The classic welfare state did not address itself to problems of consumption; there was not much to consume. Today, climate change entails profound changes in consumption; everyone will have to make sacrifices, consuming less. How should such necessary sacrifices change our thinking about the provision of welfare - whose classic moral logic was to give people more, to expand aspiration, rather than to shrink desire.

Richard Sennett (@richardsennett) is a sociologist and Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University. His research interests include the relationship between urban design and urban society, urban family patterns, the urban welfare system, the history of cities and the changing nature of work. He has served as a consultant on urban policy to the Labour party and is a frequent commentator in the press. 

Shani Orgad is Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Dr Orgad gained a Bachelor's degree in Media and Communications with Sociology and Anthropology from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, following which she obtained both a Master's and PhD in Media and Communications at LSE. Her research interests include gender and the media, media representations and contemporary culture, representations of suffering, new media, the Internet and computer-mediated communication, narrative and media, media and everyday life, media and globalisation, health and new media and methodological aspects of doing Internet research. 

Dr Robert Falkner is Research Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Associate Professor of International Relations at LSE.

This is 1 in a series of 4 public lectures that Richard Sennett will deliver on Welfare After Beveridge. The others take place on 16 January, 23 January and 5 February. 

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEBeveridge

Podcast 

A podcast of this event is available to download from Welfare After Beveridge: sacrifices.

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.

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