Welfare markets in Sweden: what are the implications for social equity?

This research program addresses questions regarding welfare markets and social equity.

The overall aim is to investigate whether and how welfare markets in primary care and elder care in Sweden undermine the equitable distribution of services.

This is investigated through four work packages with different focuses: (1) how users employ their right to choose a provider, (2) whether and how private welfare companies act to maximize their profit through the geographical establishment and user selection, (3) the ways in which the state seeks to ensure that quality remains high and equal for all citizens, and (4) the distinguishing features which explain the larger Swedish welfare markets compared to those in Denmark and Norway.

The four work packages will run in parallel and employ a variety of methods including quantitative register studies, interviews, and questionnaires.

The program addresses one of the most salient political and scientific questions of our time; namely how social welfare is best provided and what the respective roles of states and markets should be.