The recent global recession, preceded by easy access to credit, led to a household debt epidemic. This book examines the causes, consequences and potential public policies related to debt from a social policy perspective, in which over-indebtedness is understood as a social risk. Heikki Hiilamo presents a unique conceptual and theoretical approach to the topic ?- one of the most pressing social issues of the modern Western world. The trajectories of increasing household debt are studied in the contexts of the US and the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Norway. Household Debt and Economic Crises examines remedies to prevent and alleviate the over-indebtedness epidemic, creating a conceptual framework with which to analyse the causes and consequences of debt. Hiilamo argues that social policies are needed to tackle the current borrowing crisis that endangers and prevents the full participation in society of individuals with excessive debts. Academics and students of social policy, economics and social-epidemiology will find this an indispensable and thought-provoking read. With analysis of countries across Europe and the US, policymakers, public officials and NGOs working with household debt problems will find this a timely addition to the literature for highlighting future paths in research and policy.

This book brings together philosophers, social psychologists and social scientists to approach contemporary social reality from the viewpoint of solidarity. It examines the nature of different kinds of solidarity and assesses the normative and explanatory potential of the concept. Various aspects of solidarity as a special emotionally and ethically responsive relation are studied: the nature of collective emotions and mutual recognition, responsiveness to others' suffering and needs, and the nature of moral partiality included in solidarity. The evolution of norms of solidarity is examined both via the natural evolution of the human "social brain" and via the institutional changes in legal constitutions and contemporary work life. This text will appeal to students, scholars, and anyone interested in the interdisciplinary topic of social solidarity.