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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social welfare & social services > General
This book explores the identity work and conflicted perspectives of
general practitioner (GP) trainees working in hospitals in the UK.
Drawing on empirical and theoretical scholarship, and privileging
the analysis of social language-in-use, Johnston describes primary
care medicine as a separate paradigm with its own philosophy,
identity and practice. Casting primary and secondary care in
historical conflict, the perceived lower status of primary care in
the world of medicine is explored. Significant identity challenges
ensue for GP trainees positioned at the coalface of conflict.
Problematising structures of GP training and highlighting how
complex historical power dynamics play out in medical training, the
author advocates for radical change in how GPs are trained in order
to manage the current primary care recruitment and retention
crisis.
Focusing on Alabama's textile industry, this study looks at the
complex motivations behind the ""whites-only"" route taken by the
Progressive reform movement in the South. In the early 1900s,
northern mill owners seeking cheaper labor and fewer regulations
found the South's doors wide open. Children then comprised over 22
percent of the southern textile labor force, compared to 6 percent
in New England. Shelley Sallee explains how northern and southern
Progressives, who formed a transregional alliance to nudge the
South toward minimal child welfare standards, had to mold their
strategies around the racial and societal preoccupations of a
crucial ally - white middle-class southerners. Southern whites of
the ""better sort"" often regarded white mill workers as something
of a race unto themselves - degenerate and just above blacks in
station. To enlist white middle-class support, says Sallee,
reformers had to address concerns about social chaos fueled by
northern interference, the empowerment of ""white trash,"" or the
alliance of poor whites and blacks. The answer was to couch reform
in terms of white racial uplift - and to persuade the white middle
class that to demean white children through factory work was to
undermine ""whiteness"" generally. The lingering effect of this
""whites-only"" strategy was to reinforce the idea of whiteness as
essential to American identity and the politics of reform. Sallee's
work is a compelling contribution to, and the only book-length
treatment of, the study of child labor reform, racism, and
political compromise in the Progressive-era South.
This book is a powerful and incisive contribution to the debates on
social capital, trust and the welfare state. The reader will find
an informed, insightful explanation of how the Scandinavian welfare
state has been largely able to escape its inherent social dilemma:
how generous social provisions have not been accompanied by
widespread free-riding. The answer lies, according to the authors,
in social capital and trust. The authors not only offer a
compelling argument about the inner workings of how the
Scandinavian welfare state functions, but also an original
theoretical approach - Bourdieuconomics - to the study of the forms
of capital in general and of social capital in particular. This is
social science research at its best.' - Francisco Herreros, Spanish
National Research CouncilDenmark exemplifies the puzzle of
socio-economic success in Scandinavia. Populations are thriving
despite the world s highest levels of tax, generous social benefits
and scarce natural resources. It would appear to be a land of
paradise for free-riders and those who want 'money for nothing'.
However, the national personality is characterized both by
cooperation in everyday life and the numerous 'hard-riders' who
make extraordinary contributions. Applying Bourdieuconomics, the
authors focus on contemporary case studies to explain how social
capital and trust are used to counteract free-riding and enable the
flight of the Scandinavian welfare state 'bumblebee'. Insightful
and interdisciplinary, the authors' approach offers qualitative
case studies which explore trust, social capital and wealth in the
Scandinavian welfare state. Key to the topic is the authors'
discussion of free-riders versus 'hard-riders' as well as civic
engagement in the welfare state. The application of
Bourdieuconomics, a new theoretical approach, to a range of
examples using economics, sociology, anthropology and history, will
make this highly cross-disciplinary book accessible to a broad
group of readers. This unique work will be of great value to
researchers, students, policy makers and all of those who are
interested in the fundamental question of how economies work,
specifically how people build, exchange and convert tangible as
well as intangible forms of capital.
This Handbook brings together leading scholars of European social
policy to reinvigorate theoretical, conceptual and substantive
debates around European welfare states and societies as well as the
'social dimension' of the European Union. This unique and original
collection comes together at a time of substantial economic, social
and political turbulence across Europe, changing narratives, ideas
and attitudes towards welfare, increasing institutional complexity
in the delivery of services, and a 'crisis of legitimacy' for the
European project itself compounded by Brexit. It is against this
backdrop that the Handbook draws together key commentators in
European social policy to engage with and further develop
theoretical, conceptual and substantive understandings of social
policy in post-crisis Europe. Issues covered include, amongst
others, varieties of welfare capitalism, cultural political
economy, austerity, territoriality, engendering, multiculturalism,
socio-ecological changes, social investment and public attitudes.
The Handbook of European Social Policy offers a comprehensive and
state-of-the-art reflection on theoretical debates on welfare
regimes and the trajectories of the EU's social dimension. It is a
key reading and teaching resource for students and academics in
social policy. Contributors include: D. Bailey, E. Barberis, D.
Beland, A. Borchorst, C. Bruzelius, D. Clegg, M. Daly, C. de la
Porte, F. Dukelow, V. Fargion, B. Greve, E. Heins, A. Hemerijck, B.
Hvinden, B. Jessop, Y. Kazepov, P. Kennett, B. Kovacs, J. Kvist, N.
Lendvai-Bainton, T. Meyer, T. Modood, B. Nolan, K. Petersen, B.
Pfau-Effinger, F. Roosma, C. Saraceno, M.A. Schoyen, M. Schroeder,
M. Seeleib-Kaiser, B. Siim, M. Souto-Otero, N.-L. Sum, W. van
Oorschot
This book examines developments in management and leadership in the
social work environment, from both practice-based and academic
perspectives. The chapters reflect developments in a range of
international settings including those of Europe, South Africa and
New Zealand. They represent a range of different approaches also,
from the critical to the more affirmative and liberating. The book
illustrates the impact of the development of management and
leadership in social work, in the current context of marketisation
and globalisation, together with the need to focus on service
users. Social work has altered significantly as a result of such
changes, presenting particular challenges for social work managers.
These are detailed and discussed in this book.
For many women around the globe, health has become the central
intersection of the personal and the political; women's bodies are
the arena for policy debates about population, poverty,
reproduction, and morality. Women's Global Health: Norms and State
Policies is a comprehensive assessment of health for women around
the globe that will inform debates underway in a wide range of
disciplines. These fields include public health, most obviously,
but also sociology, anthropology and other disciplines. This book
will advance the interdisciplinary fields of ethics, women's
studies, and international studies. It answers several questions
with implications for knowledge in the preceding fields, along with
relevance to policy. Some of these complex questions include: How
do the laws and policies of a nation-state affect women's health?
Is the state invested in these issues because women are seen to be
bearers and nurturers of future citizens? Or are there other
concerns such as economic development, human welfare, or religious
ideology that shape this engagement? This book also examines the
current and historical responsibilities of the state in addressing
women's health issues, and how these responsibilities can they be
measured and improved upon. Finally, the book looks at how to best
approach the underlying ethical issues in practical and useful ways
for women around the globe.
This Handbook is a timely compilation dedicated to exploring a rare
diversity of perspectives and content on the development,
successes, reforms and challenges within China's contemporary
welfare system. It showcases an extensive introduction and 20
original chapters by leading and emerging area specialists who
explore a century of welfare provision from the Nationalist era, up
to and concentrating on economic reform and marketisation (1978 to
the present). Organised around five key concerns (social security
and welfare; emerging issues and actors, including gender issues,
NGOs, and philanthropy; gaps; and future challenges, such as
population ageing and environmental pressures) chapters draw on
original case-based research from diverse disciplines and
perspectives, engage existing literature and further key debates.
Key historical insights into welfare provision in the Chinese
context serve as a starting point with the remaining chapters
combining a review of the literature with original case studies.
The book offers novel empirical research and includes topics often
not discussed in the literature on welfare in China, including:
mental health, highly educated rural-to-urban migrants, NGOs as
welfare providers, China's overseas welfare aid, environmental
challenges and welfare, amongst others. This comprehensive and
multidisciplinary Handbook will be of immense value to researchers
and scholars in the fields of China Studies, social policy, the
welfare state, politics and related areas. Accessible to a
non-specialist audience interested in China's welfare development
and welfare states more broadly, it will also serve as a useful
resource for undergraduates. Contributors Include: E. Baum, M.
Blaxland, O. Bruun, B. Carrillo, J. Chen, S. Cook, X.-y. Dong, T.D.
DuBois, M.W. Frazier, K.R. Fisher, R. Hasmath, T. Hesketh, J. Hood,
J.Y.J. Hsu, H. Jia, E. Jeffreys, P.I. Kadetz, B. Li, Y. Li, J. Liu,
S.-h. Liu, Y. Liu, A.W. MacDonald, A. Saich, X. Shang, D.J.
Solinger, K. Suda, Y. Zeng, J. Zhao, Z. Zhao
In this book a distinguished group of contributors discuss the
changing political economy of pension reform. They focus on those
countries which have launched a significant reframing of their
pension system. Each chapter provides a detailed review of recent
pension reforms and offers institutional evidence of the extent to
which these reforms suggest a redirection of the welfare state
towards a more public-private mix of policies. The countries were
selected to represent the variety of new directions which mature
industrial countries as well as countries in transition have taken.
The book brings to light a number of surprising developments. These
include the observation that pension systems do not conform to pure
models of welfare system regimes; that a number of diverse
developments have contributed to the extension of private pensions;
that an emerging pattern of substituting private for public
pensions can be detected but public provision still dominates in
transition economies and that traditional employer-provided private
pension schemes are undergoing significant change. One conclusion
is that the design of the pension scheme may be more important than
the mix of public-private in preventing the growth of inequality
among the aged. This important book will be essential reading for
scholars of economics, public policy, political science and finance
as well as policymakers and practitioners involved in pension
system reform.
What happens to extensive and generous welfare states when they are
faced with serious economic crisis and the effects of
globalization? This thorough analysis of the processes of social
policy restructuring in two Nordic welfare states endeavours to
answer this and other questions related to their survival in a
world of intensifying global competition. Virpi Timonen
investigates both the changes that have taken place in central
social policies in the areas of pensions, unemployment policies,
social and health services, and the political and structural
reasons for the pattern of policy change that emerged. A critical
evaluation of the roles of globalization, political mechanisms and
power relationships in shaping these social policies in Finland and
Sweden is also featured. Welfare state specialists and those
seeking to understand welfare states as a central constituent of
politics in Nordic countries will find Restructuring the Welfare
State to be of great interest. The book will also appeal to
academics and researchers in the fields of social policy and
comparative politics, as well as public and social policy analysts
in international organizations such as the OECD and the World Bank.
This is a comparative account of social care services for children
and older people in five key industrial nations (Finland, Germany,
Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States). The authors break
new ground by moving beyond institutional description and seeking
to understand the normative and moral qualities of welfare systems.
The book builds on existing theories of welfare state regimes by
extending the analysis to the arena of social care. A full and
fascinating account is provided of the historical, economic and
political origins of childcare and care for older people in each of
the five countries. These analyses are then used as the basis for a
theoretical account of the developmental trajectories of social
care systems. The book proposes that there are common pressures at
work in all industrial nations driving their welfare systems to
similar forms of organisation and structure. However, these trends
are mediated by important differences in culture and history. The
Young, the Old and the State is an eminently readable and
accessible book, and will be warmly welcomed by academics and
researchers in social and public policy, health and social care and
welfare economics. It will also be of interest to policymakers and
NGOs involved in welfare and social care provision and provide a
useful source for students on undergraduate and graduate
programmes.
This book examines the experiences of migrant peasant workers in
China who care for parents diagnosed with cancer and explores to
what extent contextual changes after the economic reform initiated
in 1978 affected practices and experiences of caring. In his own
attempt to develop a localized methodology, the author considers
identifying similarities between Chinese philosophies and
Foucault's theories as the key step for localizing Foucauldian
discourse analysis. Three similarities are located and articulated
with regard to filial care. Firstly, the complexity of discursive
relations identified by Foucault resembles the complicated Chinese
notion of the relationality of the self. Secondly, both sides have
a tendency to look back to ancient times for solutions and to
critique the notion of 'progress' in modernity. For Foucault, the
way to attain freedom or agency is through technologies of the
self, such as speaking truth (parrhesia). Lastly, both value action
and practice in their theories. The book then analyzes, through
this localized methodological approach, statements made by migrant
peasant workers to take readers through their discursive mechanisms
to construct filial piety in relation to their subjective care
experiences.
This unique book demonstrates how instruments of economics can be
usefully employed to analyse social policy. The merits and limits
of social policy programmes are discussed as answers to problems of
market societies. Taking this enlightened approach, the author
addresses key issues such as access to health services, pension
programmes, unemployment, poverty and family support. Microeconomic
tools are used to evaluate the rationale behind these programmes,
underpinning the theoretical propositions with strong empirical
research. Unusually, economic values are shown to harmonise with,
rather than condemn, ideas of social protection. Providing
information about institutional structures of social policy
programmes in many countries, this book will be a must for
academics and students interested in social policy and the welfare
state. Furthermore, those who want to follow the political and
scientific discussion of social policy matters will find this book
invaluable.
Public social services are a key component of the welfare state in
most of Europe, although their development trajectories, coverage
and legal status still vary considerably among countries. How such
services are provided, and for whom, impacts significantly on
social and territorial cohesion, gender balance and, ultimately, on
the development of any society. However, while much is discussed
and written about social policy and welfare systems, social
services remain somewhat neglected. Although they have gained a
stronger foothold in national legislations and social policy
agendas, their status remains weaker compared to education or
health. Moreover, because of the austerity measures following the
2008 financial crisis, they have been subject to cuts and
reorganisation, which have brought about significant disruption.
This book revives the discussion on public social services and
their redesign, with a focus on services relating to care and the
social inclusion of vulnerable groups. Conveying the main findings
of the EU-funded COST Action IS1102 Social Services, Welfare States
and Places, the book provides rich information on the changes that
occurred in the organisation and supply of public social services
over the last thirty years in different European places and service
fields. Despite the persisting variety in social service models,
three shared trends emerge: public sector disengagement, 'vertical
re-scaling' of authority and 'horizontal re-mix' in the supply
system. The consequences of such changes are evaluated from
different perspectives - governance, social and territorial
cohesion, labour market, gender - and are eventually deemed
'disruptive' in both economic and social terms. The policy
implications of the restructuring are also explored. The book will
appeal to a broad audience: researchers and students,
policy-makers, civil servants, service providers, social workers
and users' organisations. Contributors include: S. Adam, A.
Anttonen, A. Bagnato, S. Barilla, A. Bernat, I. Bode, P. Brokking,
B. Deusdad, D. Dierckx, R. Fluder, L. Fraisse, M. Garcia, J.L.
Gomez-Barroso, E. Gubrium, L. Haikioe, I. Harslof, J. Havlikova, J.
Javornik, O. Jolanki, O. Karsio, M. Knutagard, T. Kroeger, K.
Kubalcikova, B. Leibetseder, S. Lev, R. Marban-Flores, R. Mas
Giralt, F. Martinelli, M. Matzke, A. Novy, E. Overbye, C. Pace, P.
Raeymaeckers, S. Sabatinelli, A. Sarlo, M. Semprebon, G. Szudi, J.
Szudi, S.I. Vabo, D. Vaiou, S. Vella, Z. Vercseg, S. Vicari
Haddock, C. Weinzierl, F. Wukovitsch
This book explores the shift towards individual responsibility that
is increasingly evident in welfare systems across the world. The
book will be of interest to students and scholars across sociology,
social policy, and political science, with a particular focus on
migration, minorities, political discourse, securitisation, social
justice and human rights. "This book offers a compelling read,
analysing how workfare is legitimated in the Central European
context, through the innovative metaphor of "political farming."
The analytical framework brings together several distinct streams
of theorizing (critical discourse studies, critical security
studies, governmentality, boundary-making, and the dynamics of
ethnic relations) seamlessly and effectively. Through a very
nuanced discursive analysis, Kissova shows how the poor, the
offenders, and the "unadaptable" - categories policymakers use to
talk about material need recipients - are linked pathologically
with criminality, abuse of the system and other negative
perceptions. This is a must-read text for anyone interested in how
political actors justify questionable legislation that cements
inequality in today's neoliberal milieu." - B. Nadya Jaworsky,
Associate Professor, Sociology, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
"Lenka Kissova's book is clearly written and carefully researched.
Her interdisciplinary insight and discursive analysis of
parliamentary debates on Slovak "workfare" policies illustrates the
deliberate, precise and politicized colocation of Roma
marginalization and economic disadvantage, in a manner that starkly
illustrates systemic racism dressed up as morally necessary
regulatory reform. Moreover, her research has broader comparative
and methodological relevance given how she layers in and utilizes
governmentality, securitization and legitimation theory, unmasking
how neoliberal economic assumptions and dog whistle politics, woven
into the speech of politicians, works to demonize recipients as
real or potential cheats and criminals, enact further social
exclusion and heighten inequality and fear while not-so-subtly
promoting existing prejudices. Her overarching metaphor-that of
parliamentarians engaging in "political farming" where their ideas
seed and take root in fertile soil of the national landscape
resulting in regulatory "products"-effectively demonstrates how
social reality generally and state regulation specifically can be
constructed divorced from actual evidence, a process beyond her
specific case and critically relevant to our times." - Barbara J.
Falk, Professor, Department of Defence Studies, Canadian Forces
College/Royal Military College of Canada, Fellow, Centre for
European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, University of Toronto,
Canada
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