CAW - Computer Aided Welfare State: Revival by Technology?
CAW - Computer Aided Welfare State: Revival by Technology?

Summary/Abstract: During the past decades the traditional Welfare State in Western Europe has become more and more under pressure by a variety of stress factors: Apparent are its increasingly high costs and the relative low effectiveness, accompanied by a deterioration of the image of public administrations. In many Reform Countries the former public health care and social security systems are facing even more difficulties: Lack of financial resources and new neo-liberal ideas undermine their functionality. Alternative concepts are needed: large scale institutions are unable to deal appropriately with rapid social change and the individuals are not in a position to cope with the negative aspects of human existence on their own. In addition to the large scale institutions like centralized social security and health care institutions, new group based institutions assisted by electronic communication tools and adequate training opportunities are proposed for various fields of society: "Peer Group Care" in addition to the traditional social welfare system, "Study Circles" to complement traditional schools, "Workers' Health Assurance Groups" to improve the occupational ill-health status, and "Intrapreneurial Groups" against alienation at the workplace are examples to illustrate how the Welfare State could be transformed and not be replaced.

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