The Making of a Periphery: How Island Southeast Asia Became a Mass Exporter of Labor by Ulbe Bosma (review)

Labor: Studies in Working-Class History, Volume 20, Issue 1 © 2023 by Labor and Working-Class History Association (4). Making Social Welfare Policy in America subordinates the role social movements and political allegiances play in shaping policy, instead charting how shifting political motivations are, at least to some extent, beholden to the administrative structures that emerge in moments of quick compromise. In his conclusion, Berkowitz invites readers to decide whether his approach or that of “social critics” yields better insights. Berkowitz abstains from the robust and worthwhile scholarly conversations about the trajectory of twentiethcentury US social policy and politics and how history helps us understand the problems we face today. But Making Social Policy in America is rife with insights about the changing priorities and values of US policymakers. It shows us why those of us interested in inequality should all pay attention to administrative structure and, tacitly, sheds light on the profound importance of universal social policy. Berkowitz doesn’t want to be a social critic, but his work has insights for people who do.