Social Policy and the Government of Waste.pdf (357.55 kB)
Social policy and the government of waste
This article argues that key elements of contemporary social policy can be fruitfully analysed through the lens of waste. Drawing on work identifying the importance of waste and waste disposal in the history of modernity and early liberal theory, the article develops two concepts of waste – waste as inertia and waste as excess – and uses these to shed light on aspects of recent social policy in the areas of unemployment, health care, and higher education. In particular, it is argued that the theme of waste is able to capture the desire of recent governments to deploy social policy explicitly to economic ends – including economic growth and capital – and the consequences it sets in motion for citizens who fail to comply with stipulated obligations. It is also argued that the government of waste is a source of political legitimacy for the state.
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Publication status
- Published
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- Accepted version
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Capital and ClassISSN
0309-8168Publisher
SAGEExternal DOI
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2Volume
42Page range
297-313Department affiliated with
- Law Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-08-04First Open Access (FOA) Date
2017-08-04First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-08-04Usage metrics
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