Intermediary Structures and the Welfare State: The Role of the Churches in Western Europe

Research question/goal: 

 

Research on the welfare state has rather neglected the role of intermediary structures in the production of social welfare. In particular the churches have been playing a major role in the provision of social welfare long before the modern welfare state was founded. Still, there are huge variations in the welfare production of the churches to be be found across Western Europe. These will be analysed and explained from a comparative perspective.

 

Current stage: