Social Services, Democracy and the Capability Approach: Concluding Reflections

The article recapitulates some major challenges and pitfalls associated with the turn toward welfare service states analysed in the contributions of this special issue. However, referring to complementarities between the redistributive welfare state and personalized social services it also emphasises the task and possibilities to create participatory, capability-friendly welfare service policies that enhance and sustain a more egalitarian and democratic understanding of social citizenship.