Over recent years, the inability of social security protection to reach workers without a formal employment contract has become an inconvenient reality in both the global north and south. This book explores how provisions for income security can be revised to effectively meet the needs of the labour force in varying economies. In developing economies, informal employment has traditionally accounted for a high proportion of overall employment and this trend looks set to continue. In the global north, the increasing use of flex-contracts and 'dependent self-employment' has led to a rise in the number of workers with limited income protection. An additional challenge for countries in both hemispheres is the rise of the 'gig' economy. This book is the first to open up a dialogue about social security coverage in the developed and developing world. Authors from both sides of the divide have contributed chapters and present a variety of insights, experiments and practices with the aim of identifying better ways to combat the growing social security challenge. Academic researchers with an interest in labour law and social policy will find this book to be an engaging source of innovative research. Practicing lawyers and policy makers will also benefit from the insights and examples provided from a number of different jurisdictions. ntributors include: C. Barnard, A. Blackham, E. Fourie, A. Govindjee, T. Gyulavari, D. Hofmeyr, L. Jianfei, A. Johansson Westregard, L. Lamarche, J. Li, J. Masabo, M. Olivier, P.A. Ortiz, A. Paz-Fuchs, M. Westerveld, M. Wynn

All over the world children are faced with social, physical and emotional turmoil that stems from varying degrees of violence. Abuse, neglect, abandonment and bereavement often affects these children and their education. This book highlights the plight of children and explores multi-sectoral approaches in providing sustainable psychosocial support. Quality education for vulnerable children is a top priority and an important discussion is to be had on how to support these types of students and children. This book is ideal for researchers, students, teachers, school administrators, public and private agencies, and anyone else interested in support and education for neglected, abused, and vulnerable children.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of social security in the Balkan states. Social security is presented from a broad perspective as a mechanism that addresses human needs, provides protection against social risks, reduces social tensions and secures peace. Various sectors of social policy, pension systems, health care systems, disability insurance, labor policy as well as social risks, such as poverty and unemployment, have been analyzed from historical, economic, political, sociological and security perspective. The book also offers recommendations for improving the level of social security in the region. Contributors are: Maja Bacovic, Agata Domachowska, Dorota Domalewska, Tomasz Ferfecki, Afet Mamuti, Katerina Mitevska Petrusheva, Natalija Perisic, Kire Sharlamanov, Katerina Veljanovska Blazhevska, and Marzena Zakowska.

A truly original story of life in and after care. The author's own account of being left behind by her mother as a one year old and her life in foster homes and institutions. When eventually traced, 'Call Me Auntie' was the best her mother could offer, but this was just the start of a bizarre sequence of events. Call Me Auntie is a telling account of abandonment, 'Heartbreak House' care homes, family history and survival. It is also one of resilience and personal achievement as the author discovered she also had a brother left behind in the same way, forged a professional career, searched for her long lost relatives in Barbados and eventually came to understand that she 'may be a princess after all'.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Written by James Midgley, a leading authority on international social policy and social development, this Advanced Introduction offers a concise, readable and wide-ranging overview of how protection schemes such as social assistance, social insurance, employer mandates and social allowances promote social welfare by meeting peoples' income needs and improving their living standards. It defines the field, traces its historical evolution, discusses the contribution of theories and ideologies and examines its impact on poverty. Key features include: Discussion of the impact of social protection on incomes and living standards and considers the role of social protection in the economy, politics and society Examination of the role of theories and ideologies in social protection A global perspective with a special focus on social protection in the Global South An accessible analysis of the challenges facing social protection and the way these are being dealt with. This perceptive Advanced Introduction will be an excellent resource for both graduates and undergraduates studying public and social policy, economics and the social sciences. It will also be a useful guide for civil servants and officials in international agencies as well as social protection practitioners in non-profits and community organizations.

The growing intensity and complexity of public service has spurred policy reform efforts across the globe, many featuring attempts to promote more collaborative government. Collaboration in Public Service Delivery sheds light on these efforts, analysing and reconceptualising the major types of collaboration in public service delivery through a governance lens. Featuring careful analysis with a global scope, this book unpacks the concept of collaborative service delivery and its practice, drawing from the fields of public policy, public administration, and management. Chapters by leading authors in these areas address service delivery arrangements including co-production, co-management, consultations, contracting-out, commissioning and certification. With a keen focus on conditions that are critical for the success of such collaborative arrangements, as well as their different pathways and pitfalls, the authors suggest ways to improve the analytical, managerial and political capacities needed for successful collaboration in public service delivery. This timely and comprehensive book is useful for students at all levels interested in public policy, governance, administration and management, as well as researchers investigating the governance of collaborative service delivery. Policymakers and practitioners working to re-evaluate and improve public service provision, especially, will also benefit from its insightful discussions of the conditions and mechanisms under which collaborative arrangements operate and fail or succeed.

Across the globe, family policy is becoming ever more important in tackling key issues such as poverty, child welfare and the state of the economy in general. The Handbook of Family Policy examines how state and workplace policies support parents and their children in developing, earning and caring. With original contributions from 45 leading scholars, this Handbook provides readers with up-to-date knowledge on family policies and family policy research, taking stock of current literature as well as providing analyses of present-day policies, and where they should head in the future. The Handbook is divided into five main sections: history, concepts, theory and methods of family policy research; family policies; family policy models; outcomes of family policies; and future challenges for family policy making and research. Beneficial for both scholars already familiar with the field as well as newcomers, this Handbook provides important insights into the architecture and mechanisms of different family policy models. Family policy makers would also greatly benefit from the detailed advice on how family policies may adapt and progress in the future. Contributors include: S.-h. Baek, U. Bjoernberg, M. Blofield, J. Bradshaw, C. Collins, M. Daly, L. den Dulk, L. Dominelli, D. Engster, G.B. Eydal, R. Frankenberger, J.M. Franzoni, A.H. Gauthier, J. Glass, J.C. Gornick, T.J. Guerrero, H. Hiilamo, T. Knijn, J.C. Koops, S.S.-y. Lee, H. Lohmann, C. Martin, M. Meyers, J. Milllar, P. Moss, M. Naldini, N. Neetha, E. Nell, I. Ostner, R. Palriwala, L. Patel, B. Peper, B. Pfau-Effinger, C. Rat, T. Rostgaard, H. Stensoeta, D. Szikra, O. Thevenon, D.R. Woods, M.A. Yerkes, J. Young Kang, H. Zagel

Economic Effects of Natural Disasters explores how natural disasters affect sources of economic growth and development. Using theoretical econometrics and real-world data, and drawing on advances in climate change economics, the book shows scholars and researchers how to use various research methods and techniques to investigate and respond to natural disasters. No other book presents empirical frameworks for the evaluation of the quality of macroeconomic research practice with a focus on climate change and natural disasters. Because many of these subjects are so large, different regions of the world use different approaches, hence this resource presents tailored economic applications and evidence.

The existence of health inequities across racial, ethnic, gender, and class lines in the United States has been well documented. Less well understood have been the attempts of major institutions, health programs, and other public policy domains to eliminate these inequities. This issue, a collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research Program, brings together respected historians, political scientists, economists, sociologists, and legal scholars to focus on the politics and challenges of achieving health equity in the United States. Articles in this issue address the historical, legal, and political contexts of health equity in the United States. Contributors examine the role of the courts in shaping health equity; document the importance of political discourse in framing health equity and establishing agendas for action; look closely at particular policies to reveal current challenges and the potential to achieve health equity in the future; and examine policies in both health and nonhealth domains, including state Medicaid programs, the use of mobile technology, and education and immigration policies. The issue concludes with a commentary on the future of health equity under the Trump administration and an analysis of how an ACA repeal would impact health equity. Contributors. Alan B. Cohen, Keon L. Gilbert, Daniel Q. Gillion, Colleen M. Grogan, Mark A. Hall, Jedediah N. Horwitt, Tiffany D. Joseph, Alana M.W. LeBron, Julia F. Lynch, Jamila D. Michener, Vanessa Cruz Nichols, Francisco Pedraza, Isabel M. Perera, Rashawn Ray, Jennifer D. Roberts, Sara Rosenbaum, Sara Schmucker, Abigail A. Sewell, Deborah Stone, Keith Wailoo