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Society development is the expectation that most countries in the world are trying to get. Upon establishing development master plan, any country highlights the objective of becoming a prosperous and wealthy society for all people. This means that the quality of development is the highlighted content, in other words, the issue of the nations is that growth must be accompanied by development, economic growth must ensure social progress and justice. Growth cannot be gained at any cost to avoid ruining and degrading the natural environment and social cultural environment. For Europe, the world has to recognize that this is a continent of comprehensive development achievement, typically the nations in the European Union (EU) listed in the group of developed countries with the world’s leading income. In spite of being the world’s leading developed countries, European countries still have to cope with many difficulties and challenges to gain higher achievements of the social development. The modern development period indicates that the social development model and social development process management system of developed European countries that are regarded as quite prominent in the previous period are now encountered with many obstacles known as paradoxes of the development. The previous success cases such as North European development model, Germany development model and UK development model show a lot of disadvantages to be overcome.
New factors of the modern period make European scholars, politicians study and review the social development model and respective management system to succeed in the strategy of moving towards knowledge economy based on a prosperous society of the post-industry civilization. The European people must adjust and improve their development model so that such model can be continually applied to the outside world and recognized by the outside world as a standard to follow. In spite of many problems, the social development model of the Europe still shows many eminent characteristics and serves as a topic to be studied not only for Europe but also some developing countries such as Vietnam. Studying European model will help Vietnam learn both successful and unsuccessful experiences to apply into the promotion of sustainable economic development in the own conditions.
During the economic and social development, Vietnam has gained great achievements that have never been gained by the country history. In the “post-renovation” period, Vietnam economy continues to grow at high rate and growth quality has been more appreciated. Vietnam is regarded by the World Bank as one of the most successful countries in realizing millennium objectives on poverty reduction. However, in order to achieve the objective of early escaping from low development to, by 2020, basically become an industrial nation in the modern manner as pointed out by the Resolution adopted by the 11th Party Congress in 2011, we must also overcome a wide range of challenges in all aspects of the political, economic, foreign life and social development. These issues attract the dedication not only of leaders and scientists but also of all people who are interested in the country destiny. For this very reason, studying foreign experience in the promotion of social development and establishment of social development models that can be operated effectively is necessary and regular. The necessity of studying European experiences, leading and opposing lessons from the establishment and adoption of European social models doesn’t lie outside such common demand.
Although, in Vietnam, there have been some theoretical researches on the development but the theory of social development is still not studied much. This work is designed to study, systematize common theories that have been recognized in Europe regarding the social development model so as to supply scientific information, contribute to the establishment of theoretical basis on social development and the establishment of social development model in Vietnam based on the combination between general knowledge of the world, of Europe and characteristics of Vietnam. From that point of view, the research focuses on solving the following issues:
1) Studying, clarifying and systematizing generally accepted theories in Europe on the social development model as well as correlations based on the official viewpoints of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Overview on the theoretical issues on social development; Basic content of theories on development, social development and social development model in Europe; Viewpoint and understanding of Vietnamese scholars on the theory of development, social development and related concept categories; Understanding and basic concepts related to the research development such as growth and development, social development and social development model …mentioned and analyzed while viewpoints and contents of theory on social development and social development model).
2) Studying social development models in Europe (Studying overview of the social development model of developed European countries, especially welfare state and social security system; Impact of European aligned development in the trend of super-nation, creating steady basis for the general social model formation all over Europe; Civil - theoretical and practical society in Europe in the united process; Market economic development models in Europe, generic and specific characteristics in some typical nations, social factor of the market economy development process and the formation, operation of social development models).
3) Studying, surveying, analyzing, evaluating and clarifying the nature, characteristics, conditions of formation, achievements and pending issues of the typical social development models in some nations in the European Union. This research focuses on 4 typical types of models as follows: North European model (Sweden, Finland, Denmark) - Sweden; Anglo-Saxon model (Ireland, UK) - UK; Continental model (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxemburg) - Federal Republic of Germany; Mediterranean model (Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greek) - Spain.
These are four typical social development models of the developed European countries for research. However, with the viewpoint of regarding these four models as European models and way of operation, way of social development management, inside each model, there are similarities, thus the research will focus on generalizing and clarifying general changes of the four models in the direction of boosting integration process. This means that the development trend in the coming time of the models will show the increased similarities and reduced differences to formulate a European development model applied to all developed European countries, especially the member nations of EU.
4) Studying, evaluating and putting for recommendations and lessons for Vietnam after studying the formation and operation of the typical social development models of developed European countries with the unity in diversity.
The research on “Social development model of some developed European countries” - Experience and significance for Vietnam” is the result of the Scientific theme at State level with code KX.02.13/06-10 conducted under the contract signed by and between the Institute of European Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The theme manager in the initial period is Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Khoat. During the two first years of performance (2008 - 2009), the research group gained important results and held a wide range of scientific events such as holding domestic and international scientific workshops, conducting international survey in European countries, conducting survey in some localities in the country, collecting materials and establishing special subject scientific reports, reporting preliminary report, drafting overview report. However, after the Theme manager, Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Khoat died suddenly in 2010, the research was left unfinished and the research group of the line agency the Institute of European Studies had great difficulties in choosing whether to continue the research or not. After discussion, consideration on the actuality, quantity of completed work, finally the line agency and researchers have unanimously placed high determination on continuing the research task. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the line agency Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences decided to entrust the Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan - Institute of European Studies to be the Theme manager to inherit the research direction and complete incomplete works in the previous period. With the active participation by Dr. Bui Nhat Quang - Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and other researchers in the research group, the Scientific theme at State level continued to be done. Most difficulties have been eventually overcome and the Theme was finished with the highest progress and quality. After acceptance at grassroots level in October 2010, the research group acquired contributions to adjust and supplement. At the beginning of 2011, the research was classified as excellent by the State Acceptance Council.
As such, this book is the result of the scientific work after many years of experience with great efforts made by scientists. The author expects to bring to the readers new, useful and practical information on the social development issue and European social development model. It can be said that social development is a very wide research issue and off course cannot avoid different viewpoints and comments in the judgment and evaluation on this research issue, especially in the context of developed European countries with a view to applying to a developing country like Vietnam. From such viewpoint, the authors are always willing to acquire multifaceted comments on the subjects for analysis and research in this scientific work.
Dr. Bui Nhat Quang