The Reformation of Welfare The New Faith of the Labour Market
- Bristol Bristol University Press 2021
- 1 online resource (218 p.)
Free-to-read
"Western culture has 'faith' in the labour market as a test of the worth of each individual. For those who are out of work, welfare is now less of a support than a means of purification and redemption. Continuously reformed by the left and right in politics, the contemporary welfare state attempts to transform the unemployed into active jobseekers, punishing non-compliance. Drawing on ideas from economic theology, this provocative book uncovers deep-rooted religious concepts and shows how they continue to influence contemporary views of work and unemployment: Jobcentres resemble purgatory where the unemployed attempt to redeem themselves, jobseeking is a form of pilgrimage in hope of salvation, and the economy appears as providence, whereby trials and tribulations test each individual. This book will be essential reading for those interested in the sociology and anthropology of modern economic life. Chapters 1 and 3 are available Open Access via OAPEN under CC-BY-NC-ND licence."
Open licence
eng
9781529211320 9781529211344 9781529211351
Economics--Religious aspects--Christianity. Employment (Economic theory)--Religious aspects. Welfare state--History. Welfare state--Religious aspects. Économie politique--Aspect religieux--Christianisme. Emploi--Aspect religieux. État providence--Aspect religieux. État providence--Histoire. Economics--Religious aspects--Christianity Social and ethical issues Social discrimination & inequality Social discrimination and social justice Social issues & processes SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General. Social services and welfare, criminology Social welfare and social services Society & culture: general Society and culture: general Society and Social Sciences Sociology and anthropology Sociology: work and labour Sociology Welfare and benefit systems Welfare state