Community leadership development programs are designed to increase the capacity of citizens for civic engagement. These programs fill gaps in what people know about governance and the processes of governance, especially at the local level. The work of many in this field is a response to the recognition that in smaller, rural communities, disadvantaged neighborhoods, or disaster areas, the skills and aptitudes needed for citizens to be successful leaders are often missing or underdeveloped. Community Effects of Leadership Development Education presents the results of a five-year study tracking community-level effects of community leadership development programs drawn from research conducted in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. As the first book of its kind to seek answers to the question of whether or not the millions of dollars invested each year in community leadership development programs are valuable in the real world, this book challenges researchers, community organizers, and citizens to identify improved ways of demonstrating the link from program to implementation, as well as the way in which programs are conceived and designed. This text also explores how leadership development programs relate to civic engagement, power and empowerment, and community change, and it demonstrates that community leadership development programs really do produce community change. At the same time, the findings of this study strongly support a relational view of community leadership, as opposed to other traditional leadership models used for program design. To complement their findings, the authors have developed CENCE, a new model for community leadership development programs, which links leadership development efforts to community development by understanding how Civic Engagement, Networks, Commitment, and Empowerment work together to produce community viability.

This book provides an extensive and comparative account of how governments go about combating poverty and social exclusion in Europe. Contributions to the volume display robust theoretical anchorage to ground the analysis of the complexities of both multi-level and multi-actor governance, while the perspectives and experiences of target groups are also assessed. Research results elicit enduring problematic aspects that are not likely to disappear when full economic recovery takes place and constitute a must-read for all those interested in how to fight social inequality.' - Ana M. Guillen, University of Oviedo, Spain'The authors of this book have succeeded in developing a new and original approach to the study of combating poverty and social exclusion. Using a framework that combines insights from multi-level and network governance theory, the book analyses and compares the governance arrangements that European countries introduced in the context of active inclusion policies, and evaluates why these arrangements work or fail - an ambitious and very relevant project!' - Rik van Berkel, Utrecht School of Governance, the Netherlands Discovering methods to combat poverty and social exclusion has now become a major political challenge in Europe. Combating Poverty in Europe offers an original and timely analysis of how this challenge is met by actors at European, national and subnational levels. Building on a European study comparing Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK, this book provides new insights into the processes and mechanisms that promote or hinder interaction between the increasingly multi-layered European system for responding to poverty and social exclusion in EU member states. The contributors present systematic and comparative analyses of social policy design, institutional frameworks and delivery practices from a multi-level governance perspective. Original and diverse, this book will appeal to researchers and scholars in comparative social policy, as well as policy officials in the EU, national government and anti-poverty NGOs. Contributors include: A. Angelin, H. Bennett, D. Clegg, M. Ferrera, R. Halvorsen, B. Hvinden, M. Jessoula, H. Johansson, M. Koch, W. Kozek, J. Kubisa, F. Maino, A. Panican, D. Spannagel, E. Ugreninov, M. Ziele ska

A basic income would be an income paid periodically and unconditionally to every man, woman and child as a fundamental right of citizenship and without reference to employment, marital and household status. It would be a means of ensuring the twin objectives of freedom and security for all. This work provides an introduction to the basic income debate, examining a range of arguments for and against, and so should be of interest to anybody concerned with the future direction of the welfare state.

With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, Central and Eastern European states have had to confront fundamental changes in economic, social, and governmental structures. So far, many of these countries in transition from a command to a market-based system have experienced rapid deterioration of socioeconomic conditions and standards of living. Although there have been successes in some areas, such as greater political and consumer choices, the overall situation has reached crisis proportions, as evidenced by increased unemployment, crime, and family disorganization.

The essays in this collection address significant issues dealing with the frameworks of social justice and equality, policies for families and women, implications for the welfare state, and the impact on health care. As such, the collection is invaluable for all scholars and researchers involved with contemporary Central and Eastern European public policy and social conditions.

In 1997, the Labour Government came to power in the UK and committed to reforming public service delivery, particularly towards the improvement of children's services. This book analyses Labour Party's subsequent strategy towards public service delivery emphasising, on one level, devolving more power to frontline deliverers, while on the other, strengthening central control through a variety of means, leading to a 'mixed-approach' in its overall reforms. The book focuses on the implementation process involved in rolling out its Sure Start policy in order to understand and analyse the dynamics in Labour's approach to delivery. In so-doing, it draws on implementation and policy network theories to offer an original analytical framework - 'the implementation network approach' - to explain the implementation process of Sure Start policy. This book will be undoubtedly appealing to the students and scholars engaged in the fields of Public Policy and British Politics.

Employing the conceptual framework elaborated by Pierre Bourdieu, Peillon provides a unified analysis of social welfare institutions and practices in Ireland. In an effort to offer an overview of the forces that have shaped and continue to influence the Irish welfare system, the author examines the actions and approaches taken by various actors involved in social welfare policy making, including the Catholic Church, the State, trade unions, employers' organizations, and feminist movements. Peillon also incorporates comparative issues that continue to impact on the way welfare systems develop and react to changes. While the focus of the work is on the struggles and developments in the Irish welfare system, this case study provides a framework for examining welfare efforts in general, and should, therefore, appeal to anyone interested in social welfare systems and policies.

This unique examination of welfare in Ireland is organized into two parts. Part I focuses on the collective actors in the welfare field and lays the theoretical framework for the sociological analysis used throughout the work. Part II considers the dynamics resulting from the practices and strategies of the various actors. The chapters in the second part of the book endeavor to understand the dynamics of the welfare field which are triggered by the struggle between the main actors. Examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of these actors, in conjunction with their resources and goals, the author illustrates how the current welfare system has developed and changed as a result.

The idea of community involvement and empowerment has become central to politics in recent years. Governments, keen to reduce public spending and increase civic involvement, believe active communities are essential for tackling a range of social, economic and political challenges, such as crime, sustainable development and the provision of care. Public Policy in the Community examines the way that community and the ideas associated with it - civil society, social capital, mutuality, networks - have been understood and applied from the 1960s to the present day. Marilyn Taylor examines the issues involved in putting the community at the heart of policy making, and considers the political and social implications of such a practice. Drawing on a wide range of relevant examples from around the world, the book considers the success of existing approaches and the prospects for further developments. Thoroughly updated to reflect advances in research and practice, the new edition of this important text gives a state-of-the-art assessment of the place of community in public policy.

Does your human services organization need help navigating the business world? Does your staff development program lack the focus on business skills you need to drive your organization forward? Are you having trouble finding a business book specifically written for human services professionals? If you answered these questions "yes," this book is for you. Since the 1970s, private human services organizations have been assuming the critical responsibility to care for people with disabilities, a duty formerly carried out by the government. Yet the philosophy of supporting individuals to live independently in the community is now colliding with the reality of limited funding. Regulators are demanding that agencies achieve quality outcomes at lower cost. Human services organizations can no longer ignore the need for their key managers to make program decisions using sound business concepts. The human services field attracts many people who "enjoy working with people, not numbers." But good mission is not possible without good business. Without a strong business foundation, your company will be unable to deliver the services that will fulfill its mission. If you are-or aspire to be-in a position of authority in our special industry, this book will be a vital tool. We hope it will enable you to understand: The world we live in Public policy Agency mission Organizational structure Corporate culture and leadership Birth, life, and death of a program Accounting and finance concepts Revenue strategies Support functions Business valuations PLUS twenty critical takeaways for industry professionals

Moving away from state categorizations on irregular migration, this Research Handbook critically examines processes and dynamics that generate and reproduce irregularity, and discusses who may count as an irregular migrant. Acknowledging that irregular migration is not just a South-North issue, chapters investigate the many different pathways into irregularity, demonstrating the benefits of understanding dynamics behind irregular migration over statistics. Organised into six thematic parts covering key issues such as approaches and perspectives for research, informal labour and the challenges faced by migrant families, global contributors from a variety of disciplines provide an expert review of geographical and historical paths into irregular migration. Offering their background knowledge and highlighting tools to better understand how irregular migration is linked to geopolitics and migration policies, the Research Handbook on Irregular Migration guides readers through the complex issues facing migrants worldwide. Written in a comprehensive yet accessible style, this Research Handbook will be an excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate students as well researchers and academics interested in migration, policy, law, security, border crossing, informal labour, crime and civil support to migrants.

An authoritative and definitive analysis of the theory, practice and development impact of corruption in Africa. The book offers a wide range of country case studies, outlining the deleterious effects of corruption, the factors which have combined to hamper past efforts to combat it, and the required future solutions and the context of their application in Africa. Combating corruption is demonstrated to require greater priority in the quest for African development.

Social Policy and Change in East Asia is a collection of essays from a group of indigenous East Asian social policy researchers who met bi-annually to discuss social development issues. The book s focus is the policy responses of respective East Asian government since the 2008 financial tsunami struck the region. Together, the essays in Social Policy and Change in East Asia argue that traditional social policy approach has failed to account for the problem of economic volatility and to devise policy measures that can promote long-term stability. Avoiding a static and Eurocentric approach, the authors of this book seek to unravel the meaning of the social development approach in various policy contexts. This book supports a dynamic understanding of social policy formulation that does not neglect the problem of economic turbulence in policy and planning.

This book examines the ways in which women's experiences of poverty lead to particular demographic outcomes. It also shows the paths by which demographic events may determine women's ability to achieve well-being and escape from poverty and it makes explicit the specific circumstances that poor women face in trying to attain a healthy life for themselves and their children.

Within an interdisciplinary context of public health, reproductive health, and women's rights, this book chronicles the interaction of public policies and private reproductive behavior in the 28 formerly socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the USSR successor states from 1917 to the present. Focusing on the interaction of public policies and private behaviors, special emphasis is placed on the status of women--from producers of labor to reproducers of families. Consideration is given to societal values and traditions, Marxist theory, socialist and patriarchal perceptions of gender roles, status of women, changes in legislation facilitating or constraining access to modern contraceptives and abortion, pronatalist influences on demographic trends, attitudes of public health service providers, views on sex education, adolescent sexual behavior, and emerging roles of public services and nongovernmental organizations.

Included are notes on key developments in the USSR successor states in Europe and in Asia, a discussion of the societal effects of post-socialist transitions from central planning to market economies, and commentaries on the changing emphasis from demographic aspects to reproductive and sexual health, postabortion psychological responses, and the activities of antiabortion-oriented religious organizations. To the extent available, statistical data tabulated include live birth, legally induced abortions, birth rates, legal abortion rates, legal abortion ratios, and total fertility rates. Over 1250 references are listed.

Everywhere one travels in the world, people are excited about the new high technology production system. But the global villagers are also perplexed about the new social service needs that seem to accompany the high-tech economy: child care needs for working couples, elder care facilities for infirm senior citizens, burgeoning health care costs accompanying high-tech medicine, nursery school and college tuition costs, and more. There has been a global response to these social service needs, and this book will present and analyse that response. For, a new phenomenon may be emerging, as contradictory as it may appear, a kind of 'caring capitalism' may arise, worldwide. This book explores the various attempts around the globe to create a system of 'caring capitalism' and why nations have been pressured by the 'new middle class' to do so.

Through interviews with 20 homeless and addicted women over a time frame of five years, the author vividly demonstrates how sexual abuse, sexism, and racism are at the base of their problems and how both neo-conservative and neo-liberal theories and prescriptions for solving their problems are unworkable. The author considers the problems of homelessness and addiction and how these problems are linked. She continues by providing statistical profiles of all the interviewees. Ralston outlines the feminist methodology used in the research and raises major questions regarding these issues. She defines and tests the main theories in relation to the women's experiences and perspectives and Uncovers new realities about the situations and problems of welfare recipients and people whom society has usually silenced.

The realities and misconceptions of long-term care and the challenges it presents for the ethics of autonomy are analyzed in this perceptive work. While defending the concept of autonomy, the author argues that the standard view of autonomy as non-interference and independence has only a limited applicability for long-term care. He explains that autonomy should be understood as a comprehensiveness that defines the overall course of a person's life rather than as a way of responding to an isolated situation. Agich distinguishes actual and ideal autonomy and argues that actual autonomy is better revealed in the everyday experiences of long-term care than in dramatic, conflict-ridden paradigm situations such as decisions to institutionalize, to initiate aggressive treatments, or to withhold or to withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Through a phenomenological analysis of long-term care, he develops an ethical framework for it by showing how autonomy is actually manifest in certain structural features of the social world of long-term care. Throughout this timely work, the rich sociological and anthropological literature on aging and long-term care is referenced and the practical ethical questions of promoting and enhancing the exercise of autonomy are addressed.

The opening chapters suggest that transitions in welfare capitalism can be understood in terms of shifts in dominant 'corporeal' discourses. The body as a focus for power and resistance in differing welfare regimes is further explored in individual contributions on health and social care, bodily metaphors in social policy and the relationship between animal and human welfare. In highlighting the significance of the body in social policy, the book opens up a novel, and potentially rich, vein of academic enquiry.

Friendship is one of our most important social institutions. It is the not only the salve for personal loneliness and isolation; it is the glue that binds society together. Yet for a host of reasons--longer hours at work, the Internet, suburban sprawl--many have argued that friendship is on the decline in contemporary America. In social surveys, researchers have found that Americans on average have fewer friends today than in times past.
In Friend v. Friend, Ethan J. Leib takes stock of this most ancient of social institutions and its ongoing transformations, and contends that it could benefit from better and more sensitive public policies. Leib shows that the law has not kept up with changes in our society: it sanctifies traditional family structures but has no thoughtful approach to other aspects of our private lives. Leib contrasts our excessive legal sensitivity to marriage and families with the lack of legal attention to friendship, and shows why more legal attention to friendship could actually improve our public institutions and our civil society. He offers a number of practical proposals that can support new patterns of interpersonal affinity without making friendship an onerous legal burden.
An elegantly written and highly original account of the changing nature of friendship, Friend v. Friend upends the conventional wisdom that law and friendship are inimical, and shows how we can strengthen both by seeing them as mutually reinforcing.

There are fundamental tasks common to every society: children have to be raised, homes need to be cleaned, meals need to be prepared, and people who are elderly, ill, or disabled need care. Day in, day out, these responsibilities can involve both monotonous drudgery and untold rewards for those performing them, whether they are family members, friends, or paid workers. These are jobs that cannot be outsourced, because they involve the most intimate spaces of our everyday lives--our homes, our bodies, and our families. Mignon Duffy uses a historical and comparative approach to examine and critique the entire twentieth-century history of paid care work--including health care, education and child care, and social services--drawing on an in-depth analysis of U.S. Census data as well as a range of occupational histories. Making Care Count focuses on change and continuity in the social organization along with cultural construction of the labor of care and its relationship to gender, racial-ethnic, and class inequalities. Debunking popular understandings of how we came to be in a ""care crisis,"" this book stands apart as an historical quantitative study in a literature crowded with contemporary, qualitative studies, proposing well-developed policy approaches that grow out of the theoretical and empirical arguments.