Suchergebnisse

Provides an overview of American welfare policy, a chronology of important events, an annotated bibliography, and other resources for conducting further research

Based on papers presented at a Workshop on the Politics of the Welfare State, sponsored jointly by Government and Opposition and the Department of Government, University of Manchester, held in Manchester, England, Sept. 13-14, 1984.

The welfare state in the UK & elsewhere is currently caught up in a number of crises. The slowing of economic growth has reduced the resources available for its support & has consequently exposed it to theoretical challenges. In particular, it has been criticized as seeking to fulfill needs that are in fact illimitable. In addition, market & liberation theorists have suggested that the welfare state is hostile to individual autonomy & responsibility, & serves the interests of welfare professionals more than those of the poor. It appears, however, that fundamental changes in policy are less likely than incremental readjustments. The issues raised by this crisis concern the basic nature of the relation of society to state, & of both to the individual. W. H. Stoddard

Feminists' engagement with contemporary US welfare reform is investigated. Although the Personal Responsibility Act is interpreted as an aggressive affront to women's rights, it is asserted that US feminists offer little resistance to the welfare reform policy. Rather than advocate women's choice to work either inside or outside the home, feminists are delineated as only supporting wage-earning employment for women. It is contended that feminists' attention to welfare reform emphasizes female recipients' personal deficiencies rather than problems with the welfare system. Moreover, emphasis on female recipients' decision making supports the dominant position that individuals who require financial support are morally deficient. Even though the termination of welfare is viewed as a positive objective, it is stated that poor women's input in ending welfare is needed. Therefore, women's domestic caregiving should be recognized as a legitimate form of work, & women's participation in the labor market must be rendered a more meaningful experience. 8 References. J. W. Parker