Analyzing Social Security Benefits for War Veterans through the Lens of the Politics of Recognition

In traditional social security frameworks social security is defined as the protection that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to healthcare and to guarantee income security. This approach is primarily need-based, focusing on providing essential support to individuals who find themselves in vulnerable situations due to specific life circumstances. However, when considering the impacts of war, it becomes evident that traditional social security frameworks must adapt to address the unique needs and conditions that war presents.

The concept of the politics of recognition emphasizes the importance of acknowledgment and validation of individual and collective identities within societal contexts. This concept is particularly pertinent when analyzing social security benefits for war veterans, a group whose recognition—or lack thereof—can have profound implications for societal stability, especially in the aftermath of conflicts. This research explores how the politics of recognition applies to the social security benefits allocated to war veterans in five countries—Russia, Ukraine, the United States, Israel, and Finland—each with distinct historical experiences of interstate warfare.

The relevance of this analysis is heightened by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. In the aftermath of such conflicts, the way a society treats its veterans can play a critical role in either stabilizing or destabilizing the post-war order.

The research will address the following questions:

1. How are war veterans recognized and valorized within each country’s social security system?
2. What are the similarities and differences in the social security benefits provided to war veterans across selected countries and how do these differences reflect the historical and cultural contexts of each country with reference to politics of recognition?

This research employs comparative policy analysis at the level of benefit legislation, a method particularly useful for examining comparative public policy.