Social Policy, Political Economy and the Social Contract
By Jonathan Wistow
Published
Jul 20, 2022Page count
190 pagesISBN
978-1447352617Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Jul 20, 2022Page count
190 pagesISBN
978-1447352600Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Jul 20, 2022Page count
190 pagesISBN
978-1447352631Dimensions
Imprint
Policy PressPublished
Jul 20, 2022Page count
190 pagesISBN
978-1447352631Dimensions
Imprint
Policy PressIn this challenging and original study, Jonathan Wistow positions social policy within political economy and social contract debates.
Focusing on individual, intergenerational and societal outcomes related to health, place and social mobility in England, he draws on empirical evidence to show how the social contract produces long-standing, highly patterned and inequitable consequences in these areas. Globalisation and the political economy simultaneously contribute to the extent and nature of social problems and to social policy’s capacity to address them effectively.
Applying social contract theory, this book shows that society needs to take ownership of the outcomes it produces and critically interrogates the individualism inherent within the political economy.
Jonathan Wistow is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Durham University.
1. Introduction
2. The political economy
3. Globalisation and devolution
4. Place: uneven geographies and spatial inequalities
5. Health and health inequalities
6. Social mobility
7. The intergenerational contract
8. Conclusion