No. 48 (2026): Special issue: The Transformation of Social Services in Comparative Perspective: Trends and Reform Strategies in Response to Emerging Social Risks
The Welfare State has historically served, and continues to serve, as a foundational framework for the construction and articulation of protective “meshes” and “networks” designed to uphold the rights associated with citizenship. These rights are rooted in the principles of the social state, anchored in its fundamental pillars, in social policy interventions, and in systems of social protection which aim not merely to secure minimum standards, but to provide the necessary foundations for human development and social well-being.
The scope and depth of the Welfare State are reflected in the design and implementation of policies and programmes that respond to evolving social demands, as well as in the critical debates surrounding their delivery: child and family protection; support for individuals with functional limitations in performing daily activities; the inclusion of socially vulnerable groups; non-contributory economic protection; responses to social and cultural diversity; and the institutionalisation or deinstitutionalisation of care.
These transformations exert a direct influence on the configuration and operational frameworks of social service systems, which are currently confronted with significant structural challenges and intensifying pressures on their welfare and assistance functions. Key among these challenges are population ageing, shifts in family structures, the intensification of migration processes, transformations in productive systems, and the deepening of social exclusion dynamics. These emergent and increasingly complex social risks require urgent and multidimensional responses, informed by gender-sensitive, intergenerational, and socially invested perspectives.
In this context, the social services system is undergoing a series of reform processes which, nonetheless, are highly heterogeneous in terms of strategic orientation, intensity, and resource allocation, largely as a result of the system's strong decentralisation. This special issue aims to present an analytical and critical perspective on the transformative potential of these reform initiatives, drawing from diverse territorial experiences. The objective is to assess the system’s capacity to address the aforementioned social risks and to identify potential pathways for advancing the broader national-level reflection and policy revision process.
Published:
2026-06-15
