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Welfare Workers As Surplus Population: A Useful Model?, Paula Dressel, Mike Sweat, Michelle Waters

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Analysts of organizational and employment issues in social welfare are in need of a more critical orientation for framing debate. We propose that an understanding of welfare workers as surplus population offers critical insights into a number of longstanding welfare concerns, including political coalitions, professional standards, and worker burnout. Empirical evidence is presented to undergird the credibility of the surplus population argument.