Ambiguities about social investment: is it a good answer to new social risks?

Abstract

Welfare State was built on problems defined several decades ago, but those roots must be redesigned. The economic crisis and New Social Risks, among other, make welfare unsustainable. Social investment theorists launched a sharp diagnosis of this situation. In their opinion, labour markets need competitive people, who invest in human capital along their lives. States must diminish its power, and social policy has to be market oriented. This strategy is grounded on the neoliberal commodification dynamic, and it has a meaningful im- portance on the development of the social rights. This paper explains some important issues about social investment strategy and proposes a reflection about some important concepts about the future development of the welfare state.