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List of contents
1.Introduction: The Development of Social Policy
Part I: Structures and Contexts
2. The State
3. The Market
4. The Third Sector
5. Informal Welfare
6. Devolution and Local Control
7. International and European Influences
Part II: Key Policy Areas
8. Social Security
9. Employment
10. Housing
11. Health
12. Social Care Services
13. Education
Part III: Theories and Debates
14. Ideologies of Welfare
15. Economic Development
16. Paying for Welfare
17. Social Divisions
18. Delivering Welfare
19. The Future of Social Policy
References
Index
About the author
PETE ALCOCK is Professor of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK.Lee Gregory is an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. He has been teaching social policy for almost 15 years and is the author of Exploring Welfare Debates: Key Concepts and Questions. His research interests include poverty and inequality as well as theoretical and conceptual debates about welfare provision.
Summary
In this fifth edition of the best-selling core introductory textbook, Pete Alcock and Lee Gregory provide a comprehensive and engaging introduction to social policy. Continuing with the unbeaten narrative style and accessible approach of the previous editions, the authors explore the major topics of social policy in a clear and digestible way. By breaking down the complexities behind policy developments and their outcomes, the book demonstrates the relationship between core areas of policy and the society we live in.
This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to cover the impact of Brexit and contains reflections on the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for social policy. Each chapter contains comprehension activities to aid understanding, as well as helpful summary points and suggestions for further reading.
Additional text
The expansive nature of social policy presents a serious challenge for those seeking to do justice to foundational debates within the discipline as well as the latest conceptual and substantive developments. Social Policy Britain provides an accessible orientation to key questions, themes and issues underpinning welfare policy and politics in the UK today. It will be a valuable resource for educators and students at all levels.
