Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Rowman & Littlefield International
Pages: 248
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9
978-1-78661-352-3 • Hardback • October 2019 • $140.00 • (£108.00)
978-1-78661-353-0 • eBook • October 2019 • $38.99 • (£30.00)
Douglas Voigt is an Associate Fellow at the Post-Growth Societies College at Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, Germany.
Introduction: Normative Theory and Empirical Research
1. Defining the Hartz Regime
Part I: How Can We Analyse Labour Market Institutions with a Theory of Social Justice?
2. Theories of Justice and Comparative Political Economy
3. Social Justice between System and Lifeworld / 4. Social Justice in Contemporary Labour Markets
Part II: Is the Hartz Regime Socially Just?
5. Bringing System and Lifeworld into Methodology
6. From Lifeworld to System: Action Orientations and Labour Market Integration in the Hartz Regime
7. From System to Lifeworld: Normative Constraints and Instrumental Reasoning in the Social Structure of German Capitalism
8. Theory Reconstruction for the Comparative Analysis of Social Justice
Conclusion
Ambitious conceptually, innovative methodologically, and compelling empirically, Douglas Voigt's book is a must-read for anybody interested in the normative commitments inherent to both welfare/workfare regimes and welfare/workfare scholarship. Voigt delivers a convincing critique of the social investment paradigm in scholarly and 'real world' terms, forcing us to think anew about what we mean by 'social justice' and why that matters.
— Ian Bruff, Lecturer in European Politics, University of Manchester
Though 'critical' is increasingly en vogue as an ornamental prefix, there are few successful attempts to draw on the Frankfurt School in empirical political economy. Voigt's book is a brilliant exception. As such it is so much more than 'just' a normative analysis of the German labor market. It is a path-breaking methodological contribution to the general field.
— Magnus Ryner, Professor of International Political Economy, King's College London
Social Justice and the German Labour Market is a significant contribution to the ongoing debate on fair and just work and how the Hartz IV reforms break with the idea of institutions reflecting our fundamentally universal being. This book is a stark reminder that it takes much more to achieve social justice in modern society than hitting 'performance targets' and simple labour market measures.
— Florian Ranft, Policy Fellow, Das Progressive Zentrum, Germany
Marrying erudition with insight, Douglas Voigt positions contemporary issues of social justice within a rigorous and original theoretical framework to deliver a rare and rarely powerful synergy between empirical analysis and philosophical reflection. The lucid narrative, often sparkling with wit, makes this important book a pleasure to read.
— Albena Azmanova, Professor in Political and Social Theory, University of Kent, UK