Social Relations and Social Exclusion: Rethinking Political Economy (Routledge Studies in Governance and Public Policy)

Examining the rational individual, this book develops a new approach to the theory of social relations. It explores how far we make sense of society on the assumption that people act as independent and free individuals, exercising rational choice. Re-examining the family, community, workplace and state, the author offers a thorough and original critique of the social policies of 'New Labour'. This work sets out a new approach to understanding society, based on rational choice theory. Starting from assumptions about the nature and context of human action, this text provides a reinterpretation of our major social institutions In social science as in natural science there is no shortage of people who make fundamental assumptions about what human beings are 'really' like. Taking the rational individual as its primary social unit, this book develops a new approach to the theory of social relations Peter Somerville. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [183]-204) And Index.