IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/soeuro/v70y2022i4p686-721n1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Welfare States and Covid-19 Responses: Eastern versus Western Democracies

Author

Listed:
  • Nikolova Kristina

    (School of Social Work, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada)

  • Bejan Raluca

    (School of Social Work, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada)

Abstract

This study uses a welfare state lens to examine disparities in Covid-19 infections and mortality rates between countries in Eastern Europe compared to West European democracies. Expanding on Esping-Andersen’s typology of welfare regimes, the authors compare six country groups to conduct a multivariate statistical analysis that, when controlling for economic and health differences, shows the number of cases and deaths per 100,000 to be significantly higher for Eastern Europe. In comparing First, Second, and Third Wave data, the difference in Covid-19 infections and mortality rates can be explained through stricter lockdown measures implemented in the East at the start of the First Wave. Overall higher numbers in the East reflect comparatively looser state measures in response to the Second and Third Waves as well as the lack of trust in government and the weak implementation of public health measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolova Kristina & Bejan Raluca, 2022. "Welfare States and Covid-19 Responses: Eastern versus Western Democracies," Comparative Southeast European Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 70(4), pages 686-721, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bpj:soeuro:v:70:y:2022:i:4:p:686-721:n:1
    DOI: 10.1515/soeu-2021-0066
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/soeu-2021-0066
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/soeu-2021-0066?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chung, Haejoo & Muntaner, Carles, 2006. "Political and welfare state determinants of infant and child health indicators: An analysis of wealthy countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 829-842, August.
    2. Kunitz, S.J., 2004. "The making and breaking of Yugoslavia and its impact on health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(11), pages 1894-1904.
    3. Navarro, Vicente & Shi, Leiyu, 2001. "The political context of social inequalities and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 481-491, February.
    4. McMENAMIN, IAIN, 2004. "Varieties of Capitalist Democracy: What Difference Does East-Central Europe Make?," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(3), pages 259-274, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2015. "Structural social capital and health in Italy," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 129-142.
    2. Martinussen, Pål E. & Rydland, Håvard T., 2022. "(I can't get no) satisfaction: A comparative study of healthcare recommodification in Europe, 2010-18," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    3. Herian, Mitchel N. & Tay, Louis & Hamm, Joseph A. & Diener, Ed, 2014. "Social capital, ideology, and health in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 30-37.
    4. Warren, John Robert & Knies, Laurie & Haas, Steven & Hernandez, Elaine M., 2012. "The impact of childhood sickness on adult socioeconomic outcomes: Evidence from late 19th century America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1531-1538.
    5. Abdul Karim, Syahirah & Eikemo, Terje A. & Bambra, Clare, 2010. "Welfare state regimes and population health: Integrating the East Asian welfare states," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 45-53, January.
    6. Komlos, John & Lauderdale, Benjamin E., 2006. "Underperformance in affluence: the remarkable relative decline in American heights in the second half of the 20th-century," Discussion Papers in Economics 1241, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    7. Jasiecki Krzysztof, 2018. "The strength and weaknesses of the varieties of capitalism approach: the case of Central and Eastern Europe," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 54(4), pages 328-342, December.
    8. Eyüp Özveren & Utku Havuç & Emrah Karaoğuz, 2012. "From Stages to Varieties of Capitalism: Lessons, Limits and Prospects," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 59(1), pages 13-36, March.
    9. Bryant, Toba & Raphael, Dennis & Schrecker, Ted & Labonte, Ronald, 2011. "Canada: A land of missed opportunity for addressing the social determinants of health," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 44-58, June.
    10. Terje A Eikemo & Rasmus Hoffmann & Margarete C Kulik & Ivana Kulhánová & Marlen Toch-Marquardt & Gwenn Menvielle & Caspar Looman & Domantas Jasilionis & Pekka Martikainen & Olle Lundberg & Johan P Mac, 2014. "How Can Inequalities in Mortality Be Reduced? A Quantitative Analysis of 6 Risk Factors in 21 European Populations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-1, November.
    11. Chung, Haejoo & Muntaner, Carles, 2007. "Welfare state matters: A typological multilevel analysis of wealthy countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 328-339, February.
    12. Thomas Prosser, 2017. "Explaining Implementation through Varieties of Capitalism Theory: The Case of the Telework and Work-related Stress Agreements," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 889-908, July.
    13. Park, Gum-Ryeong, 2024. "Housing cost burden and external causes of mortality: Variations across housing regimes in high-income countries, 2010–2020," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 345(C).
    14. Markus Ahlborn & Joachim Ahrens & Rainer Schweickert, 2016. "Large-Scale Transition of Economic Systems – Do CEECs Converge Toward Western Prototypes?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 58(3), pages 430-454, September.
    15. Xavier Perafita & Marc Saez, 2023. "Housing Supply and How It Is Related to Social Inequalities—Air Pollution, Green Spaces, Crime Levels, and Poor Areas—In Catalonia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Mustapha Rafiu Ayobanji & Onikosi-Alliyu Saidat Oluwatoyin & Babalola Abdurrouf, 2021. "Impact of Government Health Expenditure on Health Outcomes in the West African Sub-Region," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 21(1), pages 48-59, June.
    17. Mansyur, Carol & Amick, Benjamin C. & Harrist, Ronald B. & Franzini, Luisa, 2008. "Social capital, income inequality, and self-rated health in 45 countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 43-56, January.
    18. Sweet, Elizabeth, 2018. "“Like you failed at life”: Debt, health and neoliberal subjectivity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 86-93.
    19. Daniel Kim & Adrianna Saada, 2013. "The Social Determinants of Infant Mortality and Birth Outcomes in Western Developed Nations: A Cross-Country Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-40, June.
    20. Berkeley, Dina & Springett, Jane, 2006. "From rhetoric to reality: A systemic approach to understanding the constraints faced by Health For All initiatives in England," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 2877-2889, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:soeuro:v:70:y:2022:i:4:p:686-721:n:1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.