Social Relations and Social Excursions: Rethinking Political Economy (Routledge Studies in Governance and Public Policy, 4)

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'. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of tables......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction: a theory of social relations......Page 14 Households and families......Page 26 Communities and community development......Page 61 Contractual relations and social divisions......Page 101 State citizen relations and social justice......Page 125 Policy implications: the case of housing......Page 157 Conclusion......Page 178 Bibliography......Page 196 Index......Page 218 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.