Magistriniame darbe pristatomas Švedijos socialinės politikos modelis, apžvelgiama raida, nustatoma kokiam gerovės valstybės tipui jis priskiriamas. Nagrinėjamos gerovės valstybės formavimosi sąlygos, socialdemokratų politikos ideologijos įtaka socialiniam modeliui ir bedarbių integracijai. Darbe analizuojamas nedarbo paplitimas Švedijoje, rodikliai lyginami su ES. Tiriamos bedarbystės priežastys, nagrinėjamos nedarbo mažinimo priemonės. Prieita išvados, jog Švedijos socialiniam modeliui ir gerovės valstybei pamatus padėjo socialdemokratų politika ir ideologija, kurios vertybės išlaikytos iki šių dienų. Efektyvi socialdemokratų socialinė politika ir aktyvios darbo rinkos priemonės daro didelę įtaką bedarbių integracijos rezultatyvumui ir lemia žemą nedarbo lygį. Magistrinis darbas aktualus visos ES lygiu, nes socialinė politika Švedijoje plačiai išvystyta, o ES dar tik formuojama. Šalis jau pasiekė ES Lisabonos strategijos 2010 m. numatytus užimtumo tikslus. Čia daugelį metų nedarbo lygis mažesnis nei kitose ES šalyse. Švedija – universali valstybė, kurioje derinamas ekonomikos augimas, visiško užimtumo siekimas, nedarbo mažinimas kartu atidžiai rūpinantis gyventojų socialine apsauga. O Lietuvoje, kaip ir kai kuriose ES šalyse, trūksta gerovės valstybės elementų. / The model of social policy in Sweden is introduced in this Master‘s research work. Its evolution, the type of welfare state, conditions of formation are defined. The influence is established for social democratic ideology on the social model and for the integration process of unemployed persons. The prevalence of unemployment in Sweden is analysed, the rates are compared with EU. Unemployment reasons and means of unemployment reduction are considered. It was concluded, that the corner stone of Swedish social model and welfare state is social democratic politics and its values that are still significant and popular nowadays. Its operative social policy and active labour market actions influence the efficiency of unemployed persons’ integration process and determines the low rate of unemployment. This Master’s research work is significant in all EU, as the research field is relevant. Social policy is wide developed in Sweden, whereas it is in the initial stage period in EU. The country already succeeded in EU Lisbon Social Policy Agenda employment goals for 2010. A great while the unemployment rate was less than in other EU member countries. Sweden is the all-purpose state, where the economic growth, the pursuit of complete employment, the reduction of unemployed persons’ number are combined together with thorough citizens’ social security. And there is a lack of elements of welfare state in Lithuania and other EU countries.

Dissertation explores the structure and level of financial support addressed to families with children in the Czech Republic and 19 other European countries as of December 2008. Attention is paid primarily to the "new" European countries, i.e. the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Through analysis of tax-benefit system this study examines where the Czech Republic stands in respect of family support within the European context and assesses which European policy is most similar to the Czech model of financial family support. There are two main parts. First one introduces the welfare state and family policy typologies and theories. Second one uses the model family method to answer the following questions: Which kind of family composition benefits most from the state support? Does the Czech tax- benefit system prioritize the traditional male-breadwinner family or does it encourage the dual-earner model? What is the position of Czech lone-parent families in comparison to other European countries? Is the Czech family policy aimed at the same types of family with children as is the Slovakian family policy or any other state policy in CEE? Are these two countries still following the same trend in respect to the financial family support? And where do the new European countries fit within the existing...

Over the last five decades, a rich literature on the welfare state has developed. Multiple theories and models seek to explain the contemporary welfare state, including structural functionalist, structural-Marxist and Marxist perspectives, culturalist approaches, pluralist analyses, neo-institutionalist theories, power resources theory, Harold Wilensky and Lebeaux’s dual model, Richard Titmuss’s tri-polar model, and Gøsta Esping-Andersen’s tri-polar model, all designed to account for the emergence of and variations among welfare states. However, these theories and models originated within the developed world, and empirical examinations of these theories are largely restricted within this part of the world. The welfare state literature is too confined to the West today. This study examines key welfare state theories and models in the contexts of developing and least developed nations employing a combination of quantitative, qualitative, and comparative methodologies. It suggests that social policies and programs in the developing nations can be systematically understood in the light of mainstream Western theories and models of the welfare state. Therefore, in addition to challenging current practices that limit the study of the welfare state within particular geographical areas, the research presented here provides rationale for increased efforts to understand welfare policies and programs in developing nations. This will increase our knowledge about the applicability of theories in the developing world and will enrich the understanding of the developed world, and thus contribute to the advancement of welfare state scholarship. / February 2016