Protecting Children in Time provides a highly original analysis of the origins and development of the taken-for-granted notion that it is possible through social intervention to protect children from avoidable harm and even death, to protect children in time . By using case-studies which span the past 120 years of 'modern' practices and drawing on the work of leading social theorists of modernity and risk society it provides a new way of thinking about constructions of child abuse as a social problem and child protection as a late-modern expert system and experience. It proposes new ways of conceptualizing relationships between professionals, children at risk and families and deepens our understanding of what effective interventions have to involve.

Senior Centers in America presents the most comprehensive and current examination of this important topic available today. Written by one of the leading researchers in the field, this book presents an exhaustive review of local and national studies to provide a complete and multi-faceted analysis of senior centers. Major topics include: historical development and changes over time, center resources and organizational characteristics, activities and services, factors associated with participation, participant versus non-participant profiles, linkages and focal point functions, policy issues such as effectiveness and serving the frail, and future senior center scenarios. The book is research-based and identifies areas in need of additional investigation. However, it is also targeted to practitioners and policy makers and is intended to assist them in formulating policy and examining issues central to senior center planning and operation, now and in the future. Krout makes a strong case for the importance and necessity of senior centers, and presents a cogent analysis of the issues and challenges they must respond to in an era of resource shortfalls, shifting social and health policies, and a changing elderly population. Readers of this book will gain a greater insight into senior center issues and a heightened sense of the need to explore these issues much more fully in the future. For this reason, it should be read by anyone involved with social services to the elderly.

Recognizing that social change over recent decades has strengthened the need for early childhood education and care, this book seeks to answer what role this plays in creating and compensating for social inequalities in educational attainment. Compiling 13 cross-national and multidisciplinary empirical studies on three interrelated topics, this book explores how families from different social backgrounds decide between types of childcare, how important parental care and resources at home are for children's educational success and the consequences of early education and care for children's diverging educational destinies. Analysing a currently neglected area in sociological research, expert contributors employ the most recent country-specific longitudinal datasets in order to provide an up-to-date portrayal of the patterns and mechanisms of early educational inequality. With its extended analytical window ranging from short- to long-term educational outcomes this book will undoubtedly appeal to students and scholars in the fields of childcare, education, and social inequality. It also contains important suggestions and evidence for practitioners and policymakers trying to combat inequality in educational opportunities. Contributors include: M. Attig, H.-P. Blossfeld, S. Bloemeke, A. Breinholt, Y. Brilli, M. Broekhuizen, S. Buchholz, J. Dammrich, E. Dearing, D. Del Boca, A.-Z. Duvander, J. Erola, G. Esping-Andersen, E.C. Frede, A. Karhula, E. Kilpi-Jakonen, Y. Kosyakova, N. Kulic, P. Leseman, F. McGinnity, P. McMullin, T. Moser, H. Mulder, A. Murray, D. Piazzalunga, C. Pronzato, H.-G. Rossbach, H. Russell, J. Skopek, P. Slot, W. Steven Barnett, M. Triventi, S. van Schaik, J. Verhagen, I. Viklund, S. Wahler, S. Weinert, G. Yastrebov, H.D. Zachrisson

"Parenting Inclusive Education" is about the lives of twenty-four parents who have, or are in the process of, negotiating the emotional and practical journey in mothering and fathering their learning "disabled" child. The author, writing from the perspective of a women researcher, sociologist and a mother of a learning disabled daughter, questions the very nature of the weak inclusive education discourse and unpacks parents' narratives in relation to denial, disappointment and social exclusion.

How do young people get by in hard times and hard places? Have they become a "lost generation" disconnected from society's mainstream? Do popular ideas about social exclusion or a welfare-dependent underclass really connect with the lived experiences of the so-called "disaffected," "disengaged" and "difficult-to-reach"? Based on close-up research with young men and women from localities suffering social exclusion in extreme form," Disconnected Youth?" will appeal to all those who are interested in understanding and tackling the problems of growing up in Britain's poor neighborhoods.

Over the past few years, the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) has been carrying out research in the field of ageing, with a focus on the role that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can play to promote Active Ageing. IPTS has looked at the issue from several perspectives, including the socio-economic and technological dimensions of both the ageing phenomenon and the Active Ageing policies that the EU is now adopting. "Information and Communication Technologies for Active Ageing" attempts to reflect aspects of the contribution ICT can make to quality of life for older citizens in Europe. Benefits can be found in health, employment, housing and elsewhere. The potential market for innovative solutions in ICT for Active Ageing is crucial for the European economy and for the society at large. The European Union has the opportunity to become a research and market leader through innovative applications and services for ageing. Moreover, the promotion of societal values in Europe regarding ageing can serve as a model for other ageing societies. This book is to be expected to contribute to the debates on ICT for Active Ageing and provide important hints for research in the field fostered by the European Commission's Directorate General for Information and Media.

The focus of this short, well-written, and interesting book is employer support for child-care provision in the US. Topics include the need for and history of child care outside the home, the different types of support offered by employers (with examples), and the pros and cons for providing that support. An argument against expecting government assistance is presented. For Auerbach, a sociologist, an important consequence of the development of employer support is the legitimization of mothers working outside the home and children being cared for by nonfamily members. As a whole, this book provides a concise historical survey of this narrow topic. "Choice"

The status of women in the public domain has been limited by ideas of proper roles for women, particularly regarding childcare. One result of such cultural notions is the limited supply of extra-familial child care, even with the rise of significant participation in the labor force of mothers with young children. With the aid of a rigorous methodology, In the Business of Child Care surpasses the traditional descriptive account of child care to provide theoretical discussions on the business of child care assistance. Sociological analyses of employer supported child care, and of the relationship between cultural ideology and the reality of women's employment, make this volume a land-mark text for scholars and students of sociology, social welfare, women's studies, as well as for public policy makers, personnel administrators, and child care workers.

Part of The Elgar Series on Central Banking and Monetary Policy, this book explores the relationship between central banking, monetary policy and income distribution. The usual central bank mandate - that of exclusively fighting inflation - is being increasingly questioned by policymakers and academics. Many countries are finding that there is a need for broader mandates that will have an impact on economic activity, unemployment and other economic issues. The chapters present a multitude of theoretical views on this topic, from classical and Marxist views to mainstream and post-Keynesian approaches. They consider the democratic aspects of central banking, critically assess the distributional outcomes of inflation targeting regimes and explore policymaking implications. Policy makers, academics and the financial press will appreciate the relevance of the material and state of the art discussions featured in Central Banking, Monetary Policy and Income Distribution.

This book studies the normative and positive ramifications of public pension policies in a growing economy. It analyzes the impact of an unfunded public pension scheme on aggregate productivity growth and efficiency, it considers the political forces behind public pension legislation, and it develops and discusses elements of public pension design and reform. The book emphasizes the endogenous growth paradigm for an understanding of the dynamic impact of intergenerational transfers inherent in an unfunded public pension scheme. It uncovers an allocative role of intergenerational transfers which is exclusively linked to the possibility of endogenously evolving economic growth. The endogenous growth approach also allows to identify unfunded public pensions as a source of a conflict between current and future generations. This conflict shapes private old-age security considerations as well as the process of public pension legislation.

In this book, 22 authors discuss development of Ambient Assisted Living. It presents new technological developments which support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs. As the technological innovation raises also social issues, the book addresses micro and macro economical aspects of assistive systems and puts an additional emphasis on the ethical and legal discussion. The presentation is supported by real world examples and applications.

This edited collection provides the first in-depth analysis of social policies and the risks faced by young people. The book explores the effects of both the economic crisis and austerity policies on the lives of young Europeans, examining both the precarity of youth transitions, and the function of welfare state policies.

"Perspectives on Later Life" looks at interdependency, social living, family conflict, social isolation and social networks, and loss and grieving. Issues of staff training, support and morale are covered in some depth. .".. exposes the inadequacy of training and support to staff based on outdated material reflecting out-dated attitudes ... The emphasis on the primacy of individual experience gives the book a particular relevance in the customer-oriented world of community care with its focus on individual user need, choice and advocacy rights.Community Care Contents: New Understandings of Later Life: Practice and Service ImplicationsAspects of Development in Later LifesDifferent Living Environments of Older PeoplesLater Life in Social ContextsSpecial Difficulties in AdjustmentsLoss and BereavementsI nformal CaresThe Contributions and Needs of Formal Carerss

This book aims to explore the nature and extent of the 'care deficit' problem in European societies and how effective the different care systems are in dealing with these problems through policy innovation. It combines theoretical and conceptual debates, cross-national comparisons and analytically-driven case studies.

This book examines the processes by which older people make housing decisions and the impact such decisions have on the construction of their lives. Evidence is included from a major three-year research study, where older people told stories of their lives. The authors argue that housing decisions are not necessarily the result of rational, analytical and objective thinking. The contribution of other ways of decision-making is often hidden, as when people think intuitively, act impulsively, or for essentially emotional reasons.

Offers up-to-date principles for working with children of divorce. The approach uses a theoretical context based on research and clinical findings to propose interventions for custody, access and therapeutic interventions. Topics include: developmental stages of the child and adjustment to divorce, mediation, custody evaluations and visitations, single parenting and remarriage, school-based programs, parent consultation and family therapy.

Although social legislation in the United States is always in the tradition of social reform rather than fundamental social change, the 1960s are considered a progressive period because of the union of government and societal obligations; class consciousness was aroused, and the redistribution of power and resources were salient issues. In Civil Rights and the Social Programs of the 1960s, Marcia Bok describes the background, analyzes the process of decision making, and traces the passage of selected landmark decisions of the 1960s. She tracks the changes that have occurred in this legislation in the last two decades, and discusses the current and possible future status of social policies and programs.

The legislation examined is chosen for its diversity and reflection of Great Society programs, and includes: The Civil Rights Act, 1964; The Community Mental Health Centers Act, 1963; The Economic Opportunity Act, 1964; Medicare and Medicaid, 1965; and Head Start, 1965. Bok considers the concepts of equality and social justice as the bases for the social legislation discussed, and includes analysis of historical, political, and legal aspects of the civil rights movement and concurrent events.

Current statistics on child abuse, neglect, poverty, and hunger shock the conscience-doubly so as societal structures set up to assist families are failing them. More than ever, the responsibility of the helping professions extends from aiding individuals and families to securing social justice for the larger community.

With this duty in clear sight, the contributors to "Child" "and" "Family" "Advocacy" assert that advocacy is neither a dying art nor a lost cause but a vital platform for improving children's lives beyond the scope of clinical practice. This uniquely practical reference builds an ethical foundation that defines advocacy as a professional competency, and identifies skills that clinicians and researchers can use in advocating at the local, state, and federal levels. Models of the advocacy process coupled with first-person narratives demonstrate how professionals across disciplines can lobby for change.

Among the topics discussed: Promoting children's mental health: collaboration and public understanding.Health reform as a bridge to health equity.Preventing child maltreatment: early intervention and public educationChanging juvenile justice practice and policy.A multi-level framework for local policy development and implementation.When evidence and values collide: preventing sexually transmitted infections.Lessons from the legislative history of federal special education law.

"Child" "and" "Family" "Advocacy" is an essential resource for researchers, professionals, and graduate students in clinical child and school psychology, family studies, public health, developmental psychology, social work, and social policy. "

This book examines the emergent and expanding role of technologies that hold both promise and possible peril for transforming the ageing process in this century. It discusses the points and counterpoints of technological advances that would influence a reconstruction of what it means to age when embedded in a post-human vision for a post-biological future. The book presents a provocative interdisciplinary meta-analysis that contrasts paradigms with inflection points, making the case that society has entered a new inflection point, provisionally labeled as Post Ageing. It goes on to discuss the moderate and radical versions of this inflection point and the philosophical issues that need to be addressed with the advent of post ageing activities: postponing and possibly ending ageing, primarily through technological advances. This book will be a valuable resource for professionals who wish to review the continuum of varied constructs and intersects of technologies ranging from those purporting to enhance the activities of daily living in older adults, to those that would enable the older worker to stay competitive in the labor market, to those that propose to extend longevity and ultimately, claim to transcend ageing itself-moving toward a transhumanistic domain and more specifically, a post-ageing inflection point.

Many people see government involvement in family policy as a response to popular concerns that the American family is in a state of crisis. One of the primary concerns with "fragile" families (one parent a" usually mother) is economic: Poverty rates for single mothers are several times that of two-parent families. Economic deprivation while growing up has been linked to poor physical health, reduced intellectual ability and academic achievement.

Some social sciences contend that marriage is the solution to many of the problems associated with single-parent families. Other experts believe that government programs designed to raise marriage rates may cause more problems than they solve ( i.e. domestic violence, divorce, etc.).

The proposed volume will explore issues related to fragile families from many different perspectives on the causes and consequences of this issue. This book is divided up into sections covering legal and theoretical perspectives, causes and consequences of offspring wellbeing, and the aspect of fathera (TM)s importance to the "fragile families."

During the past 15 years, artists have established a remarkable record of innovation and success in institutional settings. Their work with hospital patients, prisoners, the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill, and others has shown that the arts can have a significant positive impact on the lives of these people. This book recounts the histories of 22 institutional and community arts programs across the country pioneering this approach through activities such as creative writing and the performing and visual arts. Consisting largely of first-hand accounts, the book demonstrates how the creative processes have been used to address and solve some of society's most pressing problems. Included are case studies, research, and descriptions of the wide variety of artistic, educational, and therapeutic approaches utilized by each of the 22 programs. Also described are many of the financial and political strategies used to build and sustain support for these unlikely endeavors. This work will provide valuable insights for artists, educators, social service providers, and community leaders.

This book gathers invited top experts on Public-Private partnership (PPP) in China, from both theoretical and practical fields, to present the most comprehensive analyses of PPP's practice in China up to 2017. This timely book offers researchers and practitioners a thorough understanding of the PPP's development in China, including its definition, its modes, its features as well as its many kinds of applications into different industries including medical care, environmental protection, education, public works, park development, etc. It addresses diverse themes in PPP analyses such as quantitative analyses and qualitative analyses; data statistics and case study, theoretical framework modeling and field study verification. The book is an overview of the Chinese PPP development through 2017.

This text provides a critical analysis of the social construction of childhood and children's agency. Through an interdisciplinary synthesis combining social theory, social policy and the empirical findings of social science research, it bridges the current gap between theory and practice, offering an incisive theoretical account of childhood that is grounded in substantive areas of children's lives such as health, education, crime and the family. This furthers understanding of the impact of policy on children's everyday lives and social experiences.

From bandage to the bioreactor, this book looks at five different device technologies from inception to healthcare practice, drawing on medical sociology, science and technology studies and political science. It examines "evidence," regulation and governance processes, and diverse stakeholders in innovating the technologies that shape health care.

Government supported junk social science-or sanctified snake oil as Sarnoff terms it-exists in all policy arenas along the entire political spectrum, as policy advocates seek to justify the continuation of ineffective programs and to block alternative solutions. This form of junk science is particularly dangerous and wasteful in terms of tax dollars because professional confirmation, media investigation and government support lend it an unwarranted imprimatur of validity. Sarnoff argues that it confuses the public and convinces them to support programs as ends in themselves, rather than determining whether or not such efforts actually achieve purported goals.

Ineffectiveness, incompetence, lack of technology, ideology masquerading as policy, and even outright fraud serve to perpetuate the general confusion. This situation is exacerbated by the proliferation of media attention, much of it unmonitored for accuracy or bias. Sanctified snake oil, Sarnoff contends, spawns industries that drain public resources and attention from real, serious cases and distort public perceptions of the magnitude of the issues involved. This study sheds new light on this muddle and offers recommendations which will make it more difficult for junk science to represent itself as legitimate social policy.