The purgatorial ethic and the spirit of welfare

What is it about?

Welfare sanctions are not just inefficient and cruel, but embody the deep religious ideas of purgatory - the inspiration for the idea that punishment could be edifying, purifying and transformative for job-seekers. We demonstrate historically that the idea of purgatory pre-figured the workhouse, and that 'work-first' and punitive welfare policies dominated Lutheran and Puritanistic jurisdictions. Thus, purgatory returns, even where it is 'repressed', animating the logic of governors and shaping the experiences of jobseekers. The 'purgatorial complex' can be seen in the design of welfare systems, political speeches, and in the experiences of claimants – including those who have been sanctioned. In this article we focus on Ireland, an outlier and latecomer to the welfare activation, because there, the implementation of a purgatorial complex is still highly visible

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Why is it important?

Rather than simply criticising the 'neo-liberal' ideology of welfare sanctions, we explain the purgatorial motivations behind the system - which contributes to a broader 'theological turn' within sociology. Politically the piece is important because it explains why governments are inclined to activation and sanctions, and therefore insists that a more rational and humane system is possible.

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