Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book looks at the unique history of Iceland’s social services. It addresses the following questions: Do clients of social care services have any distinctive characteristics which set them apart? How do historical data on day care for children and the care of the mentally handicapped complement this picture? The book discusses the issues of women and ageing, women as political actors and women as employees in social care occupations. It deals with the tensions between central and local governments. The book also presents an empirical study of whether local autonomy causes marked differences between the service standards of different municipalities in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It also discusses the relationship of gender and social care services in the light of welfare state discourses.