The Rise of the Therapeutic State (The City in the Twenty-First Century Book Series)

Polsky presents a thorough history of the creation and continuation of the "therapeutic" system of "treating" marginal citizens. While this history (and the critique that grows out of it) are in themselves fascinating, the most interesting theme of the book is its analysis of how policy, even unsuccessful policy, becomes institutional dogma. The problem that Polsky illuminates--the unwillingness of institutions to change course even when confronted with mounds of evidence that they should--has profound implications for politics. Assuming that ""marginal"" citizens cannot govern their own lives, proponents of the therapeutic state urge casework intervention to reshape the attitudes and behaviors of those who live outside the social mainstream. Thus the victims of poverty, delinquency, family violence, and other problems are to be ""normalized."" But ""normalize, "" to Andrew Polsky, is a term that ""jars the ear, as well it should when we consider what this effort is all about."" Here he investigates the broad network of public agencies that adopt the casework approach 000_FrontMatter......Page 1 001_Chapter 1......Page 11 002_Chapter 2......Page 52 003_Chapter 3......Page 73 004_Chapter 4......Page 95 005_Chapter 5......Page 110 006_Chapter 6......Page 130 007_Chapter 7......Page 147 008_Chapter 8......Page 175 009_Chapter 9......Page 198 010_Chapter 10......Page 223 011_BackMatter......Page 235 'The Rise of the Therapeutic State interprets the development of social policy from a perspective that has often been noted but never elaborated in such a sustained manner. The author has made a forceful normative argument about the contradictions between the therapeutic approach and democracy.' Andrew J. Polsky. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [225]-281) And Index.