The negative view of the word “state” which, some hold, can be one reason
for the lack of a clear discussion and presentation of the concept of welfare,
might lie in the fact that “the concept of welfare has been constructed largely
through the state’s organisation of domestic life” (Hanmer & Hearn 1999: 112).
However, the interaction and use of the variety of different theoretical underpinnings
of the concept can be a vital element in understanding and defining
welfare.