Margaret Somers

Margaret Somers is Professor of Sociology and History at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her previous book, Genealogies of Citizenship: Markets, Statelessness, and the Right to Have Rights, won

Is cruelty the key to prosperity?

According to many politicians, removing benefits is necessary to compel the unemployed to work even if their children suffer as a consequence. What’s the origin of this idea? Listen to a recorded audio version of this article courtesy of curio.io.

By Margaret Somers and Fred Block

/ 27 Oct 2014