Understanding the precise nature of the relationship between the family, the economy, and the state has long been a central concern for social scientists across multiple disciplines. First published in 1986, Family, Economy, and State examines different dimensions of the social reproduction process, analyzing the institutions, social processes, and forms of state intervention that contributed to the reproduction of households and working populations in the advanced industrial societies of that era.
Building on the scholarship available at the time, the contributors establish the reproductive sector as a series of interconnected private (family) and public (state) institutions, developing a framework for understanding the relationship between the welfare state and the imperatives of the broader economy. The book presents significant new thinking and research findings on the topic, offering fresh insights into the nature of the welfare state in North America and Europe during the mid-1980s. It further investigates aspects of the social reproduction process that had not been adequately addressed in the existing literature. Throughout, issues and topics are analyzed using theoretical and empirical approaches that remain sensitive to the importance of the historical dimension.