial life-cycle; life-courses are both changing and diversifying. These changes call for a rethinking of social citizenship, the relationship between various social rights and the welfare provisions to which they are related. The meaning of education, employment, care, and leisure-time has changed for the majority of citizens, both in their combination at any given moment in life, and in their relevance during the whole life-course. Consequently, the relations between different social rights, and the institutions that provide the facilities to implement these rights, are challenged.
