Irving, Zoe Margaret orcid.org/0000-0001-5014-0261 (2021) The Legacy of Austerity. Social Policy and Society. pp. 97-110. ISSN 1475-3073
Abstract
In considering the impact of austerity, much attention has been focused on the immediate effects of public spending cuts and on documenting the resulting increase in hardship and unmet needs. However, in calculating the consequences of austerity for the welfare state, it is its enduring legacy that is equally important. This article examines the proposition that the indirect effects of austerity on social, economic and political relations are as significant for the welfare of future generations as the ‘decade of austerity’ has been for contemporary welfare. The analysis draws on the approach adopted by Paul Wilding (1992) reflecting on the 1980s as the ‘decade of Thatcherism’. Wilding’s ten legacies are recategorised across four dimensions: normalising a non-commitment to welfare, societal scarring, refuelling the race to the bottom and diminishing the political capacity for change. The conclusions suggest that austerity will abide in the social and political relations of welfare long after austerity measures have ceased.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2021. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Austerity,welfare state,commitment to welfare,societal scarring,welfare transformation |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 21 Apr 2021 08:10 |
Last Modified: | 01 Apr 2025 23:09 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746420000500 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S1474746420000500 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:173280 |
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