Social policy

"This thoroughly revised and expanded new edition provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary social policy and addresses its historical, theoretical and contextual foundations as well as contemporary policy issues relating to health, education and welfare as well as the impact of Brexit. Divided into four sections, it opens with a survey of the socio-economic, political and governmental contexts within which social policy operates, before moving on to look at the historical development of the subject. The third section examines contemporary aspects of providing welfare, whilst the final part covers European and wider international developments"--

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of figures and tables -- List of contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- 1 INTRODUCING SOCIAL POLICY -- What is social policy? -- The structure of this book -- Summary -- Part 1: Context -- 2 THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT OF SOCIAL POLICY -- Introduction -- Changing employment patterns -- Changing social divisions: class, gender and ethnicity -- The changing nature of the welfare state -- Conclusion -- Summary -- 3 THE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE OF SOCIAL POLICY -- Political parties -- Pressure groups -- The media -- The governance of social policy -- Models of governance -- Conclusion -- Summary -- 4 PAYING FOR THE WELFARE STATE AND TAXATION IN THE UK -- Different ways of paying for the welfare state -- Why taxation matters and why it matters to social policy -- What types of taxes there are and what the main taxes are -- Who pays and how taxation contributes to redistribution and inequality -- Tax expenditure as an instrument of social policy -- Taxation and public spending -- Conclusion and summary -- 5 DEVOLUTION AND SOCIAL POLICY -- Why does devolution matter? -- What is devolution and how has it developed? -- Funding devolution -- What does devolution mean for England? -- Local solutions to local problems? -- What difference has devolution made? -- Conclusions -- Summary -- 6 RESEARCH, EVIDENCE AND SOCIAL POLICY -- Policy and evidence -- Post-war policy making -- Critiques of evidence-based policy -- Obstacles to evidence-based policy making -- Evidence based or evidence informed policy? -- Evaluation -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Part 2: The development of social policy -- 7 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL POLICY, 1800-1945 -- Introduction -- Victorian origins of the welfare state -- Welfare provision 1870-1906 -- Liberal welfare and the 'social service state'.

This thoroughly updated new edition provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary social policy, and addresses its historical, theoretical and contextual foundations. Divided into four sections, it opens with a survey of the socio-economic, political and governmental contexts within which social policy operates, before moving on to look at the historical development of the subject. The third section examines contemporary aspects of providing welfare, whilst the final part covers European and wider international developments. The text explores the major topics and areas in contemporary