Political economy of coal-mine safety and its contribution to the theory of the welfare state
Conservative, liberal, and marxist explanations of the origins and function of social welfare benefits are identified. The conservatives see defined right benefits as error in the system, resulting from excesses of political democracy and functioning to interfere with the market, and functioning to reduce the viability of the economy. Individual action alone produces real benefit. Liberals disconnect social welfare and the economy, offering an explanation in formal electoral processes and asserting fulfillment of the humanitarian impulse as the function of welfare. Technical innovation leads to progress. This study tests these theories in a case study of the benefit of decreased death and injury derived by U.S. coal miners from 1970 to 1977. The benefit is compared in magnitude to that of miners other than coal. Results show that a considerable benefit in reduced death and injury was derived and that this benefit can best explained through a complex neo-marxist analysis of the economic and social conditions affecting coal miners then. Wildcat strikes, defying union, company and, government combined with permissive economic conditions such as, rising demand for coal, labor intensity requirements, and increased production and profitability, to make safety salient.
- Research Organization:
- Brandeis Univ., Waltham, MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5791436
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
COAL MINERS
SURVIVAL CURVES
COAL MINES
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
POLITICAL ASPECTS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MINERS
MINES
PERSONNEL
SAFETY
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
016000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Health & Safety
015000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
294002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Petroleum