Neoliberalism and the Underclass Thesis : Social Divisions in the Era of Welfare Reform

ISBN-13: 9783639110692 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 264 str.

Sonia Martin

Opis

Adaptation of social policy to the ideas and philosophies of a socially conservative neoliberalism during the last quarter of the 20th century has led to new and emerging social divisions legitimised by contentious assumptions about human behaviour. Some welfare recipients are considered behaviourally and/or morally deficient, crystallised in conservative accounts of an 'underclass'.This book is a critical analysis of social divisions in the context of a neoliberal policy environment. The period under study is 1980 to 2005, with focussed attention on Australian social policies under the Howard-led socially conservative liberal government post-1996. Guided by critical social theory, the analysis draws on data on social divisions, policy records, and field interviews, that shows contemporary social policy is informed by contentious assumptions about human behaviour, and subsequently converted into corresponding welfare practice.The findings are an important contribution to theoretical debates about social policy and the underclass phenomenon, and have strategic implications for future policy directions.

O autorze

Sonia Martin is a senior research associate in the School of
Historical Studies at The University of Melbourne.