The ideological orientation of the new dawn project

This paper is concerned with the ideological dimension of the New Dawn project. It focuses on two analytical tasks. The first is to show that this project is not an independent reform measure. Instead it is a part of a series of pro-market welfare-to-work programmes launched by the Government to tackle social exclusion. The second is concerned with the debate on the desirability of this project in reducing social exclusion. As the design of this project is heavily indebted to market values, it is highly supported by those analysts and policy-makers who stress the importance of the labour market in helping socially excluded groups achieve social inclusion but it receives criticisms from those analysts who question the ability of the private market in tackling social exclusion. By carrying out these two tasks, the paper raises our awareness of the fact that whether people support the New Dawn project or not reflects not only their judgment on the effectiveness of this project in meeting the needs of single parents and carers on the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme but also their views on market ideologies.