Esping-Andersen And Welfare Regime Discussions: A Theoretical Assesment

The welfare regime is important because it sheds light on the social policies implemented by a country politically, socially, economically and culturally. The study on the classification of welfare regimes by Esping-Andersen (1990) has been one of the basic discussion areas for social policy research for nearly thirty years. Esping-Andersen's study has inspired many studies and new research have been done in this direction. Many of this researches are critical to Esping-Andersen's classification, both in terms of scope and method. However, most of the critical approaches have been seemed to confirm or contribute to Esping-Andersen's study. In this article, the welfare regime discussions that arise during the development of the welfare state are examined in a theoretical framework. Accordingly, the classification of Esping-Andersen and criticisms of this classification are analyzed. The discussions about the welfare regime have been shaped within the framework of the work of Esping-Andersen since the 1990s and it is revealed that studies, which are carried out, are continuation of this.