Social Wage

["Eric Nilsson" <enilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In a recent article (Theory and Society, Aug 1995)
Immanuel Wallerstein wrote,

"What a welfare state essentially involved was a social wage,
where a portion (a growing portion) of the income of
wage-workers came not directly from employers' wage
packets but indirectly via government agencies. This system
partially delinked income from employment . . . "

He goes on to qualify this statement by saying not every worker,
or every working class fragment, benefitted equally from
the social wage. And, that the social wage has fallen in recent
years.

My understanding is that Wallerstein's claim about the welfare
state/social wage is accepted by many (most? all?) on the left. (I think
this claim grew in importance by the early 1980s, replacing
perhaps the O'Connor view that the welfare state is to be
seen, largely, as dealing with contraditions within capitalism
in a way that benefits capitalists).

Does anyone disagree with Wallerstein's claims? What evidence
is used to support/attack Wallerstein's position?

Eric Nilsson


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