Democracy, Justice, and the Welfare State

“This is an extremely clear, thoughtful, and sophisticated treatment of a range of issues surrounding the relationships among care, needs, justice, and democracy. It is a discussion that is informed by two case studies, but its major focus is upon the kinds of conceptual conclusions to which a consideration of these experiences directs our attention. Julie Anne White seeks to relocate the idea of care (away from the ‘independent’ rights-bearing individual) upon terrain where it is not vulnerable to the critique of neoliberals. But, at the same time, she resists certain conventional formulations of needs and of justice as (impartial) fairness—formulations that tend to devalue actors’ own accounts of their needs and, with it, their autonomy. Her appeal is to reconstruct care on the model of dialogic and discursive democracy.” —Chris Pierson, Author of Beyond the Welfare State?

“Once we recognize that care is an important political concern, we face the question: what makes some forms of public care better than others? In this book, Julie White, through a series of excellent case studies, argues for public care that is democratic and non-paternalistic. She makes an important contribution to the evolving feminist ethics of care in describing essential political values for public care.” —Joan C. Tronto, Hunter College of the City University of New York

“This book works well for students, other academics, and practitioners interested in welfare policy, particularly for those with political theory background.” —Mark C. Shelley, II, Perspectives on Political Science