Introducing social policy - Cliff Alcock

This best-selling text provides an up-to-date yet accessible overview of the development of, and the context for, the provision of social welfare in contemporary Britain. The authors discuss the historical, ideological and political context within which social policy has developed and explore the changing contemporary context within which social policy is developing today. *Defines social policy and the main approaches to studying the subject *Provides the social, political, economic and policy making contexts *Covers ideologies, the key concepts necessary to an understanding of social policy and outlines the major theoretical approaches to the subject *Analyses in detail the main policy areas: social security, education and training, health, housing, personal social services, employment, family policy and criminal justice *Revisits in detail some contemporary issues and themes in social policy, including welfare pluralism, the economics of welfare, discrimination and comparative social policy