Comparativism, the Labour-Social Policy Nexus and Intra-National Analysis: A Case Study

Abstract

Analyses of the labour-social policy nexus are predominantly cross-national and regional in approach. Comparisons of individual policy domains within nations are less common. This paper is an intra-national comparative analysis of jobseekers and workers with family responsibilities in Australia, focusing on the relationship between labour law and social security law in each domain. The comparison demonstrates that cross-national comparativism can benefit from insights provided by intra-national approaches. Most notably, intra-nationalism sheds different light on the relative integrative potential of labour and social policies. It also elevates the role of the law and of moral values in the process of marketisation.