Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T05:25:47.416Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Poverty and Social Justice in the Devolved Scotland: Neoliberalism Meets Social Democracy?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2009

Gill Scott  and
Gerry Mooney
Gill Scott
Affiliation:
School of Law and Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University E-mail: [email protected]
Gerry Mooney
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, The Open University in Scotland E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Drawing on current debates in social policy, this paper considers the extent to which social justice has and is informing social policy making in devolved Scotland. Relating to the work of social justice theorists Young, Fraser and Lister in particular, it critically examines some key Scottish social policy measures since 1999, considering some of the ways in which these have been constructed in terms of social justice and which make claims to the Scottish national. Through a focus on the issue of anti-poverty policies, the paper explores the ways in which the dominant policy approaches of the Scottish Government have reflected an uneven and tension-loaded balance between the enduring legacies of Scottish social democracy and the influences of neoliberal economics.

Type
Themed Section on Social Policy in the Devolved Scotland: Towards a Scottish Welfare State?
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , July 2009 , pp. 379 - 389
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bartolini, S. (2005), Restructuring Europe: Centre Formation: System Building and Political Structuring between the Nation-State and the European Union, Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beland, D. and Lecours, A. (2007), ‘Federalism, nationalism and social policy decentralisation in Canada and Belgium’, Regional and Federal Studies, 17, 4, 405–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beland, D. and Lecours, A. (2008), Nationalism and Social Policy: The Politics of Territorial Solidarity, Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, J. (2005), ‘Welfare states as nation states: some conceptual reflections’, Social Policy and Society, 4, 4, 407–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission on Scottish Devolution (2008), The Future of Scottish Devolution within the Union: A First Report, Edinburgh: Commission on Scottish Devolution.Google Scholar
Craig, G., Burchardt, T. and Gordon, D. (eds.) (2008), Social Justice and Public Policy, Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Dewar, D. (1998), Quoted in The Glasgow Herald, 3 February.Google Scholar
Fraser, N. (2000), ‘Rethinking recognition’, New Left Review, 3, 107–20.Google Scholar
Greer, S.L. (ed.) (2009), Devolution and Social Citizenship in the UK, Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Keating, M. (1997), ‘Stateless nation-building: Quebec, Catalonia and Scotland in the changing state system’, Nations and Nationalism, 3, 4, 698–717.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keating, M. (2007), ‘A Scottish social democracy?’, in Keating, M. (ed.), Scottish Social Democracy: Progressive Ideas for Public Policy, Brussels: PIE Peter Lang, pp. 281–7.Google Scholar
Kenway, P., MacInnes, T. and Palmer, G. (2008), Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2008, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation/New Policy Institute.Google Scholar
Lister, R. (2004), Poverty, Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
MacWhirter, I. (2007), ‘The tartan revolution’, The Guardian, 27 October.Google Scholar
MacWhirter, I. (2008), ‘Do we want to end up like Iceland?’, The Guardian, 18 October.Google Scholar
McEwen, N. (2006), Nationalism and the State: Welfare and Identity in Scotland and Quebec, Brussels: PIE Peter Lang.Google Scholar
McKendrick, J.H., Mooney, G., Dickie, J. and Kelly, P. (eds.) (2007), Poverty in Scotland 2007, London: Child Poverty Action Group.Google Scholar
Maxwell, S. (2008), ‘Tackling Scottish poverty: principles and absences’, Discussion Paper delivered at Tackling Poverty in Scotland: Principles, Absences and Opportunities Seminar, The Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh, 25 April.Google Scholar
Miller, D. (1995), On Nationality, Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Mooney, G. (2006), Social Justice in the Devolved Scotland: Representation and Reality, ESRC Social Justice and Public Policy Seminar Series Social Justice and Devolution (Seminar 4), Glasgow, 28 March.Google Scholar
Mooney, G. and Johnstone, C. (2000), ‘Scotland divided: poverty, inequality and the Scottish Parliament’, Critical Social Policy, 20, 2, 155–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, G. and Scott, G. (eds.) (2005), Exploring Social Policy in the ‘New’ Scotland, Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Mooney, G., Scott, G. and Williams, C. (2006), ‘Rethinking social policy through devolution’, Critical Social Policy, 26, 3, 483–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, G. and Williams, C. (2006), ‘Forging new “ways of life”? Social policy and nation building in devolved Scotland and Wales’, Critical Social Policy, 26, 3, 608–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, G., Scott, G. and Mulvey, G. (2008), ‘The “Celtic Lion” and social policy: some thoughts on the SNP and Social Welfare’, Critical Social Policy, 28, 3, 378–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morelli, C. and Seaman, P. (2007), ‘Devolution and inequality: a failure to create a community of equals’, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 32, 523–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, J. and Yeates, N. (eds.) (2008), Social Justice: Welfare, Crime and Society, Maidenhead: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Parry, R. (1997), ‘The Scottish Parliament and social policy’, Scottish Affairs, 20, Summer, 34–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paterson, L., Brown, A., Curtice, J., Hinds, K., McCrone, D., Park, A., Sproston, K. and Surridge, P. (2001), New Scotland, New Politics?, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press/Polygon.Google Scholar
Rodríquez-Rose, A. and Gill, N. (2003), ‘The global trend towards devolution and its implications’, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 21, 333–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmuecker, K. (2008), ‘Social justice in the UK: one route or four?’, in Craig, G., Burchardt, T. and Gordon, D. (eds.), Social Justice and Public Policy, Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 181–204.Google Scholar
Scottish Executive (1999), Social Justice . . . a Scotland Where Everyone Matters, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.Google Scholar
Scottish Executive (2007), Choosing Scotland's Future: A National Conversations, Edinburgh: The Scottish Executive.Google Scholar
Scottish Government (2007), The Government Economic Strategy, Edinburgh: The Scottish Government.Google Scholar
Scottish Government (2008a), Achieving our Potential: A Framework to Tackle Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland, Edinburgh: The Scottish Government.Google Scholar
Scottish Government (2008b), ‘Taking forward the government economic strategy: discussion paper on tackling poverty, inequality and deprivation in Scotland’, Scottish Government, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Scottish Parliamentary Information Centre (SPICe) (2008), ‘Single outcome agreements: an overview of SOAs signed off by Scottish government and local authorities’, SPICe Briefing 08/47, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Stewart, J. (2004), Taking Stock: Scottish Social Welfare after Devolution, Bristol: The Policy Press.Google Scholar
The Herald (2008), ‘Murphy in “arc of insolvency attack on SNP”’, The Herald, 12 October.Google Scholar
Williams, F. (1989), Social Policy: A Critical Introduction, Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Williams, C. and Mooney, G. (2008), ‘Decentring Social Policy? Devolution and the Discipline of Social Policy: A Commentary’, Journal of Social Policy, 37, 3, 489–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, I. (2000), Inclusion and Democracy, New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar