Professor Kenneth Nelson
Professor Kenneth Nelson holds the Barnett Professorship in Social Policy at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI) at the University of Oxford. He joined DSPI and St Cross College in April 2023. Nelson was previously Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University.
Prof Nelson conducts research on the drivers and consequences of welfare states and social policy, often using comparative research methods. He has written extensively of various topics related to social policy, including the role of partisan politics, poverty, social inequality, health, intergenerational justice, and employment. Nelson is the director of the renowned Social Policy Indicators Database (SPIN). He is also co-chair of the European Social Policy Analysis network (ESPAnet), which is the largest international research community on social policy in Europe, if not the world. He is board member of the Foundation for International Studies of Social Security (FISS), and active in several research projects at European level.
Prof Nelson is currently also directing several externally financed research projects on the environmentally friendly welfare state, housing policy, and the measurement of social policy.
Publications
Monographs
Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R., Yerkes, M.A. (eds.). 2022. Social Policy in Changing European Societies: Research Agendas for the 21st Century. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (in press).
Birnbaum, S., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Palme, J. 2017. The Generational Welfare Contract: Justice, Institutions and Outcomes. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Marx, I., Nelson, K. (eds.). 2012. Minimum Income Protection in Flux. HoundMills: Palgrave MacMillan.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Palme, J., Sjöberg, O. 2012. Sveriges socialförsäkringar i jämförande perspektiv. En institutionell analys av sjuk-, arbetsskade- och arbetslöshetsförsäkringarna i 18 OECD länder 1930 till 2010. Underlagsrapport nr. 10 till den parlamentariska socialförsäkringsutredningen (S 2010:04). Stockholm: Social Ministry.
Palme, J., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O., Minas R. 2009. European Social Models, Protection and Inclusion. Research Report 2009/1. Stockholm: Institute for Future Studies.
Nelson, K. 2003. Fighting Poverty: Comparative Studies on Social Insurance, Means-tested Benefits and Income Redistribution. Dissertation Series No. 60. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
Journal articles
Nelson, K., Borg, I., Nieuwenhuis, R., Alm, S. 2022. The political determinants of housing benefits. European Sociological Review (in press).
Nelson, K. and R. Nieuwenhuis. 2020. Towards a new consolidated framework for analysing benefit coverage. Journal of European Social Policy 31(3):352-362.
Nelson, K., Fredriksson, D., Korpi, T., Korpi, W., Palme, J. and O. Sjöberg. 2020. The Social Policy Indicators (SPIN) database. International Journal of Social Welfare 29(3): 285–289.
Czarnecki, K., Korpi, T., Nelson, K. 2021. Student support and tuition fee systems in comparative perspective. Studies in Higher Education 46(11): 2152-2166.
Alm, S., Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R. 2019. The Diminishing Power of One? Welfare State Retrenchment and Rising Poverty of Single Adult Households in Sweden 1988-2011. European Sociological Review 36(2): 198–217.
Nelson, K. 2017. ‘Lower unemployment benefits and old-age pensions is a major setback in social policy’. Sociologisk forskning 54(4): 287-292.
Nelson, K., Tøge, A.G. 2017. Health trends in the wake of the financial crisis—increasing inequalities? Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 45(18): 22–29.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. and J. Palme. 2016. ‘Social transfers and poverty in middle- and high-income countries – A global perspective’, Global Social Policy 16(1): 22-46.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O. 2014. ’Decomposing the effect of social policies on population health and inequalities: An empirical example of unemployment benefits’, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 42(7): 635-642.
Nelson, K., Fritzell, J. 2014. ‘Welfare states and population health: The role of minimum income benefits for mortality’, Social Science & Medicine 112: 63-71.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O. 2014. ’Unemployment insurance and deteriorating self-rated health in 23 European countries’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 68: 657-662.
Montanari, I., Nelson, K. 2014. ’Health Care Determinants in Comparative Perspective: The Role of Partisan Politics for Health Care Provision’, International Journal of Comparative Sociology 54(5-6): 444 - 465.
Ferrarini, K., Nelson, K., Palme, J. 2013. ‘Levels and targeting of social transfers: counteracting poverty in a global perspective’, Journal of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences 9(7): 17-27.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Korpi, W., Palme, J. 2013. ’Social citizenship rights and social insurance replacement rate validity: pitfalls and possibilities’, Journal of European Public Policy 20(9): 1251-1266.
Nelson, K. 2013. ‘Social Assistance and EU Poverty Thresholds 1990–2008. Are European Welfare Systems Providing Just and Fair Protection Against Low Income?’, European Sociological Review 29(2): 386-401.
Montanari, I., Nelson, K. 2013. ‘Social service decline and convergence: How does health care fare?’, Journal of European Social Policy 23(1): 102-116.
Lundberg, O., Åberg Yngwe, M., Fritzell, J., Bacchus Hertzman, J., Bergqvist, K., Ferranini, T., Nelson, K., Rehnberg, J., Sjöberg, O. 2013. ‘The effect of social protection and income maintenance policies on health and health inequalities’, European Journal of Public Health 23(1).
Nelson, K. 2012. ‘Counteracting material deprivation: the role of social assistance in Europe’, Journal of European Social Policy 22(2): 148-163.
Nelson, K. 2010. ‘Social assistance and minimum income benefits in old and new EU democracies’, International Journal of Social Welfare, 19(4): 367–378.
Esser, I., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O. 2009. ‘A Framework for Comparing Social Protection in Developing and Developed Countries: The Example of Child Benefits’, International Social Security Review 62(1): 91-115
Nelson, K. 2008. ‘Minimum Income Protection and European Integration: Trends and Levels of Minimum Benefits in Comparative Perspective 1990-2005’, International Journal of Health Services 38(1): 103-124.
Montanari, I., Nelson, K., Palme, J. 2008. ‘Towards a European Social Model? Trends in Social Insurance among EU countries 1980-2000’, European Societies 10(5): 787-810.
Nelson, K. 2007. ‘Universalism versus Targeting: The Vulnerability of Social Insurance and Means-Tested Minimum Income Protection in 18 countries 1990-2002’, International Social Security Review 60(1): 33-58.
Montanari, I., Nelson, K., Palme, J. 2007. ‘Convergence Pressures and Responses: Recent Social Insurance Developments in Modern Welfare States’, Comparative Sociology 6(3): 295-323.
Korpi, T., Nelson, K., Stenberg, S.Å. 2007. ‘The Accumulation of Social Problems: Multiple Deprivation in Sweden 1974-2000’, International Journal of Social Welfare 16(1): S91–S104.
Nelson, K. 2004. ‘Mechanisms of Poverty Alleviation in the Welfare State. A Comparative Study of Anti-poverty Effects of Non Means-tested and Means-tested Benefits in Five Countries in the 1990s’, Journal of European Social Policy 14(4): 371-390.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. 2003. ‘Taxation of Social Insurance and Redistribution: A Comparative Analysis of Ten Welfare States’, Journal of European Social Policy 13(1): 21-33.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. 2002. ‘Attivazione e coordinamento. Il caso svedese (Activation and Coordination: The Swedish Case)’, Assistenza Sociale, n. 2 aprile-giugno: 37-60.
Book chapters
Birnbaum, S. and K. Nelson. 2022. Age Universalism will Benefit All (Ages), in G. Bognar and A. Gosseries (eds.) Aging without Agism? Conceptual Puzzles and Policy Proposals. Oxford: Oxford University Press (in press).
Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R., Yerkes, M.A. 2022. Social policy research in changing European societies, in Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R., Yerkes, M.A. (eds.) Social Policy in Changing European Societies: Research Agendas for the 21st Century. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (in press).
Yerkes, M.A., Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R. 2022. Where to from here? Social policy research in future European societies, in Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R., Yerkes, M.A. (eds.) Social Policy in Changing European Societies: Research Agendas for the 21st Century. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (in press).
Nelson, K. 2020. Revisiting the ‘Dependent Variable Problem’: Wim’s Contribution to a Long-Lasting Debate. In Laenen, T., Meuleman, B., Otto, A., Roosma, F., Van Lancker, W. (eds.) Leading Social Policy Analysis from the Front: Essays in Honour of Wim van Oorschot. Leuven: KU Leuven.
Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R, Alm, S. 2019. Sweden: Adjoining the Guarantee Pension with NDC. In Holzmann, R. and E. Palmer Progress and Challenges of Nonfinancial Defined Contribution Pension Schemes: Addressing Gender, Administration, and Communication. Washington: World Bank Publications.
Ebbinghaus, B., Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R. 2019. Poverty in Old Age. In B. Greve (ed.) Routledge International Handbook of Poverty. London and New York: Routledge (in press).
Bäckman, O. and K. Nelson. 2017. The Egalitarian Paradise?, in P. Nedergaard and A. Wivel Handbook on Scandinavian Politics. London: Routledge.
Nelson, K. 2014. Minimum Income Protection and European Integration: Trends and Levels of Minimum Benefits in Comparative Perspective, in Navarro, V. and Muntaner, C (eds.) The Financial and Economic Crises and their Impact on Health and Social Well-Being. New York: Baywood.
Fritzell, J., Bacchus Hertzman, J., Bäckman, O., Borg, I., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. 2013. Sweden: Increasing income inequalities and changing social relations, in B. Nolan, W. Salverda, D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. McKnight, I. György Tóth and H. van de Werfhorst (eds.) Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Thirty Countries’ Experiences. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Montanari, I., Nelson, K. 2013. Health care provision: An exploratory analysis of increase, decline, converging trends and driving forces in comparative perspective, in E. Pavolini and A.M. Guillén Public Health Care Systems between Restructuring and Retrenchment. Institutional reforms and performance in EU countries. HoundMills: Palgrave MacMillan.
Nelson, K. 2012. Individuell ofärd, ojämlikhet och socialpolitik. Sverige i ett bredare europeiskt perspektiv, in Kön, klass och etnicitet. Jämlikhetsfrågor i socialförsäkringen, Socialförsäkringsrapport 2012:4. Stockholm: Social Insurance Office.
Marx, I. and K. Nelson. 2012. A New Dawn for Minimum Income Protection?, in Marx, I and Nelson, K. (eds.) Minimum Income Protection in Flux. HoundMills: Palgrave MacMillan.
Ferrarini, T. Nelson, K., Höög, H. 2012. From Universalism to Selectivity. Old wine in New Bottles for Child Benefits, in Marx, I and Nelson, K. (eds.) Minimum Income Protection in Flux. HoundMills: Palgrave MacMillan.
Kuivalainen, S., Nelson, K. 2011. Eroding Minimum Income in the Nordic Countries and Abroad? Reassessing the Typical Character of Nordic Social Assistance, in Kvist, J., Fritzell, J., Hvinden, B., Kangas, O. Changing Social Equality - The Nordic Welfare Model in the 21st Century. Bristol: Policy Press.
Ferrarini, T., Sjöberg, O., Nelson, K. 2010. Multipla välfärdsproblem: Sverige i ett jämförande perspektiv, in SoS Social Rapport 2010. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare.
Bäckman, O., Esser, I., Ferrarini, T., Korpi, T., Nelson, K., Rojas, Y., Sjöberg, O. 2009. Comparative Indicators on Job Quality and Social Protection, in Guillén A.M. and S-Å. Dahl Quality of Work in the European Union. Concept, Data and Debates from a Transnational Perspective. Bruxelles: P.I.E. Peter Lang.
Nelson, K. 2006. The Last Resort: Determinants of the Generosity of Means-Tested Minimum Income Protection Policies in Welfare Democracies, in Carroll E. and L. Ericsson Welfare Politics Cross-Examined: Eclecticist Analytical Perspectives on Sweden and on the Developed World: Amsterdam: Aksel Atland Printers.
Korpi, T., Nelson, K., Stenberg, S.Å. 2006. Välfärdsproblem i Befolkningen, in SoS Social Rapport 2006. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare.
Other publications
Nelson, K. and J. Palme. 2022. ESPN Thematic Report on National monitoring frameworks for public social spending – Sweden, European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission
Fritzell, J., Nelson, K., Palme, J. 2021. Country chapter: Sweden. In Spasova, S., Ghailani, D., Sabato, S., Vanhercke, B (eds.) Social protection of non-standard workers and the self-employed during the pandemic. Report 2021.05. Brussels: ETUI.
Nelson, K. 2021. Sociologförbundet har ordet – Konferenser och prisutdelning. Sociologisk forskning, 58(3): 355.
Fritzell, J., Heap, J., Nelson, K. and J. Palme. 2021. ESPN Thematic Report on Access to social protection for young people – Sweden, European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission.
Nelson, K. 2021. Sociologförbundet har ordet – Våren är här. Sociologisk forskning, 58(1-2): 193.
Fritzell, J., Nelson, K., Heap, J., Palme, J. 2021. ESPN Thematic Report: COVID-19 impact on social protection and social inclusion policies: Sweden. European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission.
Nelson, K. 2020. ‘Sociologförbundet har ordet – Sociologförbundet i sociala medier’. Sociologisk forskning 57(3-4): 435.
Nieuwenhuis, R., Nelson, K., & Fredriksson, D. 2020. Introducing the SPIN visualization tool, Deliverable 1.6, Leuven, InGRID-2 project 730998 – H2020.
Nelson, K. 2020. Book Review: Unequal Europe: Regional Integration and the Rise of European Inequality. Acta Sociologica 64(1): 118-119.
Nelson, K. 2020. Sociologförbundet har ordet – Den nya styrelsens arbete. Sociologisk forskning 57(2): 221.
Nieuwenhuis, R., Nelson, K., Bircan, T., Burman, S., Eneroth, M., Machado, J., Metzing, M., Nicaise, I., Schupp, J. 2019. Migrants’ Social Rights: Evaluating a new approach to collect institutional data for comparative research, Leuven, H2020 InGRID-2 project.
Knutagård, M., Heap, J., and Nelson, K. 2019. ESPN Thematic Report on National strategies to fight homelessness and housing exclusion – Sweden. European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission.
Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R. 2019. Analysing benefit coverage: A new analytical framework. Leuven, InGRID-2 project 730998 – H2020.
Nelson, K., Nieuwenhuis, R., Alm, S. 2019. Sweden: Adjoining the Guarantee Pension with NDC. No 136557, Social Protection and Labor Policy and Technical Notes. Washington: The World Bank.
Nelson, K., Lindh, A. 2019. ‘Från Sociologförbundet’. Sociologisk Forskning 56(1): 79-80.
Nelson, K., Fritzell, J. Heap, J. 2018. ESPN Thematic Report on In-work poverty in Europe, Sweden
2018-2019. Brussels. European Commission.
Nelson, K. 2018. ‘Review: Carly Elizabeth Schall, The Rise and Fall of the Miraculous Welfare Machine: Immigration and Social Democracy in the Twentieth-Century Sweden. New York: Cornell University Press, 2016’. Sociologisk forskning 55(1): 111-113.
Fritzell, J., Heap. J., Nelson, K., Palme, J., Schön, P. 2017. ESPN Thematic Report on Progress in the implementation of the 2013 EU Recommendation on “Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage”, Sweden 2017. Brussels: European Commission.
Doctrinal, L., Fredriksson, D., Nelson, K. and Sirén, S. 2017. Deliverable 22.1: Inventory on core social policy databases and indicators for comparative research. Leuven, FP7 InGRID project.
Van Gyes G., Nelson K., Steinmetz S. and M. Hermans. 2017. Deliverable 2.4: Short-term future agenda of the InGRID research infrastructure: servicing European research from data to policy on Inclusive Growth. Leuven, FP7 InGRID project.
Nelson, K., Palme, J., Burman, S., Eneroth, M. 2017. ESPN Thematic Report on Access to social protection of people working as self-employed or on non-standard contracts: Sweden 2017. Brussels: European Commission.
Doctrinal, L. and K. Nelson. 2015. Comprehensive Indicators for the Analysis of Out-of-Work Benefits: Introducing the Out-of-Work Benefits Dataset. InGRID Deliverable 22.3. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. and J. Palme. 2015. Levels and targeting of social benefits in global perspective: Combatting poverty through social policy. LIS working papers series - No. 647. Luxembourg: Luxembourg Income Study.
Nelson, K. and J. Fritzell. 2015. ESPN Thematic Report on minimum income schemes: Sweden 2015. Brussels: European Commission.
Esser, I., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Palme, J. and O. Sjöberg. 2013. Unemployment Benefits in EU Member States. Brussels: Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission.
Nelson, K. 2013. 'Review Article: Fighting Working Poverty in Post-industrial Economies: Causes, Trade-offs and Policy Solutions', International Journal of Social Welfare 22(4): 440-441.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. and H. Höög. 2012. The Fiscalization of Child Benefits in OECD Countries. GINI Discussion Paper No. 49: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS), University of Amsterdam.
Fritzell, J., Hertzman, J.B., Bäckman, O., Borg, I., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K. 2012. Country Report on Growing Inequality and its Impacts in Sweden. Country report of the Growing Inequalities’ Impacts (GINI) Project. Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS), University of Amsterdam.
Palme, J., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O. 2012. Rehabiliteringen måste utvecklas. Debattartikel i Göteborgsposten (GP), 31 Juli.
Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg, O. 2012. Social Rights and Self-Related Health in Europe. Commissioned paper for Task Group 4 on GDP, Taxes, Income and Welfare within the Review of Social Determinants and the Health Divide in the WHO Euro Region. World Health Organization.
Nelson, K. 2011. Discussion Paper on Improving the efficiency of social protection. The Peer Review in Social Protection and Social Inclusion and Assessment in Social Inclusion. Brussels: European Commission.
Nelson, K. 2011. Synthesis Report on Improving the efficiency of social protection. The Peer Review in Social Protection and Social Inclusion and Assessment in Social Inclusion. Brussels: European Commission.
Kuivalainen, S. and K. Nelson. 2010. The Nordic welfare model in a European perspective. Working Paper 2010: 11. Stockholm: Institute for Futures Studies.
Montanari, I. and K. Nelson. 2010. Health Care Developments in EU Member States: Regressing Trends and Institutional Similarity? Working Paper 2010:7. Stockholm: Institute for Futures Studies.
Nelson, K. 2009. ’EU behöver en mer ambitiös socialpolitik (EU needs more ambitous social policies)’, Framtider 1/2009.
Nelson, K. 2009. Minimum Income Protection and Low-Income Standards: Is Social Assistance Enough for Poverty Alleviation? Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics 9/2009. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
Nelson, K. 2009. Social Assistance and Minimum Income Protection in the EU: Vulnerability, Adequacy, and Convergence. LIS Working Paper No. 511. Luxembourg: Luxembourg Income Study.
Nelson, K. 2008. Adequacy of Social Minimums: Workfare, Gender and Poverty Alleviation in Welfare Democracies. LIS Working Paper 474. Luxembourg: Lu<xembourg Income Study.
Nelson, K. 2007. Introducing SaMip: The Social Assistance and Minimum Income Protection Interim Dataset. Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics 11/2007. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
Esser, I., Ferrarini, T., Nelson, K., Sjöberg O. 2007. Terms of Reference for the Study of Social Protection in Developing Countries. Stockholm: The Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Bäckman, B. Esser, I. Ferrarini, T. Korpi, T., Nelson, K., Rojas, Y., O. Sjöberg. 2007. Documentation of Data for the Analysis of Job Quality. RECWOWE Working Paper: Task 03.01. Stockholm: Institute for Futures Studies.
Nelson, K. 2006. The Social Assistance and Minimum Income Protection Interim Data-Set: Variables and Codes. Mimeo Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
Nelson, K. 2006. Social Insurance Developments in the European Union 1980-2000: Un-Intended Convergence, Replacement Rates, and Welfare State Models. Published speech at the Joint Workshop Notre Europe &Eur-IFRI, The European Social Model(s): Which directions and responsibilities for the EU? Paris: Institut Français des Relations Internationales (Ifri).
Nelson, K. 2006. The Social Assistance and Minimum Income Protection Interim Data-Set: Documentation. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research
Nelson, K. 2004. The Formation of Minimum Income Protection: The Institutional Development of Means-tested Benefits in Different Types of Welfare States, 1960-2000. LIS Working Paper No. 373. Luxembourg: Luxembourg Income Studies.
Nelson, K. 2004. The Last Resort: Determinants of Generosity of Means-tested Minimum Income Protection in Welfare Democracies. Compass Working Paper 2004-21.
Ferrarini, T. and K. Nelson. 2002. The Impact of Taxation on the Equalizing Effect of Social Insurance to Income Inequality: A Comparative Analysis of ten welfare states. LIS Working Paper Series No. 327. Luxembourg: Luxembourg Income Studies.
Ferrarini, T. and K. Nelson. 2002. Estimating Post-tax Social Insurance Benefits: Validity Problems in Comparative Analyses of Net Income Components form Household Income Data. Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics 6/2002. Stockholm: Swedish Institute for Social Research.
