Please join the Department of Sociology for presentation by: *David Garland, Professor of Sociology and Law, New York University*** Wednesday, November 13, 2013 HW-1631 4:15 -- 5:25 (Reception to follow) *“What is the Welfare State? A Sociological Inquiry”* In the wake of the crash of 2008, “the social question” – how to regulate free market capitalism so as to ensure a necessary minimum of social security, social integration and social justice – is once again at the top of the political agenda. And so too is the question of the welfare state, which for more than a half a century has been modern society’s institutional response to that question. Since the 1980s, the “welfare state” has had only negative connotations in political debate but sociological analysis suggests a very different conception. Far from being a “failure” or a “problem,” the welfare state is an essential element of contemporary capitalism and a vital concomitant of democratic government. It is neither a policy choice nor a political preference: it is a fundamental dimension of modern capitalist society. Drawing on the work of Emile Durkheim, Karl Polanyi and Wolfgang Streeck, this lecture will analyze the welfare state as a “normal social fact” in capitalist democracy.” *PLEASE RSVP* via email to Lynn Chancer ([log in to unmask]) or Tom DeGloma ([log in to unmask]) ** David Garland is widely published in the areas of law and criminology. Notable publications include *Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in the Age of Abolition* (Harvard and Oxford 2010); *The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society* (University of Chicago and Oxford 2001); and *Punishment and Modern Society: A Study in Social Theory* (Chicago and Oxford 1990). -- Thomas DeGloma Assistant Professor Associate Editor, *Symbolic Interaction* Department of Sociology Hunter College, CUNY 695 Park Avenue, 16th Floor Hunter West New York, NY 10065 Phone 609.576.2297 Fax 212.772.5645 http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/ The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Stephen Biko Speak loudly, even if your voice shakes. -Unknown When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix