Loss of solidarity and civic virtue? Shift from the three worlds of welfare to technocratic social investment hybrid welfare states

Over the past three decades, European welfare states have evolved into social investment hybrids shaped by technocratic and functionalist logic. This chapter examines how Esping-Andersen's ‘three worlds’ have transformed and how this institutional shift reflects deeper normative changes in the purpose and legitimacy of welfare. We argue that welfare states have moved away from civic and communitarian ideals towards liberal and utilitarian principles. While the social democratic model emphasised solidarity and collective responsibility, the social investment approach prioritises individual autonomy, human capital, and efficiency. The Nordic welfare states, historically rooted in the moral and political traditions of the labour and popular education movements, are now witnessing the erosion of these foundations. We conclude that meaningful welfare state reform requires rearticulating a shared moral purpose and fostering new civic-oriented education movements grounded in the ideals of civic virtue.