ABSTRACT
A central conclusion from studies of welfare models is that the Nordic countries differ widely from those traditionally associated with other welfare models. This also applies to care systems (see e.g. Anttonen and Sipilä 1996; Alber 1994). Nordic uniqueness is often highlighted for the large public involvement, forming what has been termed public service states. Another emphasis is on the high degree of universalism, along with high professional standards and the promotion of gender equality. Periods of economic instability, particularly in Sweden and Finland, have tended to focus critical attention on the inherent expansive nature of the welfare state, and helped create a cost-efficiency ethos. Outside the Nordic countries, social care systems have also been under scrutiny, especially in response to increased female labour force participation, with more emphasis on equal gender distribution of care work and on changing family structures. And everywhere, increased demands for more flexibility and choice are heard. An overview of the years from the early 1980s until mid-1996 therefore creates an interesting opportunity to examine whether the Nordic model is still unique.
