Ideologies of welfare : from dreams to disillusion

by John Clarke, Allan Cochrane, Carol Smart

Over the last decade the post-war consensus on the welfare state has been undermined by economic recession and political controversy. The new right has denounced the profligacy of public services and proclaimed the virtues of privatization. The traditional left has questioned questioned the paternalistic and bureaucratic character of the established welfare agencies. In every sector, and with uneven success, attempts are being made to transform the welfare state. The State of Welfare is a new series of books which will tackle emerging trends in the provision of welfare services. The British welfare state has been a political and ideological battleground since its inception, yet many of the voices in the crucial debates have been lost in orthodox histories. Ideologies of Welfare explores the development of the welfare state thought the century; the Beverage and the 1970's and 1980's. Each section focuses on four main, and competing laissez-faire individualism, feminism, socialism and feminism. The tension between them is developed in a selection of substantial readings which are contextualized and contrasted by detailed commentaries from the authors. For the first time we can trace the development of four key strands of welfare ideology in their own words. Buried debates are re-opened and hidden traditions identified, continuity and change are highlighted. The concluding chapter looks at the future of social security and examines the relationship between ideology and policy. The combination of documentary material and commentary provides an invaluable history of welfare in the twentieth century for students of social policy and administration.

206 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information. This is John^Clarke.

Reviews

[Scott Neigh]

Reviewed here.