Germany vs. US - Two Welfare Regimes seen from the Gender perspective

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject Politics - Political Systems - General and Comparisons, grade: 1,7 (A-), Free University of Berlin (JFK Institute for North American Studies), course: Governance and the Restructuring of the Welfare state: Comparing the US and Germany, 39 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: This paper deals with the problem of the welfare state in two states subordinated to two different welfare regimes: conservative-corporatist (Germany) and liberal regime (United States). Having in mind, that this a very wide and multidimensional problematic, it will be limited only to the changes in welfare systems mainly in the 1990s seen from the perspective of gender relations and women's situation in welfare. In short, this paper will focus on the German reunification and the changes it exerted on the women's situation in former GDR. Then it will present briefly policy towards women and families under Chancellor KOHL's governance. Regarding the USA, welfare reform of 1996 will mainly be discussed - the Personal Responsibility Act - preparations, contents, and the effect. Afterwards, the reaction of the feminist societies on the changes in the American welfare will be presented. Before the main part, as a starting point, the differences between Germany and the US as two states representing two different welfare regimes will be briefly presented. This comparison will be based on the ESPING-ANDERSEN model that was introduced to the study of welfare at the beginning of 1990's. The feminist critique on basic assumptions of ESPING-ANDERSEN's classification shall not also be omited.