Irish social policy : a critical introduction / Fiona Dukelow and Mairead Considine.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This 2nd edition of a highly respected textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to Irish social policy. It provides an accessible, critical overview taking account of significant changes over recent years.The book is organised across four key sections:1: Traces the emergence and development of Irish social policy from its origins to the present2: Situates the Irish case in the wider context of the politics, ideology and socio-economic factors relevant to the development and reform of welfare states3: Analyses core social service areas with specific reference to the contemporary Irish context 4: Explores how social policy affects particular groups in Irish society including children, older people, people with disabilities, carers, new immigrant and minority ethnic groups, and LGBT people. Discusses the challenges posed by environmental issues and the importance of a social policy perspectiveText boxes used throughout provide policy summaries, definitions of key concepts, along with guides for further reading and discussion. This is a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Irish social policy and allied subjects.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of figures, tables and boxes (p. viii)
• Abbreviations (p. x)
• Notes on authors (p. xiii)
• Acknowledgements (p. xiv)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• Introducing social policy (p. 1)
• About this book (p. 3)
• A brief outline of the book (p. 5)
• Part I Approaching Irish social policy: from the past to the present (p. 7)
• 1 From the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century: the emergence of social policy in Ireland (p. 9)
• Section 1 Early social policy measures in Ireland (p. 10)
• Section 2 Irish social policy developments after 1800 (p. 13)
• Section 3 Advances in Irish social policy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (p. 23)
• 2 From the 1920s to the 1970s: the development of social policy in Ireland (p. 29)
• Section 1 The 1920s to the late 1950s: the early decades of independence and the development of social policy (p. 30)
• Section 2 The late 1950s to the late 1970s: economic growth, social change and the gradual expansion of social policy provision (p. 43)
• 3 Irish social policy from the 1980s to the present: challenges, continuities and changes (p. 53)
• Section 1 Economic crisis and the social challenges of the 1980s (p. 54)
• Section 2 The 1990s and 2000s: new times and a new Ireland? (p. 60)
• Section 3 The return of economic crisis and austerity (p. 68)
• Part II Explaining social policy: politics, ideology and welfare states (p. 77)
• 4 Social policy and the welfare state: origins, developments and reform (p. 79)
• Section 1 The emergence of welfare: key developments of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (p. 80)
• Section 2 Emerging welfare states: the early and mid-twentieth century (p. 87)
• Section 3 Welfare states and adaptation, retrenchment, and reform: from the late-twentieth century to the present (p. 96)
• 5 Political ideologies, welfare and social policy (p. 111)
• Section 1 Understanding perspectives on welfare (p. 112)
• Section 2 Political ideologies, welfare and social policy (p. 117)
• 6 Contemporary challenges for social policy and welfare states: Ireland in a wider context (p. 141)
• Section 1 Analysing contemporary challenges for the welfare state (p. 142)
• Section 2 Social policy and the EU: from subsidiarity, to fiscal surveillance, economic stability and social investment? (p. 151)
• Section 3 Challenges and contradictions impinging on the Irish welfare state (p. 163)
• Part III Analysing Irish social policy I: social services (p. 173)
• 7 Social protection policy (p. 175)
• Section 1 Social protection: definitions, values and systems (p. 176)
• Section 2 The development of social protection in Ireland (p. 186)
• Section 3 From the 1990s to the present: reform and contemporary issues in Irish social protection policy (p. 192)
• 8 Health policy (p. 205)
• Section 1 Healthcare concepts, healthcare systems and recent trends (p. 206)
• Section 2 The development of the Irish healthcare system (p. 215)
• Section 3 The contemporary system: reform since the 1990s and continuing issues and challenges (p. 223)
• 9 Education policy (p. 239)
• Section 1 Equality of opportunity and education policy (p. 240)
• Section 2 The development of education policy in Ireland (p. 248)
• Section 3 Education since the 1990s: an overview (p. 255)
• 10 Housing policy (p. 271)
• Section 1 An overview of housing policy (p. 272)
• Section 2 The historical development of housing policy in Ireland (p. 280)
• Section 3 Irish housing policy since the mid-1990s: contemporary issues and developments (p. 287)
• Part IV Analysing Irish social policy II: social groups, social policy and sustainability (p. 301)
• 11 Social policy and social groups: needs, rights and recognition (p. 303)
• Section 1 Social groups, recognition and citizenship (p. 304)
• Section 2 Children and Irish social policy (p. 306)
• Section 3 Older people and Irish social policy (p. 314)
• Section 4 People with disabilities and Irish social policy (p. 320)
• Section 5 Caring, carers and Irish social policy (p. 327)
• 12 Social policy and social groups: issues of diversity and discrimination (p. 335)
• Section 1 Immigration and Irish social policy (p. 336)
• Section 2 Travellers and Irish social policy (p. 352)
• Section 3 LGBT people and Irish social policy (p. 362)
• 13 Social policy, the environment and sustainable development (p. 371)
• Section 1 Social policy and environmental concerns (p. 372)
• Section 2 Sustainable development and climate change (p. 377)
• Section 3 Social policy, transport and the environment (p. 385)
• References (p. 395)
• Index (p. 455)

Author notes provided by Syndetics