Think Out Loud

"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience." -John Dewey

Political Parties and the Welfare State

The infrastructure and style of implementing social services may be shaped by several diverse factors, including social and cultural norms, constitutional rights, and party politics. In Development and Crisis of … Continue reading

April 24, 2012 · Leave a comment

Markets as Institutions and Market Reform as a Constructive Process

Steven K. Vogel, writing in 2007, challenges the neoliberal concept of “free markets” and the idea that these markets become more competitive through a deconstructive process of deregulation.  First, the … Continue reading

April 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

Isaiah Berlin’s Karl Marx and a Marxist-Materialist Argument for Regulation of Industry

One fundamental point of tension in the realm of Political Science is that between rationalism and idealism.  The rationalist argument asserts that individuals, classes, and societies at large make decisions … Continue reading

April 24, 2012 · Leave a comment

Necessary Knowledge, Part 2

[The following is a synthesis of ideas from Spicker’s Social Policy: Themes and Approaches (2008) and Titmuss’ Commitment to Welfare (1968)] The multidisciplinary, problem-oriented study of social policy is a … Continue reading

April 24, 2012 · Leave a comment

Necessary Knowledge discussion: What to learn to improve the world

What must we understand in order to create a social order that satisfies (at least) the material needs of individuals in a nation? Berlin’s Marx proposes that Das Kapital was … Continue reading

April 24, 2012 · Leave a comment

Welcome to my online portfolio and blog

This blog is a platform  to explore ideas surrounding environmental sustainability, human alienation, and interpretations of enlightenment. All comments are welcome.  Personal messages should be addressed to samantha(dot)sprole(at)gmail(dot)com.

August 8, 2011 · Leave a comment