Social Policy
Theories, Concepts and Issues
The Third Edition of this widely adopted textbook has been thoroughly revised and offers an authoritative and up-to-date coverage of the key theories, concepts, and issues in social policy. This lively and readable text has been designed to provide the essential tools to understand the main theoretical debates surrounding the discipline.
The book is organized into three sections:
Section One offers a detailed but accessible critique of major theoretical approaches such as neo-liberalism, Marxism, feminism and racism;
Section Two explores conceptual debates such as distributive justice and postmodernism;
Section Three engages with contemporary social policy issues such as children, pensions and the role of New Labor;
The new edition of also features newly commissioned chapters to reflect recent developments and current debates within social policy. New areas of consideration include citizenship; post-structuralism; the politics of food; and globalization.
Student exercises and reading lists feature throughout the text and practical examples are skillfully used to illustrate conceptual and theoretical material. Social Policy: Theories, Concepts and Issues is a core textbook for undergraduate social policy students, as well as those studying related welfare modules across the social sciences
This book has assisted students in their first year to understand the key concepts of Social Policy and how this is translated into societal action (or inaction!).
excellent clear and well developed work which allows the reader a solid overview of the issues.
This was a very intersting book. The majority of the sections within the book are pertinent to my learners syllabus. The level of the book is also just right as the content will be slightly stretching for them. The topics discussed in the book are relevant, contemporary and interesting. The political aspects of it are very good and identify some key areas relevant to current social policy. I will advise my learners who are going onto study Social work/social science to read this book and use for references and as a basis for improving their understanding of a range of areas. It will also form the basis for new, contemporary material I will teach in 2012/13. Overall, excellent read which is enjoyable and well presented.
A really good collection of contributions, that offer an additional perspective and particular-focus for students. It especially has some interesting exploration of specific contemporary discourses.
An excellent and comprehensive coverage of the theoretical foundations for social policy analysis. Looking forward to a new chapter covering the coalition
A good broad range of topics which are gathered into well chosen chapters. In particular chapters 11 to 16 are useful as provocations to wider than usual thought. This book is extremely valuable in encouraging students to consider education within the broader context of it being just one of many functions of public sector spending (or spending cuts as the case may be).
This book is ideal. I teach 1st year students who will use this book a lot I feel. This will appear on the reading list from Sept 2010.
This book offers the student a sound introduction to the debate on theories, concepts and Issues within the realms of social policy. This is particularly pertinent in the current political arena where society is questionably in turmoil and crisis and the need for social policy to respond to the issues and inequalities in people's lives are at the forefront of governments thinking.
This is a useful book, as it addresses central issues associated with social policy. The students have given positive feedback about it, probably because the level is appropriate for level 6 .
I shall be recommending this book to students as a good basic text for understanding key aspects of social policy.
The book is clearly structured and fairly easy to read. The activities are useful and provide a useful starting point for linking the material to assessment.
