The Welfare Systems in Sweden and Korea with a Focus on the Demographic Transition

인구변천 과정에서 본 한국과 스웨덴의 복지 상태 비교

The Swedish welfare state has been the model for others to emulate the archetypical example of state intervention. The state interventions are presented in the form of legal acts. These social welfare acts can be classified according to the demographic transition theory. According to the Bogue's theory, the demographic transition in Sweden took place in four stages : the pre-transitional stage before 1810; the early transitional stage from 1810 to 1860; the mid-transitional stage from 1860 to 1930; the late transitional stage from 1930 to now. As we look into the social welfare acts in Sweden, the relief of the poor was the major concern of the early transitional stage, the care of workers was the major concerns of the mid-transitional stage and the care of the families was the major concerns in the late transitional stage. The Korea's transition period can be devided as follows; the pre-transitional stage before 1960; the early transitional stage from 1960 to 1969; the mid-transitional stage from 1970 to 1987; and the late transitional stage from 1987 to now. In Korea, the major concern of the early transitional stage was the care of the officials and the workers; in the mid-transitional stage the care of the aged and the handicapped were the major concerns. And in the late transitional stage the expanding of the welfare clients was the major concern. If we compare the results of both countries, the relief of the poor, the care of the workers and the care of the families will be the major concerns in Korea, because the social welfare acts in Korea are extended to specific groups and not to the whole population. The acts related to these social issues have been arranged in 120 years in Sweden. But Korea had to do the same work in 27 years. So the burden of making those social acts will be four times heavier. If we want to extend the benefits of the social system to the general population, we need to look at the design and approach of the swedish model. The reason why swedish social acts constitute an international model has more to do with the uniqueness of its design and approach. First of all, it is characteristic by its universalism, secondly by its emphasis on social services and thirdly by its productivitism. Also the swedish welfare state supported by a high-tax system called the earnings-related welfare system. In order to achieve an effective welfare state, we Koreans should pay attention to the relief of the poor, the care of the worker and the families. We should also focus on a good system design and prepare appropriate budgets.

이 연구는 한국사회에서 사회복지 정책을 어떻게 전개해 나가야 할 것인지에 관한 관심 속에서 선진복지국가인 스웨덴의 사회복지제도가 어떻게 발전해 나갔는지를 인구변천에 초점을 맞추어 살펴보고 있다. 먼저 스웨덴과 한국의 인구발전과정을 인구변천모형에 따라 분석하고, 인구변천 단계에 따라 사회복지가 어떻게 발전해 나왔는지를 주로 사회복지 법규를 통해 규명하고 있다. 다음 각 단계별 법규와 사회보장비 지출을 검토하여 스웨덴의 복지발달과정의 이념을 규명한 후, 한국의 사회복지정책이 어떤 방향을 나가야 할지를 제시하고 있다. 연구결과 스웨덴에 비해 한국의 사회보장비지출은 절대 부족상태이며, 스웨덴이 보편주의적 서비스를 강조하는데 비해 한국은 특수집단에 대한 서비스를 강조하고 있음이 부각되었다. 또 한국은 특수한 역사적, 문화적 요인에 의해 보훈계통의 비용이 지불되고 있다. 이 연구의 정책적 함의는 한국사회도 앞으로 소극적인 복지정책보다는 스웨덴에서 처럼 보편주의, 생산주의 및 가정복지를 바탕으로 한 복지민주주의 정책에 대한 적극적인 자세가 필요함을 제시하고 있다.