ABSTRACT
As political scientists one of the things that interests the reader—or that falls within the people domain—is the nature and shape of government intervention. This chapter presents a reinterpretation of the welfare state dealing with the role played by women in the development and on-going function of the welfare state. In addition to the broad macro-economic explanations, scholars have also tried to deal with certain specific historical patterns that have played a role in fashioning the welfare state in individual countries. To describe briefly the impact of the movements of industrialization, urbanization and immigration on women is to run the risk, if not the certainty, of excessive simplification. The link between professionalization and women’s subordinate role is an important one. The areas of employment of the welfare state have all been characterized by a strong move to professionalization. Gender, therefore, is an important part of the politics of the welfare state—today and in the future.
