THE INSERTION OF SWEDEN IN THE NEOLIBERAL WORLD: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/cg.v8i1.63918

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present, through a retrospective analysis, the political economy of the process faced by the Swedish welfare state. Internationally acknowledged due to the extent and depth of its welfare state structure in the 1960s, Sweden was target to neoliberal onslaught in the 1980s and 1990s. Neverthe-less, the hardiness of the constituted welfare state, as well as the dynamics of its society, allowed Sweden to resist to a wider dismantle. On one hand, Sweden has lost part of the characteristics that distinguished it as a “third way”; on the other hand, the maintenance of most of the social structures was enough to establish Sweden as an example of relative resistance to Neoliberalism.

Keywords: neoliberalism; welfare state; political economy; Sweden

Author Biography

Eduardo Santos Maia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Mestre em Economia Política Internacional pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Possui graduação em Relações Internacionais também pela UFRJ. É voluntário no Laboratório de Estudos de Mídia e Esfera Pública (LEMEP), no projeto Manchetômetro. Atualmente estuda questões ligadas à hegemonia dos Estados Unidos, financeirização do sistema internacional e dívida pública da América Latina, com ênfase na dívida pública brasileira.

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Published

2019-07-28

How to Cite

Maia, E. S. (2019). THE INSERTION OF SWEDEN IN THE NEOLIBERAL WORLD: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS. Conjuntura Global, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.5380/cg.v8i1.63918

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