**5. Convergence**

Welfare states and varieties of capitalism are depicted as being more or less resilient to internal and external pressures. A number of studies have tried to show, for example, how the core institutional and policymaking characteristics of different welfare and production systems have remained firmly in place since the 1980s, even in the face of common pressures [33]. However, another body of comparative research has argued the opposite that different countries not only experience the same pressures but also in ways that lead them to converge toward a single organizational structure or pattern of output. The convergence theory holds that sociopolitical and structural changes, including globalization and economic crises [15] are homogenizing pressures that push all countries toward the same institutional logics, policies and/or outcomes. In this way, convergence is a process whereby differences between countries become less discernible over time.

However, previous studies have paid more attention to institutions, policies and the ideas influencing policy-making than to socio-economic outcomes [34]. A more up-to-date and comprehensive study is therefore needed to determine the extent of convergence in the post-crisis period.
