Policy, citizenship and governance: the case of disability and employment policy in Australia

Abstract

Current discussions regarding the relationship between welfare governance systems and employment promotion in disability policy appeal to a rejuvenated neo-liberal and paternalistic understanding of welfare governance. At the core of this rationality is the argument that people with disabilities not only have rights, but also duties, in relation to the State. In the Australia welfare system, policy tools are deployed to produce a form of self-discipline, whereby the State emphasises personal responsibility via assessment tools, ‘mutual obligation’ policy, and motivational strategies. Drawing on a two-year semi-longitudinal study with 80 people with a disability accessing welfare benefits, we examine how welfare governance subject recipients to strategies to produce productive citizens who are able to contribute to the national goal of maintaining competitiveness in the global economy. Participants’ interviews reveal the intended and unintended effects of this activation policy, including some acceptance of the logic of welfare-to-work and counter-hegemonic resistance to de-valued social identities.

Keywords:

• welfare to work
• social policy
• neo-liberalism
• disability governance

Notes

1. Allowances such as the unemployment benefit (Newstart Allowance) are paid at a lower rate than pensions in Australia. This discrepancy is partly an historical artefact because it was thought that unemployment would always be a temporary phenomenon.