ABSTRACT
Phases of socio-economic development can be characterised by different indicators, but the ‘dominant work morale’ seems to be a particularly apt way of describing a specific socio-economic regime. The 20th century is, in its entirety, distinct and distinguishable from 19th century ‘Manchester capitalism’ through the invention and gradual perfection of ‘Fordism’. The welfare state brought in its wake the generalisation and bureaucratisation of insurance against some risks of wage-labour life (accidents, illness, old age, finally unemployment) and of transfer between social positions (mostly between active labour and those out of work for different reasons) and across the generations. A category of ‘hopeless cases’ is regularly sanctioned by conditional welfare entitlements: overlooked in such labelling is the fact that they are deemed ‘hopeless’ in relation to the available means of welfare and social work only. In providing resources private charity proves indispensable where exclusion is organised by the state.
