Trust beyond Borders

By: Markus M. L. Crepaz

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Synopsis: Crepaz (sociology, U. of Georgia) is optimistic about the future of the welfare state, despite reports that large-scale immigration into most of the advanced industrialized countries threatens to swamp them. He believes the continuously increasing racial and ethnic diversity of recent years is roughly parallel to what was considered diversity when the welfare states were developing shortly after World War II. Many of the states had to deal with long-standing religious, cultural social, and language differences, but still managed to survive. In fact, those same aging welfare systems are probably going to survive an influx of new clients and citizens very well, considering the fact that many such systems have succeeded at establishing an atmosphere of trust amongst newcomers, largely because of its sense of itself as a moral obligation fulfilled, an attitude that seems to rub off on the local and native, many of whom have been or are beneficiaries. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)