American Foundations and the European Welfare States

Book excerpt: In public debate and academic writings, the American and European welfare states are often portrayed as inhabiting completely different welfare regimes. However, a closer look at the historical development of the European welfare state finds that American philanthropic bodies, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, had a significant influence on the development in key areas of the European welfare states, including health care, social work, education, and the disciplines of social science. The contributions in this book explore the influence of American foundations from the interwar period to the 1950s in Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Spain, and Sweden. The book offers new insights into the transnational history of European welfare states, as well as the complicated process often labeled as Americanization. (Series: Studies in History and Social Sciences - Vol. 461)