The Social Investment State in Iran: A Comparative Study of the European Union's Lisbon Strategy and Welfare Policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The emergence of the third generation of welfare states gained prominence in social policy literature during the tenures of Bill Clinton in America and Tony Blair in Britain. This ideological framework was highly influential, leading the European Union to adopt it in its 2020 horizon through the Lisbon strategy, aiming to foster a positive welfare society, combat social exclusion, and progress toward social integration. In contrast, a country like Iran, devoid of the historical trajectory experienced by developed nations and bypassing the initial two generations of welfare models, is striving to embrace this new approach akin to developed countries. The burgeoning empowerment literature observed in the fourth and fifth development programs can be attributed to this endeavor. This article delves into a comparative analysis, investigating disparities between the European Union's Lisbon strategy and Iran's fourth and fifth development plans. The focal point of the exploration lies in understanding the evolution of the social investor-state concept in sociological studies and its application within the realm of social policies. The social investor government approach adopted by the European Union, while stimulating employment and economic growth, has faced challenges in effectively addressing the core issue within the union—combating poverty and social exclusion. Conversely, Iran's pursuit of a social investor-state model, despite notable advancements in poverty alleviation, grapples with obstacles hindering the country's economic progress. Factors such as economic sanctions and significant oil price hikes in recent years have complicated comparing the social investor government's position between the European Union's welfare state and Iran's context.