Can someone point me in the right direction please? (Degree essay related)

[TheNightIsDark]

If you had to compare women's experiences of the welfare state in the twentieth century with Britain and another European country what would you choose?

I've found loads for Britain and it's really interesting how it affected women's lives but I'm a bit stumped for comparisons. I'm leaning towards Germany but I'm not sure if the east and west aspect alone may take me well over my word count!

Could you focus on either East or West, instead of both?

East and West were separate countries so if you did both that wouldn't be a comparison of Britain with one other, so you'd need to be careful on checking exactly what you're being asked to do. That aside, East Germany would be an interesting comparison, stark differences in political systems. But the starkness would become the focus whereas a comparison with West Germany would be more about the minutiae which would also be interesting.

A Scandinavian country is an obvious choice given their embracing of the welfare state and thus being held up as advanced in that area.

Thanks everyone. I thought Germany as that's where a lot of the welfare ideas came from at the beginning of the twentieth century. But then again that might be a bit obvious a choice.

Scandinavia is a good idea. We haven't done anything on it throughout the course but it doesn't specify that it needs to be an area covered in the course materials.

I'd pick Ireland. Mainly because documentation/laws etc will be in English. In some ways the UK and Ireland are very similar and in others totally different.

One huge difference would be the amount of welfare that was entrusted to the RC church / charities and organisations.

Two of my cousins came from what was colloquially know as, 'the naughty girls' home' in Leeds, this was a place run by RC nuns who 'found' RC families to adopt the babies.

I hadn't even considered Ireland! Thank you.