Contributors to this text present the current professional discussion on the increasingly radical ideas on the reorganization of the welfare state systems after World War II.

Part 1 The welfare approach: The end of progressivism, M.J. Stern; Consumers, citizens and co-producers, A. Evers; Social service delivery, H. Richter; Civil society and the welfare state, U. Rodel; Does welfare lead to dependency? G. Prein, P. Buhr; Social rights, power and the democratization of social services, A. Schaarschurch; The Scandinavian social service model, St. Stjerno; Welfare, democracy and social work, H. Sunker; Democratization - the recovering of the political in social work (?), M. Schmidt. Part 2 The organizational approach: The organizational construction of social citizenship, G. Ahrne; Democratization by modernization? D. Grunow; Personal social services, J. Harris; Client demands and professional responsibility, G. v.d. Laan; Old democracy - new quality? social services in East Germany and Finland, A.L. Matthies; Cooperative relations within youth assistance, M. Seckinger; Children's participation in child welfare services, Ch. Hallett; Modernizing the youth welfare system, A. Markert, S. Wagenblass; Does democratic rationality extend to social service?, B. Dewe, H.U. Otto; Empowerment, I. Siriainen; Privatization and professionalization - challenges to social service delivery in the U.S.A., N. Gilbert; Feminist care work projects in Germany, M. Bruckner; Community building as a template for recreating the welfare state, M. Fabricant, S. Burghards. Part 3 The quality approach: Improving the quality of social services, Ch. Pollitt; Quality-enhancement in the service society, M. Engel et al; Reform and restructuring of social services in the United States, J.C. Marsh, C. Coohey; Client participation as an instrument of quality assurance in social work, K. Petersen, K. Piel; Quality assurance of voluntary welfare associations, R. Bauer, E. Hansen; Self-evaluation, M. Heiner. Contributors.