Workfare states / Jamie Peck ; foreword by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peck, Jamie.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public welfare--United States.

Public welfare.

Welfare recipients--Employment.

United States.

Public welfare--Canada.

Canada.

Public welfare--Great Britain.

Great Britain.

Welfare recipients--Employment--United States.

Welfare recipients.

Welfare recipients--Employment--Canada.

Welfare recipients--Employment--Great Britain.

United States--Social policy--1993-.

Social policy.

Canada--Social policy.

Great Britain--Social policy--1979-.

Physical Description:

xviii, 414 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Guilford Press, [2001]

Summary:

This book examines the political economy of workfare, the umbrella term for welfare-to-work initiatives that have been steadily gaining ground since candidate Bill Clinton's 1992 promise to "end welfare as we know it." Peck traces the development, diffusion, and implementation of workfare policies in the United States, and their export to Canada and the United Kingdom. He explores how reforms have been shaped by labor markets and political conditions, how gender and race come into play, and how local programs fit into the broader context of neoliberal economics and globalization. The book cogently demonstrates that workfare rarely involves large-scale job creation, but is more concerned with deterring welfare claims and necessitating the acceptance of low-paying, unstable jobs. Integrating labor market theory, critical policy analysis, and extensive field research, Peck exposes the limitations of workfare policies and points toward more equitable alternatives.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1572306351

157230636X

OCLC:

45556166