Subject(s): Welfare state -- providence -- Philosophical Justifications and critiques of the welfare sate : Ethics, intellectual roots, critics and beyond -- History : Emergence of Western welfare state, post-war welfare state development -- Approaches : Research methods, public and private social welfare, families v/s state and market, disciplinary perspective -- Inputs and actors : Needs and risks in welfare state, democracy and capitalism, unions and employers, parties, political institutions, public attitudes, gender, religion, migration and ethnic minorities, European union, intergovernmental organizations, globalisation, globalization -- Policies : Social expenditure and revenues, oil age pensions, health, long term care, work accident and sickness benefits, disability, unemployment insurance, labor market activation, social assistance, family benefits and services, housing, education -- Policy outcomes : Social rights of citizenship, inequality and poverty, macroeconomic outcomes, welfare retrenchment -- Worlds of welfare : Models of the welfare state -- Established welfare states : Nordic countries, continental western Europe, south European countries, English speaking countries -- Emerging welfare states : Latin America, east Asia, eastern Europe and Russia -- Sustainability of western welfare states, global future of welfare states