Reform or Revolution — Sweden, Socialism and The Welfare State

Description

This is the story of how one country went from being one of the most backward in Europe to the most progressive. It’s the story of the rise of the working class, the wonders of the welfare state and its demise.

The welfare state gave working class people in the 20th Century opportunities that their grandparents could never even have dreamt of. But those opportunities did not come cheap — nor were they easily won.

Today the Swedish Model is used as an example of how reforms can be used to improve the lives of working class people.

But was the Swedish welfare state a product of its time, or can it be recreated elsewhere?

Should we only be fighting for reforms, or for revolutionary change?

To learn the lessons from the past we must first understand it.

About the Author:

Madeleine Johansson is a county councillor for People Before Profit on South Dublin County Council. She was born in Sweden and has lived in Dublin since 2005. She has been a socialist and an activist for over 15 years. This is her first book.