INTRODUCTION show certain national specifics. Pursuant to that, their reach and efficiency also differ. Key words: active social policy, activation, activation strategy, employment. Introduction Characteristics and demands of social and economic development, along with the numerousness and seriousness of social problems it may be in(directly) linked with, have substantially altered the contents of social functions of modern states. Compared to the period of its origin, the state with welfare responsibilities towards its citizens has fundamentally evolved. At the same time the very"foundations of 'mature' welfare states in'developed' capitalist states are changing"(Dean, 2006:1), but in the rest of the world, as well. Up to the 1970s, national welfare states had been developed in conditions of eco­nomic growth, relatively low unemployment rates and relatively high wages, as well as stable family nucleus. Typical social risks in this period had been coped with in the social security system, though pension, disability, health and unem­ployment insurance, as well as social protection and/or help. Starting from the 1980s and in particular the 1990s, transformations in the labour market, family structure and population in general brought about the appearance of social needs of extremely diverse types. At the same time, it became obvious that these"new" social needs 44 could not be fully met within the traditionally designed social security systems, that is to say through social benefits as passive measures prevailing in the existing policies of institutional overcoming of social problems. 45 Simultaneously there came certain withdrawal of the state or leaving of more space to private initiatives in all areas of social systems. This was motivated by the changed standpoint about collective responsibility and value concept of the so­called"collective contract" between the state and the individual. On general level, this change is reflected on the increasing importance of paradigms of political 44 These are social needs which were broadly speaking generated by transformation and‘transition” into the so­called post-industrial society which brought about certain“new“social risks. They include: low qualification level or outdated qualifications; employment in non-profitable economic sectors; flexible employment forms(in terms of problems linked with the exercise of rights to social benefits in the event of part-time job); job with inappropri­ate or insecure income; impossibility of reconciling work and family obligations; single parenthood; care for rela­tives; inadequate coverage with social security system; wrong selection of private social security; new poverty and social exclusion. 45 “For successive generations social policy was limited to providing social assistance and insurance against sev­eral well-defined social risks such as: short-term unemployment, incapability of working and insufficient resources in childhood and during pension. This approach was based on series of presumptions: that different levels in the life of individuals such as childhood, school, work and pension are clearly marked and separated; that the roles of genders in family are well defined, women being housewives and men employed; that there are strong links within the family nucleus; and that those who are working generally have constant full-time jobs. These presumptions are no longer applicable to the majority of the OECD countries. Lifestyle varies more and people change or combine different activities at a different age. The model of man-worker is ever more overcome. There is a smaller number of children who spent their entire childhood with both biological parents. People sepa­rate and families are frequently re-formed. Employments are often stopped, due to unemployment, disability, resumption of education, child rearing and care for the elderly”(OECD, 2005:1) 119