David Garland (1)

garland investigates in about 140 pages what the welfare state is and how it has formed over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in modern post-industrial societies. while a short introduction, it is rather comprehensive on the purposes, problems, and conceptualizations of the welfare state. he emphasizes important details about the welfare state beyond providing "welfare". specifically, its place in capitalism and in providing social rights. as he puts it, "the welfare state is a retrofitted set of gears, brakes, and distributors, designed to steer the capitalist juggernaut along a more socially acceptable course." definitely recommend reading this as an introduction to the topic, as it swiftly gets through the politics, economics, and sociocultural details of welfare without focusing too much on less pertinent information.… (more)