Identifying Variations of Conservative Social Policy in North East Asia: The Welfare State in Japan, South Korea and Mainland China

Abstract

This study examines the nature and variations of welfare state systems in Northeast Asia, taking the examples of Japan, South Korea and Mainland China. While parting from the very popular and dominating classification of welfare states of Esping-Andersen, this article proposes the existence of welfare state systems that are purely conservative in nature since conservative political parties and/or conservative social policies shaped welfare state development in this part of the world. The article focuses on the main common features and the existing variations of social policies. It finishes with a summary of most important features of conservative social policy in three case studies covered.

Keywords: Northeast Asia, Japan, Korea, China, social policy, public policy, real-typical comparisons, welfare models

JEL Classification: H55, I00, I18