Welfare and benefit systems Books

Book SynopsisPro-'workfare' governments justify their policies by claiming 'workfare' helps enhance self-esteem and promote the dignity of unemployed recipients. On the other hand, welfare activists argue that 'workfare' suppresses the dignity of unemployed persons. This book examines the concept of human dignity in this context and attempts to clarify its meaning. For the first time, it formulates a framework for evaluating the dignity of welfare recipients; uses this framework to explore the dignity of unemployed persons in four different welfare systems: UK, Sweden, China and Hong Kong and compares the conditions of human dignity in each case and identifies factors which enhance or suppress it. Human dignity and welfare systems is important reading for students and academics in the fields of social policy, social work, philosophy and politics. It is also a useful reference text for politicians, welfare administrators and activists.Trade Review"Chan and Bowpitt's study provides a fresh approach to exploring welfare systems ... it provides a thorough, detailed analysis from an original perspective." British Journal of Social Work"The issues the book addresses are important for policy-makers and administrators, for social workers and other front line staff and for the academic community." International Journal of Social Welfare"Social policy has suffered from a dearth of high-quality discussion of the ethical and cultural dimensions of welfare theories. By comparing the systems and conceptions of social welfare in four different countries, the UK, China, Sweden and Hong Kong, the authors enhance our understanding of social welfare globally." Dr C.W. Lam, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong KongTable of ContentsContents: Human dignity and social policy; Rationality, sociability and human dignity; Respect, social participation and four welfare states; Hong Kong and human dignity; China and human dignity; The United Kingdom and human dignity; Sweden and human dignity; Comparing human dignity in four welfare systems; Human dignity and the classification of welfare systems.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the role of government in encouraging or deterring the claiming of welfare entitlements. It: compares the rhetoric of claimants' rights with the realities of information provision; uses the example of the increasingly complex social security system to consider the citizenship status of claimants; focuses on government policies rather than on psychological, attitudinal or deprivational explanations for levels of take-up; uses historical and contemporary evidence, including interviews with policy makers, to explore information policy. Promoting welfare? is aimed at all those who are concerned about poverty, social justice and citizenship including students and teachers of social policy, politics and public administration; politicians and policy makers; and service users, practitioners and welfare rights groups.Trade Review"... Leonard presents compelling evidence that governments self-consciously use information as a tool in the service of political objectives ... a convincing narrative of government's failure to live up to its information obligations." Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory"An important book. Leonard has produced a volume that will benefit all those, students and service users alike, concerned with the academic study and 'practice' of citizenship." Nick Ellison, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Durham, UKTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; Citizenship; Information; Social democracy and information; The New Right and information; New Labour and information; Case study A: In-work benefits for low wage earners; Case study B: Means-tested benefits for older people; Information for citizenship?

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Book SynopsisAs part of the devolution process, a range of powers was granted to the newly formed Scottish Parliament in 1999. These powers principally governed social welfare where there was already a degree of Scottish autonomy. Welfare has thus been central to the devolution project. The book looks at why social welfare issues were central to the devolution process in Scotland; explores the particular social and financial circumstances in which Scottish policy makers operate; reviews and assesses Scottish policies for children, education and lifelong learning; examines health policy, including care for the elderly, an especially controversial example of 'policy divergence' from England and provides an invaluable overview of the Scottish welfare state is as it is, and discusses how it might develop in the future. This book is essential reading for all those concerned with the contemporary and historical dimensions of social policy in Scotland and how they relate to developments in other parts of the United Kingdom.Trade Review"... a valuable sourcebook for academics and students in the fields of social policy, social welfare, politics, social history and Scottish studies." International Journal of Social Welfare"... a well-written and highly accessible book." Journal of Social Policy"A much needed and valuable contribution to the analysis of social welfare in Scotland and to emerging debates about social policy diversity within nation states. The book serves an important purpose in raising the profile of diversity within the UK and the distinct nature of social policy in Scotland." Dr Sharon Wright, Department of Applied Social Science, University of StirlingTable of ContentsIntroduction: welfare and devolution; Income and expenditure; Poverty, inequality and social disadvantage; Children, education and lifelong learning; Health policy; Scottish social welfare after devolution: autonomy and divergence?

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Book SynopsisEastern welfare systems have largely been neglected by Western social policy. There is very little information in the West about their operation and the differences between them. Yet, as China and South-East Asia emerge as a major regional economic block, it is vital to understand the social models that are in operation there and how they are developing. This book puts the spotlight on the Chinese and South-East Asian welfare systems, providing an up-to-date assessment of their character and development. In particular it examines the underlying assumptions of these systems and how the processes of globalisation are impacting on them. As well as specific country case studies, there is a valuable comparative analysis of Eastern and Western welfare states. The book provides a unique insight into the main South-East Asian welfare systems written by experts living and working within them. It focuses on 'Confucianism' and globalisation to provide an account of tradition and change within the South-East Asian cultural context. Eastern welfare states in transition will be essential reading for students of social policy requiring an understanding of non-Western welfare systems. Policy makers and practitioners who are interested in how Eastern welfare systems are adapting to globalisation will also find it an important read.Trade Review"With this significant scholarly contribution to comparative global social welfare policy, the authors make a very strong case for the inclusion of East Asia in any future comparative social policy research and scholarship. Social development should become part of the criteria for comparative social welfare policy analysis. Highly recommended." Choice"This most recent edited book by Alan Walker and C.K. Wong brings a fresh set of eastern thoughts and ideas in examining Asian welfare systems. ... Hopefully, this volume can become one of the catalysts to inspire other younger Asian scholars to further examine the social and welfare developments of the Asian region." The Hong Kong Journal of Social Work"This book provides a wide range of welfare policy developments in six East Asian societies; the text is especially relevant for Western researchers and students who are interested in comparative social policy studies." International Journal of Social Welfare "... this is a timely contribution to the current debate on pension reforms and sustainability in the 'emerging' economies of East Asia ..." International Social Security Review "This is a timely contribution ... [it] fills a gap in comparative social policy research. It is an informative and well-documented book..." Relations Industrielles/ Industrial Relations, Vol. 61 (3)Table of ContentsPart 1: Welfare in East Asia: Introduction: East Asian welfare regimes ~ Alan Walker and Chack-kie Wong; Is welfare unAsian? ~ Ruby C.M. Chau and Wai Kam Yu; Part 2: The East Asian welfare regimes: Social welfare in China ~ Joe C.B. Leung; Hong Kong: from familistic to Confucian welfare ~ Sammy Chiu and Victor Wong; Managing welfare in post-colonial Hong Kong ~ Chack Kwan Chan; The welfare regime in Japan ~ Makoto Kono; Taiwan: what kind of social policy regime? ~ Michael Hill and Yuan-shie Hwang; The development of the South Korean welfare regime ~ Sang-hoon Ahn and So-chung Lee; The welfare regime in Singapore ~ Vincent Wijeysingha; Conclusion: from Confucianism to globalisation ~ Alan Walker and Chack-kie Wong.

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Book SynopsisThe book explores the extent to which rights to welfare are related to human inter-dependency on the one hand and the ethics of responsibility on the other. Its intention is to kick-start a fresh debate about the moral foundations of social policy and welfare reform. The ethics of welfare: explores the concepts of dependency, responsibility and rights and their significance for social citizenship; draws together findings from a range of recent research that has investigated popular, political, welfare provider and welfare user discourses; discusses, in a UK context, the relevance of the recent Human Rights Act for social policy; presents arguments in favour of a human rights based approach to social welfare. The book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of welfare. It is aimed at students and academics in social policy, social work, sociology, politics and law. It will also interest policy makers and welfare professionals, particularly those concerned with welfare benefits and social care.Trade Review"Although essentially this is an academic book, it would be of help to anyone working in welfare or benefits provision or social services." Community Care"A stimulating contribution to the debate about the rights and obligations of citizenship." Alan Deacon, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of LeedsTable of ContentsPart One: Ideological constructions: Human rights and welfare rights: contextualising dependency and responsibility ~ Hartley Dean; Dependency, justice and the ethic of care ~ Kathryn Ellis; Responsibility and welfare: in search of moral sensibility ~ Shane Doheny; Part Two: Popular and welfare provider discourses: Popular discourses of dependency, responsibility and rights ~ Hartley Dean and Ruth Rogers; Fostering a human rights discourse in the provision of social care for adults ~ Kathryn Ellis and Ruth Rogers; Administering rights for dependent subjects ~ Hartley Dean and Ruth Rogers; Part Three: Service user experiences: Agency, 'dependency' and welfare: beyond issues of claim and contribution? ~ Peter Dwyer; Ethical techniques of the self and the 'good jobseeker' ~ Ruth Rogers; New Labour, citizenship and responsibility: family, community and the obscuring of social relations ~ Michael Orton; Part Four: Conclusion: Reconceptualising dependency, responsibility and rights ~ Hartley Dean.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides invaluable descriptions and comparative analyses of the now complex and highly varied arrangements for the care of children, disabled and older people in Europe, set within the context of changing labour markets and welfare systems. It includes analyses of the modernisation of informal care and new forms of informal care, topics often neglected in the literature. Issues of gender, family change, social integration and citizenship are all explored in a series of chapters that report on original empirical, cross-national research. All contributors are high-ranking experts involved in the COST A13 Action Programme, funded by the European Union. Care and social integration in European societies is essential reading for social policy and sociology academics, particularly those who are interested in comparative policy analysis, gender, labour markets and families. It is also recommended reading for graduate level students in these fields and policy makers, for whom the book provides a unique resource on the latest European developments in this critical policy area.Trade Review" ... the book provides many intriguing insights." European Journal of Social Security"A timely resource of comparative social policy research into gender and care. The book increases understanding of care policies in different welfare societies and provides new perspectives on assessing policy development." Annette King, Research and Development, East Kent Hospitals TrustTable of ContentsContents: Part 1: Care arrangements in European societies: Change in European care arrangements ~ Birgit Geissler and Birgit Pfau-Effinger; Development paths of care arrangements in the framework of family values and welfare values ~ Birgit Pfau-Effinger; Part 2: New forms of informal, semi-formal and formal care work: Gender, labour markets and care work in five European funding regimes ~ Clare Ungerson; Changing long-term care regimes: a six-country comparison of directions and effects ~ Ute Behnin; Migrants' care work in private households, or: The strength of bilocal and transnational ties as a last(ing) resource in global migration ~ Felicitas Hillmann; Part 3: Welfare state policies towards care work: Comparative approaches to social care: diversity in care production modes ~ Anneli Anttonen and Jorma Sipilä; Social rights and care responsibility in the French welfare state ~ Jeanne Fagnani and Marie-Thérèse Letablier; Childcare policies of the Nordic welfare states: different paths to enable parents to earn and care? ~ Gudný Björk Eydal; Informal family-based care work in the Austrian care arrangement ~ Margareta Kreimer and Helene Schiffbänker; Part 4: The formalisation of care work and the labour market: Labour market participation of women and social exclusion: contradictory processes of care employment in Sweden and Germany ~ Hildegard Theobald; Women's work between family and welfare state: part-time work and childcare in France and Sweden ~ Anne-Marie Daune-Richard; Labour market integration of women and childcare in Slovenia ~ Nevenka Cernigoj Sadar; Family leave and employment in the EU: transition of working mothers in and out of employment ~ Anita Haataja; Part 5 Conclusions: Political actors and the modernisation of care politics in Britain and Germany ~ Traute Meyer; Welfare state and the family in the field of social care ~ Birgit Geissler.

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Book SynopsisWhile reforms of welfare policies have been widely analysed, the reform of welfare administration has received far less attention. Using empirical case studies, this book provides significant new insights into the way welfare administration is being internationally transformed. Particular attention is given to the effect on welfare clients, staff and agencies. "Administering welfare reform" presents a critical analysis of governance practices in welfare administration and examines shifts in the participants, practices and processes of welfare administration. It presents original empirical case studies that highlight the effects of reforming welfare governance on welfare subjects, staff and agencies and provides a much-needed international and comparative perspective of changing welfare governance. This book is aimed at scholars and advanced students of sociology, social policy, economics, public administration and management, as well as social policy practitioners and service delivery workers.Trade Review"Presents a critical analysis of governance practices in welfare administration; examines shifts in participants, practices and processess of welfare administration; presents original empirical case studies that highlight the effects of reforming welfare governance on welfare subjects, staff and agencies; and provides an international and comparative perspective on changing welfare governance." International Social Security Review "a strong collection ... useful addition for libraries" Public Administration, Vol. 85 (4) 2007" 'Administering Welfare Reform' provides a valuable comparative analysis of the impact of changing welfare governance on the structure and delivery of public services. ... the book offers important insights into how multi-agency governance, marketisation and managerialism have impacted on the participants, practices and processes at the heart of the new welfare state." Social Policy, Vol. 36 (4) 2007"This book provides interesting international comparative data and stresses very convincingly the need to study the transformations in welfare governance and administration in order to understand its role in the nature, practices and effects of the welfare state. It presents a promising research agenda." Journal of Contemporary European Research, Vol 4:1 2007Table of ContentsIntroduction: Administering wefare reform ~ Menno Fenger and Paul Henman; Welfare reform as governance reform: the prospects of governmentality perspective ~ Paul Henman; Part One: Participants: reforming the agents of welfare delivery; State-third sector partnership frameworks: from administration to participation ~ Deena White; Shifts in welfare governance: the state, market and non-profit sector in four European countries ~ Menno Fenger; From charity to 'not for profit': changes in the role and structure of voluntary social service agencies ~ Jo Barnes; Part Two: Practices: the welfare governance of street-level practices; Ending welfare as we know it: welfare reform in the United States ~ Joel F. Handler; The new governance of Australian welfare: street-level contigencies ~ Cosmo Howard; The administration of transformation: a case study of implementing welfare reform in the UK ~ Sharon Wright; Part Three: Processes: the changing spaces of welfare governance; Administering global welfare: public management, governance and the new role of INGOs ~ Gaby Ramia; The fight against unemployment as a main concern of European social policy: the implications of a new, local-level approach ~ Carla Valadas; From government fragmentation to local governance: welfare reforms and lost opportunities in Italy ~ Yuri Kazepov and Angela Genova; Administering welfare reforms: reflections ~ Paul Henman and Menno Fenger.

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Book SynopsisSocial Policy Review provides students, academics and all those interested in welfare issues with detailed analyses of progress and change in areas of major interest during the past year. Contributions reflect key developments in the UK and internationally. and focus on developments and change in core UK social policy areas. Additional chapters provide in-depth analyses of topical issues in UK and international perspective, while this year's themed section is 'New Labour'.Trade Review"Social Policy Review combines up-to-date reviews of current policies with penetrating historical and comparative analyses. It is invaluable for students, teachers and practitioners alike." Alan Deacon, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University of LeedsTable of ContentsContents: Introduction ~ Martin Powell, Linda Bauld and Karen Clarke; Part 1: Current services: Social security and welfare reform under New Labour ~ Peter A. Kemp; New Labour's education policy: innovation or reinvention? ~ Rob Hulme and Moira Hulme; Transforming the NHS: the story in 2004 ~ Rudolf Klein; Housing in an 'opportunity society' ~ Peter Malpass; Personal Social Services ~ Ann Netten; Part 2: Current issues: Governance and social policy in Northern Ireland (1999-2004): the devolution years and postcript ~ Eithne McLaughlin; At home abroad: the presidential election of 2004, the politics of American social policy and what European readers might make of these subjects ~ Theodore Marmor; The future of health care in the UK: think-tanks and their policy prescriptions ~ Sally Ruane; Consumerism and the reform of public services: inequalities and instabilities ~ John Clarke, Nick Smith and Elizabeth Vidler; The challenges of measuring government output in the healthcare sector ~ Adriana Castelli, Diane Dawson, Hugh Gravelle and Andrew Street; Social investment perspectives and practices: a decade in British politics ~ Alexandra Dobrowolsky and Jane Jenson; Part 3: New Labour: A rootless third way: a continental European perspective on New Labour's welfare state, revisited ~ Daniel Clegg; Welfare after Thatcherism: New Labour and social democratic politics ~ Stephen Driver; A progressive consensus in the making? ~ Peter Robinson and Kate Stanley; New Labour's family policy ~ Fiona Williams.

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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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Book Synopsis

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