Universalism, selectivism and particularism

Abstract

The impact of postmodernism on theories of social policy has called into question the established basis of welfare provision. Existing compromises between universalism and particularism, equality and diversity, have been unsettled. This paper re-examines the question of the appropriate balance between these values in light of the issues postmodernism raises. Although postmodernists provide good reasons to reject crude forms of universalism, it remains possible to defend a sophisticated universalism that, while committed to equality, is able to be sensitive to diversity by incorporating significant elements of both selectivism and particularism. While the realization of such a social policy would also require an ap propriate form of welfare governance, this form can only be briefly sug gested here. In sum, it is argued that, by learning from an encounter with postmodernism, contemporary social policy can begin to combine uni versalism with particularism, equality with diversity, and consistency of treatment with group empowerment.

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