The overall theme of the volume is the understanding of human dignity, autonomy and human rights in health care and social services in modern welfare states, with special reference to the Nordic countries. Focus is put on vulnerable groups such as children, individuals with cognitive impairment or mental illness and persons with physical disabilities. Experts from different disciplines identify ethical and legal dilemmas in modern welfare services and describe how basic values and/or rights are or may come in conflict in concrete situations. Of particular interest is how the human rights perspective challenges the policies and regulations of modern welfare states and at the same time provides the overall normative direction as for how to solve ethical, legal and social conflicts or shortcomings. Although the human rights perspective is the most dominant, insights from philosophy and social sciences provide both a necessary and fruitful supplement to the legal approach.
The volume is of interest for academics, researchers and students in the field of health care ethics, human rights and welfare state policies. It presents a challenging outlook on dilemmas characteristic for the modern welfare state in general, and for the Nordic countries in particular, and it gives the reader important insights and references for further studies.
