ABSTRACT
The global recession that was ushered in by the global bank Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy in September 2008 had a significant impact on all the European countries. The impact of the recession on the population – manifested as increased precariousness through loss of income and unemployment, rising indebtedness and deterioration in standards of living across all of Europe – is well documented. One of the main theoretical sources of inspiration informing the analytic discussion of aspects of social welfare in this volume is Gosta Esping-Andersen. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines employment and education, features the case of Portugal in Cala Valadas’s analysis of employment policy and the translation of external pressures into policies and processes. It debates the impact of authorities and civil society on welfare in a globalized and digitalized context.
