Privatisation and the Local Welfare State: The Case of Toronto's Social Services

In the 1980s one of the most significant changes occurring in the development of the welfare state is the process of privatisation. This paper argues that privatisation has important consequences for local communities and the formation of the state in particular places. After outlining some of the causes and consequences of privatisation, the paper presents a case study of recent changes in the provision of social services in Toronto, Ontario. It is argued that some of these changes are the result of economic restructuring, but other changes in the demand and supply of social services are themselves the outcome of changes in the state's welfare policies.