The student's companion to social policy / edited by Pete Alcock, Tina Haux, Margaret May, and Sharon Wright.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This fully updated and expanded edition of the bestselling Student's Companion to Social Policy charts the latest developments, research, challenges, and controversies in the field in a concise, authoritative format.

Provides students with the analytical base from which to investigate and evaluate key concepts, perspectives, policies, and outcomes at national and international levels Features a new section on devolution and social policy in the UK; enhanced discussion of international and comparative issues; and new coverage of 'nudge'-based policies, austerity politics, sustainable welfare, working age conditionality, social movements, policy learning and transfer, and social policy in the BRIC countries Offers essential information for anyone studying social policy, from undergraduates on introductory courses to those pursuing postgraduate or professional programmes Accompanied by updated online resources to support independent learning and skill development with chapter overviews, study questions, guides to key sources and career opportunities, a key term glossary, and more Written by a team of experts working at the forefront of social policy

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Notes on Contributors (p. xi)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• Part I Concepts and Approaches (p. 5)
• 1 What is Social Policy? (p. 7)
• 2 Researching Social Policy (p. 14)
• 3 Social Needs, Social Problems, Social Welfare and Well-being (p. 21)
• 4 Equality, Rights and Social Justice (p. 27)
• 5 Human Rights and Equality (p. 34)
• 6 Efficiency, Equity and Choice (p. 41)
• 7 Citizenship (p. 48)
• 8 Changing Behaviour (p. 55)
• Part II Key Perspectives (p. 63)
• 9 Neo-Liberalism (p. 65)
• 10 The Conservative Tradition (p. 72)
• 11 Social Democracy (p. 79)
• 12 The Socialist Perspective (p. 85)
• 13 Feminist Perspectives (p. 91)
• 14 Social Movements (p. 98)
• 15 Post-Modernist Perspectives (p. 104)
• Part III Historical Context (p. 111)
• 16 Nineteenth-Century Beginnings (p. 113)
• 17 The Liberal Era and the Growth of State Welfare (p. 119)
• 18 The Modern Welfare State, 1940-74 (p. 125)
• 19 Crisis, Retrenchment and the Impact of Neo-Liberalism, 1976-97 (p. 131)
• 20 Modernisation and the Third Way (p. 137)
• 21 Austerity Politics (p. 144)
• Part IV Devolution and Social Policy in the United Kingdom (p. 151)
• 22 Social Policy and Devolution (p. 153)
• 23 Social Policy in Northern Ireland (p. 160)
• 24 Social Policy in Scotland (p. 167)
• 25 Social Policy in Wales (p. 174)
• Part V Contemporary Context and Challenges (p. 181)
• 26 The Demographic Challenge (p. 183)
• 27 The Economic Context (p. 191)
• 28 The Sustainability Challenge (p. 199)
• 29 The Role of Religion (p. 206)
• 30 The Distribution of Welfare (p. 212)
• 31 Divisions and Difference (p. 219)
• 32 'Race', Minority Ethnic Groups and Social Welfare (p. 226)
• 33 Poverty and Social Exclusion (p. 235)
• Part VI Welfare Production and Provision (p. 241)
• 34 State Welfare (p. 243)
• 35 Commercial Welfare (p. 249)
• 36 Occupational Welfare (p. 255)
• 37 Voluntary Welfare (p. 263)
• 38 Informal Welfare (p. 269)
• 39 Welfare Users and Social Policy (p. 277)
• 40 Paying for Welfare (p. 283)
• 41 Taxation and Welfare (p. 290)
• Part VII Welfare Governance (p. 297)
• 42 The Policy Process (p. 299)
• 43 Managing and Delivering Welfare (p. 306)
• 44 Accountability for Welfare (p. 313)
• 45 Local Governance (p. 320)
• 46 The European Union (p. 327)
• Part VIII Welfare Domains (p. 335)
• 47 Income Maintenance and Social Security (p. 337)
• 48 Employment (p. 344)
• 49 Healthcare (p. 351)
• 50 Public Health (p. 358)
• 51 Education in Schools (p. 365)
• 52 Lifelong Learning and Training (p. 372)
• 53 Housing (p. 380)
• 54 Social Care (p. 387)
• 55 Criminal Justice (p. 393)
• Part IX Experiencing Welfare (p. 401)
• 56 Experiences of Out-of-Work Benefit Receipt (p. 403)
• 57 Family Policy (p. 410)
• 58 Children (p. 417)
• 59 Young People (p. 425)
• 60 Older People (p. 432)
• 61 Disability (p. 439)
• 62 Migrants and Asylum Seekers (p. 445)
• Part X International and Comparative Context (p. 453)
• 63 Comparative Analysis (p. 455)
• 64 Policy Learning and Transfer (p. 462)
• 65 Social Policy in Europe (p. 468)
• 66 Social Policy in me United States (p. 474)
• 67 Social Policy in East Asia (p. 481)
• 68 Social Policy in the BRICS Countries (p. 488)
• 69 Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region (p. 495)
• 70 Social Policy in Less Developed Societies (p. 504)
• 71 Globalisation, International Organisations and Social Policy (p. 512)
• Appendix: The Social Policy Association (p. 520)
• Index (p. 522)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Pete Alcock is Professor of Social Policy and Administration, School of Social Policy University of Birmingham, UK.
Tina Haux is Lecturer in Social Policy, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research the University of Kent, UK.
Margaret May is Honorary Research Fellow in Social Policy, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham UK.
Sharon Wright is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland.