Bura has written an insightful book by tracing the history of social policy ideas. It is crucial to acknowledge that we are living in a transition period. The book contributes to the recent debates in political economy, postcapitalism, and social change. It calls for rede-fining the guiding parameters of the distribution of wealth in the global system. -- Yusuf Murteza, ILR Review - the Journal of Work and Policy Bringing a unique perspective to critical scholarship on capitalism, Social Policy in Capitalist History will prove indispensable to academics and postgraduate students of economic history and sociology, social policy, industrial and employment relations and political economy. -- Heterodox Economics Newsletter, Issue 331, August 2024 In a masterful historical sweep, Ayse Bugra presents a political-economic theory of social policy, its doctrine and practice in the critical intersection between capitalism and society, retracing its development from the early modern period to todays end of globalization as we know it. -- Wolfgang Streeck, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne, Germany This insightful book serves as a timely reminder of the profound influence of ideas in shaping the evolution of social policy, especially in an era marked by a dearth of reasoned alternatives to the prevailing global order that is marred by inequality and insecurity. This book offers a unique perspective on the inherently political nature of social policy debates, anchoring them within the historical context of capitalism, including the post-Second World War transformations in peripheral economies. -- Volkan Yilmaz, Ulster University, Northern Ireland, UK Most social theorists and economists would agree that government programs to help the poor, the sick, the unemployed, and the old are part and parcel of a capitalist economy. Any workable form of capitalism requires society to be sheltered from the extreme risks it would otherwise be exposed to from unregulated markets. But as Aye Buras fascinating book shows, the specific form that social policy should take under capitalism is unclear and has long been contested. Bura provides a thorough and incisive account of the intellectual history of social policy, from the 16th century to our post-pandemic economy. -- Dani Rodrik, Harvard University, US
