Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v25i1.1458
Decentralization of Social Welfare and Social Inequality: the Case of Croatia
Zdenko Babić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3896-8688
; Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
High and increasing regional economic inequality with 'partial decentralization' of social welfare system in Croatia resulted in an increase of social inequality among Croatian citizens. The aforementioned processes resulted in a situation in which one of fundamental principles of social welfare and social policy, such as the principle of equality, is being seriously impaired. The result of that is that the realization of social rights of citizens in Croatia is increasingly dependent on the place of residence and socio-economic status. This claim is a central hypothesis of the paper which was demonstrated by analyzing the availability of institutional care for the elderly by county in Croatia and an analysis of local social programs of four selected units of local self-government. The analysis demonstrated a significant level of inter-county disparities in the availability of institutional care for the elderly and the analysis of local social programs has shown that the degree of realization of social rights of Croatian citizens is largely uneven and dependent on the place of residence and socio-economic status. The causes for that situation had come from the unsuccessful policies of harmonization of regional development and partial decentralization of the social welfare system. The final chapter provides specific recommendations for economic and social policy makers with potential positive effects which would decrease social inequality of Croatian citizens in the future.
Keywords
social inequality; social rights; decentralization; local social programs
Hrčak ID:
197935
URI
Publication date:
28.3.2018.
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