A thought-provoking examination of women and the welfare state’s past, present, and future. By connecting historical patterns to contemporary struggles, we can challenge where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

Join CSD for an insightful discussion with scholar and activist Mimi Abramovitz, in celebration of the 4th edition of her book, Regulating the Lives of Women: Social Welfare Policy from Colonial Times to the Present.

The U.S. welfare state has never been a neutral safety net, asserts Abramovitz, it’s been a rulebook. From the Colonial Poor Laws to the 1935 Social Security Act to present initiatives, U.S. social policy has consistently shaped the lives of women.  

In this compelling talk, Abramovitz will explore the historical conditions that led to the creation of the welfare state, its postwar expansion, and the significant rollbacks since the 1980s. Reframing the welfare state as an arena of political struggle, she highlights its deep-seated gendered and racialized myths, exposes how they continue to influence who is protected and who is policed, and suggests that the welfare state simultaneously meets women’s basic needs, controls their lives, and creates the conditions for their resistance.

Focusing on present-day social work, Jessica Toft, associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work, will provide an expert commentary to the discussion. CSD Founder and Co-Director Michael Sherraden will serve as moderator.

For more information and to register visit, https://csd.wustl.edu/the-welfare-state-rulebook/.

A thought-provoking examination of women and the welfare state’s past, present, and future. By connecting historical patterns to contemporary struggles, we can challenge where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

Join CSD for an insightful discussion with scholar and activist Mimi Abramovitz, in celebration of the 4th edition of her book, Regulating the Lives of Women: Social Welfare Policy from Colonial Times to the Present.

The U.S. welfare state has never been a neutral safety net, asserts Abramovitz, it’s been a rulebook. From the Colonial Poor Laws to the 1935 Social Security Act to present initiatives, U.S. social policy has consistently shaped the lives of women.  

In this compelling talk, Abramovitz will explore the historical conditions that led to the creation of the welfare state, its postwar expansion, and the significant rollbacks since the 1980s. Reframing the welfare state as an arena of political struggle, she highlights its deep-seated gendered and racialized myths, exposes how they continue to influence who is protected and who is policed, and suggests that the welfare state simultaneously meets women’s basic needs, controls their lives, and creates the conditions for their resistance.

Focusing on present-day social work, Jessica Toft, associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work, will provide an expert commentary to the discussion. CSD Founder and Co-Director Michael Sherraden will serve as moderator.

For more information and to register visit, https://csd.wustl.edu/the-welfare-state-rulebook/.