The aim of this programme is to establish the theoretical and institutional underpinnings that characterize the reciprocal rights and obligations amongst citizens and between the citizens and the state in modern liberal society.
It does so through the notion of a social contract, a concept which once featured prominently in classic legal and political theory, as a means of reassessing the relationship between the individual and the state.
The issues are addressed from a range of perspectives, including measures for effective redistribution through social welfare programmes in Europe, loyalty benefits in the Middle East, and the need for a global social contract to encompass Africa and the developing world.
Professor Frank Castles delivered a lecture in Oxford on 7th October to ask whether emergency events could be used by policymakers to instigate welfare reforms.
Read a transcript
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