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Social democracy has made a political comeback in recent years, especially under the influence of the ‘Third Way’. Not everyone is convinced, however, that ‘Third Way’ social democracy is the best means of reviving the Left's project. This book considers this dissent and offers an alternative approach. Bringing together a range of social and political theories, it engages with some contemporary debates regarding the present direction and future of the Left. Drawing upon egalitarian, feminist and environmental ideas, the book proposes that the social democratic tradition can be renewed but only if the dominance of conservative ideas is challenged more effectively. It explores a number of issues with this aim in mind, including justice, the state, democracy, new technologies, future generations and the advances in genetics.
advance that strategy. Given the fact that ecowelfare draws upon a variety of egalitarian, feminist and environmental ideas, this suggests that our analysis should centre upon social movements and their ability to counter the conservative hegemony and to radicalise social democracy. Before proceeding, two points need to be made. First, I will not delve into the details of social movement theories, namely how, why and under which circumstances social movements emerge and mobilise. This will divert us too far from our main task, which is to examine whether a welfare