Welfare and benefit systems Books

Book SynopsisBased on an extensive series of interviews with MPs and Peers from across Parliament, the book traces the dynamics of political debate on welfare both between and within parties; assesses the emergence of a new political consensus on welfare; details the welfare policy environment and the reform of Parliament under Labour; examines the extent to which MPs support developments in welfare policy; provides the most detailed assessment to date of MPs' attitudes to welfare and their views on the future of the welfare state under Blair and beyond and offers the first consideration of the role of the reconstituted House of Lords in the scrutiny of welfare policy. "Welfare policy under New Labour" provides a timely examination of the role of Parliament in the policy process. It will prove invaluable to scholars and students of social policy and British politics and professionals working in social work and welfare policy. It also provides useful insights for those who wish to lobby Parliament in these fields.Trade Review"Bochel's and Defty's argument is well formulated, clear and empirically supported." Journal of Social Policy, Vol 37:2, 2008.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Continuity and change: the politics of welfare under New Labour; A declining force? Parliament under Blair; Towards a new consensus? MPs' attitudes to welfare; MPs' attitudes to welfare and public opinion; A more assertive chamber: the House of Lords and the scrutiny of welfare; 'Exercising influence and setting limits': MPs' influence on welfare policy; Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisPublic social services are increasingly being individualised in order to better meet the differentiated needs of competent and independent citizens and to promote the effectiveness of social interventions. This book addresses this development, focusing on a new type of social services that has become crucial in the 'modernisation' of welfare states: activation services. The book discusses and analyses the individualisation of activation services against the background of social policy reforms on the one hand, and the introduction of new forms of public governance on the other. Critically discussing the rise of individualised social services in the light of various theoretical points of view, it analyses the way in which activation and the 'active subject' are presented in EU discourse. It compares the introduction of individualised activation services in five EU welfare states: the UK, Germany, Italy, Finland and the Czech Republic, focusing on official policies as well as policy practices. The book provides original insights into the phenomenon of the individualised provision of activation services. It is useful reading for policy makers as well as for students and researchers of welfare states, social policies and public governance.Trade Review"'Making it personal' provides a timely and authoritative engagement with debates about current transformations in social policy. The collaborative research on which it draws traces how such transformations are being experienced in different national policy contexts within the EU; and highlights some of the tensions that result. The authors - and editors - are to be commended for producing this important, engaging and critical study." Janet Newman, Professor of Social Policy, The Open University, UKTable of ContentsIntroduction: The individualisation of activation services in context ~ Rik van Berkel and Ben Valkenburg; Individualising activation services: thrashing out an ambiguous concept ~ Ben Valkenburg; A capability approach to individualised and tailor-made activation ~ Jean-Michel Bonvin and Nicholas Farvaque; Placing the individual 'at the forefront': Beck and individual approaches in activation ~ Håkan Johansson; User involvement in personal social services ~ Ilse Julkunen and Matti Heikkillä; Political production of individualised subjects in the paradoxical discourse of the EU institutions ~ Eduardo Crespo Suárez and Amparo Serrano Pascual; Reforming the public sector: personalised activation services in the UK ~ Bruce Stafford and Karen Kellard; Between universal policy and individualised practice: analysing activation policy in Finland ~ Elsa Keskitalo; Do we know where we are going? Active policies and individualisation in the Italian context ~ Vando Borghi; The individual approach in activation policy in the Czech Republic ~ Tomáš Sirovátka; Rushing towards employability-centred activation: the 'Hartz reforms' in Germany ~ Dirk Jacobi and Katrin Mohr; Individualised activation in the EU ~ Rik van Berkel.

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Book SynopsisThe notion of the European Social Model (ESM) has been one of the fastest growing in European political and academic discourse in recent years. It is conventionally used to describe the European experience of simultaneously promoting sustainable economic growth and social cohesion. However, the concept has suffered from a lack of clear definition. And where definitions have been found in the literature, they do not necessarily converge. This book presents the outcome of a project coordinated by the European Trade Union Institute in which experts from different countries and social scientific disciplines (sociology, political science and economics) were invited to reflect on both the meaning and political status of the concept of the ESM. In addition to analysing the ambiguities and multiple meanings attributed to the concept, the authors unpick the underlying assumptions and make use of a new approach - the ESM as political project - with which European countries can build consensus and share a common understanding. Offering a new analytical framework and with new empirical evidence, "Unwrapping the European Social Model" is essential reading for all those involved in European social policy research, education, policy and practice.Trade Review"Current concerns with achieving the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy together with the recent enlargement and widespread debate on the adoption of a new EU constitution have contributed to renewed interest in the sustainability of the European Social Model. This book offers an up-to-date, wide-ranging and detailed analysis of its impact on member states." Nick Adnett, Faculty of Business and Law, Staffordshire UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction ~ Amparo Serrano Pascual and Maria Jepsen; The concept of ESM and supranational legitimacy-building ~ Maria Jepsen and Amparo Serrano Pascual; Taking stock of social Europe: is there such a thing as a community social model? ~ Janine Goetschy; Employment and pay in Europe and the US: food for thought about flexibility and the European Social Model ~ Wiemer Salverda; Activation policies and the European Social Model ~ Joel F. Handler; Has the European Social Model a distinctive activation touch? ~ Jean-Claude Barbier; The European Social Model and gender equality ~ Lilja Mósesdóttir; The European Social Model and enlargement ~ Maarten Keune; Reforming the European Social Model and the politics of indicators: from the unemployment rate to the employment rate in the European Employment Strategy ~ Robert Salais; Assessing the European Social Model against the capability approach ~ Jean-Michel Bonvin; Social dialogue as a regulatory mode of the ESM: some empirical evidence from the new member states ~ Céline Lafoucriere and Roy Green.

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Book SynopsisSocial justice is a contested term, incorporated into the language of widely differing political positions. Those on the left argue that it requires intervention from the state to ensure equality, at least of opportunity; those on the right believe that it can be underpinned by the economics of the market place with little or no state intervention. To date, political philosophers have made relatively few serious attempts to explain how a theory of social justice translates into public policy. This important book, drawing on international experience and a distinguished panel of political philosophers and social scientists, addresses what the meaning of social justice is, and how it translates into the everyday concerns of public and social policy, in the context of both multiculturalism and globalisation.Trade Review"...this is a sobering and challenging book..... makes a strong case for social policy to play an extensive role in promoting social justice." Nick Axford, British Journal of Social Work Vol 38:8"An impressive collection of uniformly high-quality essays throwing new light on some of the important aspects of social justice. Its attempt to marry theoretical and policy perspectives, and to combine analytical rigour with moral commitment, adds greatly to its value." Bhikhu Parekh, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of WestminsterTable of ContentsIntroduction ~ Tania Burchardt and Gary Craig; Social justice and public policy: a view from political philosophy ~ Jonathan Wolff; Social justice and public policy: a social policy perspective ~ David Piachaud; Multiculturalism, social justice and the welfare state ~ Will Kymlicka; Structural injustice and the politics of difference ~ Iris Marion Young; Recognition and voice: the challenge for social justice ~ Ruth Lister; Globalisation, social justice and the politics of aid ~ Christopher Bertram; Social justice and the family ~ Harry Brighouse and Adam Swift; Children, policy and social justice ~ David Gordon; Social justice in the UK: one route or four? ~ Katie Schmuecker; Monitoring inequality: putting the capability approach to work ~ Tania Burchardt; The limits of compromise? Social justice,' race' and multiculturalism ~ Gary Craig; Understanding environmental justice: making the connection between sustainable development and social justice ~ Maria Adebowale.

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Book SynopsisSocial justice is a contested term, incorporated into the language of widely differing political positions. Those on the left argue that it requires intervention from the state to ensure equality, at least of opportunity; those on the right believe that it can be underpinned by the economics of the market place with little or no state intervention. To date, political philosophers have made relatively few serious attempts to explain how a theory of social justice translates into public policy. This important book, drawing on international experience and a distinguished panel of political philosophers and social scientists, addresses what the meaning of social justice is, and how it translates into the everyday concerns of public and social policy, in the context of both multiculturalism and globalisation.Trade Review"...this is a sobering and challenging book..... makes a strong case for social policy to play an extensive role in promoting social justice." Nick Axford, British Journal of Social Work Vol 38:8"An impressive collection of uniformly high-quality essays throwing new light on some of the important aspects of social justice. Its attempt to marry theoretical and policy perspectives, and to combine analytical rigour with moral commitment, adds greatly to its value." Bhikhu Parekh, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of WestminsterTable of ContentsIntroduction ~ Tania Burchardt and Gary Craig; Social justice and public policy: a view from political philosophy ~ Jonathan Wolff; Social justice and public policy: a social policy perspective ~ David Piachaud; Multiculturalism, social justice and the welfare state ~ Will Kymlicka; Structural injustice and the politics of difference ~ Iris Marion Young; Recognition and voice: the challenge for social justice ~ Ruth Lister; Globalisation, social justice and the politics of aid ~ Christopher Bertram; Social justice and the family ~ Harry Brighouse and Adam Swift; Children, policy and social justice ~ David Gordon; Social justice in the UK: one route or four? ~ Katie Schmuecker; Monitoring inequality: putting the capability approach to work ~ Tania Burchardt; The limits of compromise? Social justice,' race' and multiculturalism ~ Gary Craig; Understanding environmental justice: making the connection between sustainable development and social justice ~ Maria Adebowale.

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Book SynopsisAs religion continues to regain its centrality in both academic and policy circles around the world, this book presents a new framework which examines the complex social and political dynamics shaping social welfare in the Middle East. Based on an in-depth study of the major Muslim and Christian religious welfare organisations in Lebanon (including Hezbollah), and drawing upon supplementary research conducted in Iran, Egypt and Turkey, the book argues that religion is providing sophisticated solutions to the major social and economic problems of the Middle East. It will be of use to students and academics of social policy, sociology, politics and Middle Eastern studies.Trade Review" ....a bold, coherent but also balanced and 'realist' dissection of the role and significance of religious belief and practice within social welfare provision." Chris Baker in Journal of Social Policy"An indispensable resource for academics interested in the revival of religion in social policy as well as professionals in the international development field." Political Studies Review"This book is an essential reference for anyone investigating religion in social sciences in general, due to its extended bibliography, as well as for anyone dealing specifically with social policy frameworks ... will probably become a key addition to the field." Journal of Social Policy and AdministrationTable of ContentsIntroduction: religion and social policy: an old-new partnership; Religion and the foundations of social policy; Lebanon: a profile of political and welfare institutions; A philosophy of social service: faith or social insurance?; Systems of provision and welfare outcomes: defining and treating the causes of poverty; Social solidarity: between power and morality; Social ethics and welfare particularism; What next for the Middle East? Rereading history, re-visioning future possibilities of positive action.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides practitioners with the foundations onto which they can build their own understanding and practice within housing. It is based on two fundamental principles: the importance of homes becoming enabling environments, and promoting user-centred services. The authors argues that occupational therapists working in the distinct context of housing require additional background knowledge and professional skills to those used within healthcare settings. Explores a broad range of theory bases and developing practice within the area of occupational therapy in housing Presents a vast array of knowledge, research and experience Written by occupational therapists working as practitioners, educators and managers, alongside academics in the social policy and disability issues Trade Review"... publication provides the firm foundations to becoming the recommended first choice text for any occupational therapists interested in housing-related issues." (British Journal of Occupational Therapy, January 2007)Table of ContentsContributors. Preface. Chapter 1: The theory bases (Jani Grisbrooke). Chapter 2: The assessment process (Frances Heywood). Chapter 3: The social model and clinical reasoning (Sue Pengelly). Chapter 4: Housing: the user’s perspective (Sally French and John Swain). Chapter 5: Conveying information through drawing (Peter Ashlee, Sylvia Clutton, Sue Pengelly and Jon Cowderoy). Chapter 6: Access standards: evolution of inclusive housing (Paraig O’Brien). Chapter 7: Housing adaptations and community care (Clare Picking). Chapter 8: Ergonomics and housing (Carla Benedict, Samantha Pooley and Jani Grisbrooke). Chapter 9: Evaluation for service users and service performance (Sue Pengelly and Andrew Winfield). Chapter 10: Smart technology at home (Kathryn McNab). References. Index.

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Book SynopsisParents play an important role in shaping the adult lives of their children. The way they use their time and money while children are growing up can have long-lasting consequences. In particular, the paid work done by fathers and mothers affects both the amount of income coming into the family and the time they have available to spend with their children. This report examines the links between parents' employment patterns while their children were growing up and what happens in those children's lives when they become young adults. This study focuses on a number of outcomes, notably: educational attainment; employment and economic inactivity; mental health; and for women, childbearing at an early age. Some of its findings carry important implications for public policy and for further research. A number are likely to prove controversial, arousing public debate concerning their meaning and contemporary relevance.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The research design; The sample: young people and their families; The effects of parents' employment; Other influences; Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisBased primarily on a former coal-mining village in Northeast England, this book explores practices of inhabitation, from moving in or being modernized to the daily accommodation of sleep and children. It provides a demonstration of what happens to consumption research when it comes home and is positioned not in sites of exchange but within the hom

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Book SynopsisThe introduction of Universal Credit arguably stands as the most far-reaching reform so far this century. Clashing Agendas is the traumatic inside story of how this simple concept became unimaginably complicated in execution, and then nearly self-destructed, told by David Freud, who was the Minister for Welfare Reform responsible for the transformation. David's initial welfare proposals in 2007, commissioned by the Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in one of his last political initiatives, proved popular across all political parties. When the Conservatives came calling, David Freud accepted the job of reforming the system, initially in the shadow ministerial team and then in Government. His core motivation was to end the welfare trap, by which the legacy systems made it difficult for many people to free themselves from dependency on the state. This personal account reveals the complex interplay between politicians and civil servants - the true determinant of how Government really works. It concludes with his views both on future development of the welfare system and on how the UK Government might organise itself to introduce major system reforms more successfully in future.Trade Review"The big political beasts of the period stalk the pages - from Blair and Cameron to May and Johnson. Clashing Agendas illustrates the extraordinary difficulty of achieving worthwhile change in this country. It reads like a political thriller." MICHAEL DOBBS Conservative politician and creator of global best-selling novel and TV series House of Cards.; "A detailed account of one of the most important policy changes of modern times. David Freud was passionate about delivering a properly incentivised route out of poverty - and this book describes in riveting detail the challenges he had to overcome to deliver his vision of Universal Credit." PHILIP HAMMOND Chancellor of the Exchequer 2016 to 2019.; "A gripping tale of the life of a minister who, unusually, wanted to be a reformer in an area where casualties far outnumber survivors. Whether you like it or not, Universal Credit is one of the big reforms of the last decade and David Freud had his hand on the tiller throughout. If you want to be a reformer, Tory or Labour, read this book." ANDREW ADONIS Labour politician Secretary of State for Transport 2009-2010.; "The absolute insider's account of Universal Credit - conception to disaster to recovery. A story told with pace and pizzazz." NICHOLAS TIMMINS Journalist and author of The Five Giants: A Biography of the Welfare State.; "David Freud spent more time than any other minister at the centre of the biggest programme of welfare reform for half a century. In this fascinating account he takes us through the politics, the complexities, and the frustrations of delivering such a huge programme. Brimming with passion for improving our broken welfare system this is a classic insider's account, essential reading for anyone seeking an understanding not just of how welfare reform works, but how politics works." PAUL JOHNSON Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.Table of ContentsPROLOGUE. REFORM. An unplanned journey. AMBUSH. 1. The Welfare Trap. 2. Blunting the Salami-slicer. MANOEUVRES. 3. Change of Regime. 4. Inside the Department. 5. The Conservatives Pounce. OPPOSITION. 6. Get Britain Working. 7. Lords and Legislation. 8. Enter Iain Duncan Smith. 9. Moment of Serendipity. PERSUASION. 10. Minister for Welfare Reform. 11. What's the Catch? 12. Reform for Cuts. PRIVILEGE. 13. Holding the Line. 14. The Lords' Den. AGILE. 15. Digital by Default. 16. Timetable under Pressure. WRITE-OFF. 17. Poacher turns Gamekeeper. 18. The Twin Track. WORTH. 19. Yet another Vacuum. 20. Problems to Solve. 21. UC at Work. 22. Ed Miliband strikes. CUTS. 23. The Pressure Mounts. 24. Tax Credit Volte-face. 25. An Explosive Resignation. VISION. 26. Exit and Future. ADDENDUM: REFORM. Lessons for Government Projects. Acknowledgements. Dramatis Personae. Glossary of terms. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisBorn out of the Sankey Commission’s identification of the appalling living and working conditions of coal miners, the Miners’ Welfare Fund was established by the Mining Industry Act 1920 to improve the social conditions of colliery workers. Administered by the Miners’ Welfare Committee, it was totally dependent on a levy on the ton of the national output of coal and, from 1926, the levy on mineral rights for its income. Despite industrial unrest, world economics, parliamentary legislation, parliamentary enquiries and world conflict, the Committee and, from 1939, the Commission, in collaboration with the twenty-five District Committees, doggedly pursed their statutory remits of recreation, pit and social welfare, mining education and research into safety in mines. With such a geographically dispersed organisation and a fund without precedent, there were mistakes and ‘misunderstandings’ but, despite these, there were great achievements, including the Architects’ Branch winning international recognition for its designs of pithead baths and the Rehabilitation Service for injured miners gaining national recognition for its quality of care. With the passing of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act and the National Health Service Act in 1946, the rationale for the Miners’ Welfare Commission became less clear and a decision was taken in June 1951 that it be terminated. The Miners’ Welfare Act 1952 brought the fund to an end. During the thirty-one years of the fund, nearly £30,000,000 had been allocated.

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Book SynopsisThis volume deals with one of the most understudied aspects of everyday life in Russian society. Its main heroes are the providers of goods and services to whom people turn for healthcare instead of official medical institutions. A wide range of agents is describedfrom network marketing companies to 'folk' journals on health as well as healers, complementary medicine specialists, and religious organizations. Krasheninnikovas book is based on rich empirical observations and avoids both positive and critical assessment of the analyzed phenomena. Her investigation pays particular attention to the legal, social, and economic status of informal healthcare providers. She demonstrates that these agents tend to flourish in bigger towns rather than in small settlements, where public healthcare is lacking. The study reveals the important role of institutions that are generally not related to alternative medicine, such as pharmacies, libraries, and church shops. The result is a vivid and thorough introduction to the world of self-medication and alternative healing in contemporary Russia. A special emphasis was made on the flexibility of boundaries between formal and informal healthcare due to the evolution of rules and regulations.Table of ContentsForeword; Goals & Tools of Informal Healthcare Sociography; Agents in the Markets For Health Products; Health From the Garden, Forest, & Market: Procuring & Selling Gifts of Nature; Shadow & Respectable Alternative Medicine: From Healers to "Complementary" Specialists; Religious Institutions: Health Concerns & Commerce on Health Problems; The "Informal Healthcare" Framework: Information Markets; Afterword.

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Book Synopsis

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