Health and the social investment state

Abstract

This paper calls on social policy scholars to approach health differently in their research. Our goal is to bring core insights from social epidemiology into conversation with welfare state and social policy research. We argue that the social investment framework has the most potential for this integration. The objective of social investment policies is to keep modern welfare states sustainable through high employment and strong human capital. This requires not only a large and well-educated workforce, but also a healthy one. Specifically, we encourage social policy scholars to engage with the social determinants of health literature by studying health not as outcome of the healthcare sector but of the welfare state as a whole. We argue that the social investment framework facilitates these endeavours and we offer suggestions for future research. Health should not just be seen as an outcome of specific policies, but rather as input for a sustainable welfare state.