From a critical perspective founded in Marxism and feminism, Leonard uses elements of postmodern deconstruction to consider how we might now re-think the present and future of welfare. He draws the reader into a dialogue about the implications for reconstructing welfare: of changes in ideas about the individual subject; the context of culture and racism; the organization of welfare; the nature of ′the new economy′; and the possibilities of a politics of resistance.
Peter Leonard, Professor at the School of Social Work at McGill University, Canada, and was previously Professor of Applied Social Sciences, University of Warwick, UK. He has written extensively on social theory and social welfare, and is the author of five books, including Social Work Practice Under Capitalism (with Paul Corrig, Macmillan, 1978); and Personality and Ideology (Macmillan, 1984).