This papcr attciiipts to providc sonw: obscrvations and analyscs of tlw: clmgiiig sociiil wvclT;m: systctns in UN: Nordic natlons Following a lead from Esping-Andcrson (1985 and Molm (l985), t h~: pcrspcctivc is aillilytic-cotiiparativc and four focuses used in tlw: papcr are currcnt divcrsity and varicty in the social wclfarc systcnls. formality and conplcsity that is currcntly prcvalcnt in the welfarc systems. segnleillal nalurc of t l~: welfare conccptions and scnriccs. and dcbatc about UN: sluing of statc vcrsus individual responsibility for social wvclbrc scniccs and bcncfits. Analyses revcal that onc ncw trcid in thc Nordic nations is "reflcsive tnodcrnimtion" of welfarc policies ;ud nwrc plufidistic arid rcgulatcd wlfm scwiccs and bcncfits. Grcatcr risks arc cspcctcd in (IN: fhturc a u l d tlicir tolerance is bcing rcconuilended. The inain question, Iiowcvcr. rcnliltns. will t h~ Nordic nations bc ablc to substamally cllangc thcir wclhrc policics and still continue to provide lugli lcvcls of wclfare, wcllncss, and sccunty nicasurcs to the populations.

The focus is on the outbreak of covid-19 and the patterns inherent in it as they appear in valid statistics and current research. The approach relies on overall goals and strategies in combating the spread of the virus. The examination is placed within an interdisciplinary frame of reference, particularly social policy and economics. A primary and crucial goal of social policy is to ensure, within prevailing economic frames, equity and social justice in the pursuit of sustainable development. The new coronavirus (COVID-19), which was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. As of the beginning of October 2020, the number of reported covid-19 cases around the world is about 34 million, and the number of deaths amounts to 860 thousand. The worldwide spread of coronavirus is severely affecting the global economy; millions of the global population are under some form of lockdown. The coronavirus pandemic, experienced as a severe shock, has caused not only economic difficulties but also social suffering and concerns for the infected individuals and their families, relatives and closest acquaintances. Increased concern, in connection with the economic slowdown, have given rise to new policies to combat the spread of the new coronavirus never before seen in humans. The policy actions range from social distancing that allow people to work online at home to the closing of borders. In the new emergency conditions, the values and goal orientations emphasize life and health as fundamental human rights. In addition to increased care provisions, other policy actions, such as relief package designed to ensure economic activities and the welfare and well-being of individuals and families, telemedicine, remote work and smart devices are used to enable visiting other people in order to return to normal. Although science guided by humanistic principles, has provided the knowledge to portray the state of the world and human conditions, the preparedness for combating the coronavirus pandemic and the treatment of people infected with the virus, have been found to vary among nations. Significant access barriers remain, especially in remote areas, including the cost of data as well as lack of understanding of foreign languages to manipulate devices and understand internet content. International responsibility and solidarity appear as primary guiding principles in connecting all policy actions to combat coronavirus. Keywords: Advanced technology, global economy, relief package, social distancing, access to data, social suffering, solidarity.

The welfare culture consists of doctrines and ideologies, beliefs, ideas, values and ideal norms that various groups and actors in the society have concerning the welfare state. The new ways of thinking, which are derived from the cultural turn and paradigm shift in social sciences, is in actual environments influenced and strengthened by economic and social changes, and also by the increasing number of old people. The Nordic welfare model (Denmark, Fin-land, Norway and Sweden), which is distinct from the other welfare models, is because of its basic ideological foundation, which also pertains to Finland, the general frame for the welfare culture. The characteristics of the environments in which people live, such as risks and uncertainties, impact thoughts and ideas they have about actual and preferred conditions, and influence the interest in renewal of welfare arrangements, schemes and services. Following this lead, we examine the changes in the legislation concerning social eldercare services and changes in provision and use of elder-care services in Finland. We also examine the division of responsibility for social eldercare between the public and private sector. Because the welfare arrangements are embedded in a complex cultural context, the research helps us to understand the shaping of the social eldercare. Great changes in the Finnish eldercare in favour of care at home or in a home-like environment have taken place. The goal “more home care, less institutional care” will serve even in the future as guidance in social eldercare.

The welfare culture and the redesign of social eldercare in Finland. © 2016 Guy Bäckman. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 130 RESEARCH ARTICLEThe welfare culture and the redesign of social eldercare in Finland Guy Bäckman * Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Åbo Akademi University, Finland Abstract: The welfare culture consists of doctrines and ideologies, beliefs, ideas, values and ideal norms that various groups and actors in the society have concerning the welfare state. The new ways of thinking, which are derived from the cultural turn and paradigm shift in social sciences, is in actual environments influenced and strengthened by economic and social changes, and also by the increasing number of old people. The Nordic welfare model (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), which is distinct from the other welfare models, is because of its basic ideological foundation, which also pertains to Finland, the general frame for the welfare culture. The characteristics of the environments in which people live, such as risks and uncertainties, impact thoughts and ideas they have about actual and preferred conditions, and influence the interest in renewal of welfare arrangements, schemes and services. Following this lead, we examine the changes in the legislation concerning social eldercare services and changes in provision and use of eldercare services in Finland. We also examine the division of responsibility for social eldercare between the public and private sector. Because the welfare arrangements are embedded in a complex cultural context, the research helps us to understand the shaping of the social eldercare. Great changes in the Finnish eldercare in favour of care at home or in a home-like environment have taken place. The goal "more home care, less institutional care" will serve even in the future as guidance in social eldercare.

This article surveys attempts by the Finnish government to plan and budget health care since the Primary Health Care Act of 1972. A national board of health allocates approved resources to local authorities who develop plans for preventative and primary health care and hospital services. The acquisition of expensive technologies are debated at the national level. The author presents studies which suggest that there is a considerable need for expansion of both diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in Finland. These adjustments will be necessary to meet the needs of an economically, socially, and demographically changing country.