Imtiaz Sooliman, a medical doctor practising in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, visited a Shaikh in Istanbul in 1992. The Sufi teacher gave him a message that would dramatically change the lives of countless people.

‘To my absolute astonishment he told me I would help people for the rest of my life. He then instructed me to form a humanitarian organisation called the “Gift of the Givers”, and repeated the phrase “the best among people are those who benefit mankind”.’

Almost 30 years later Gift of the Givers, Africa’s largest humanitarian and disaster agency, has a reputation for speedy responses to floods, war, famine, fires, tsunamis, kidnapping and earthquakes. Well known for their interventions in South African and international disasters, teams of volunteers have undertaken missions to places such as Bosnia, Palestine, Japan, Haiti, Indonesia, Malawi and Mozambique. In the last few years they have turned their attention to the poorest South Africans - they have put up hospitals, run clinics, dug wells, drilled boreholes, built houses, offered scholarships and provided shelter, food and psychological succour to millions.

Originally published in 2014, the book has been brought up to date to continue the extraordinary tale of an organisation that has become a South African legend – the first to intervene in so many devastating situations and bring hope to those who have lost everything. Gift of the Givers’ reputation for direct, honest and non-partisan solution-finding has become a beacon of hope in South Africa.

The last decade of the 20th century was marked by a shift in how welfare-states deal with those at the bottom of the income ladder. This shift involved the introduction/strengthening of work-obligations as a condition for receiving minimum income benefits - which, in some countries, was complemented by efforts to help recipients return to the labour market, namely through the investment in active labour market policies (ALMP). Based on case-studies of developments in the US and eight European nations (UK, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, France, Portugal and the Czech Republic), this book argues that this first set of reforms was followed by a second wave of reforms that, whilst deepening the path towards the focus on work, brings important innovations- be it the tools used to help recipients back to the labour markets (ex., financial incentives) and in how activation policies are delivered (ex., integration of benefit and employment services). Looking at the array of developments introduced during this period, we discern two key trends. The first concerns the strengthening of the role of the market in the governance of activation, which is visible in the strengthening of the focus on work, or the marketisation of employment services. The second, concerns a move towards the individualisation of service delivery, visible in the expansion of the use of personal action plans or in efforts to streamline service delivery. Finally, we show that the onset of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, has triggered a new wave of reforms. Whilst tentative only, our analysis points to a worrying trend of the curtailment or benefits (Portugal) and activation services (Netherlands, Czech Republic) to minimum income recipients and, in parallel, a further deepening of the focus on work-conditionality (UK and Norway).

The Uses of Social Investment provides the first study of the welfare state, under the new post-crisis austerity context and associated crisis management politics, to take stock of the limits and potential of social investment. It surveys the emergence, diffusion, limits, merits, and politics of social investment as the welfare policy paradigm for the 21st century, seen through the lens of the life-course contingencies of the competitive knowledge economy and modern family-hood. Featuring contributions from leading scholars in the field, the volume revisits the intellectual roots and normative foundations of social investment, surveys the criticisms that have leveled against the social investment perspective in theory and policy practice, and presents empirical evidence of social investment progress together with novel research methodologies for assessing socioeconomic 'rates of return' on social investment. Given the progressive, admittedly uneven, diffusion of the social investment policy priorities across the globe, the volume seeks to address the pressing political question as to whether the social investment turn is able to withstand the fiscal austerity backlash that has re-emerged in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Why do some countries construct strong systems of social protection, while others leave workers exposed to market forces? In the past three decades, scholars have developed an extensive literature theorizing how hegemonic social democratic parties working in tandem with a closely-allied trade union movement constructed models of welfare capitalism. Indeed, among the most robust findings of the comparative political economy literature is the claim that the more political resources controlled by the left, the more likely a country is to have a generous, universal system of social protection. The Left Divided takes as its starting point the curious fact that, despite this conventional wisdom, very little of the world actually approximates the conditions identified by mainstream scholarship for creating universal, generous welfare states. In most countries outside of northern Europe, divisions within the left-within the labor movement, among left parties, as well as between left parties and a divided union movement-are a defining feature of politics. The Left Divided, in contrast, focuses on the far more common and deeply consequential situation where intra-left divisions shape the development of social protection. Arguing that the strength and position taken by the far left is an important and overlooked determinant of social protection outcomes, the book presents a framework for distinguishing between different types of left movements, and analyzes how the distribution of resources within the left shapes party strategies for expanding social protection in theoretically unanticipated ways. To demonstrate the counterintuitive effects of having the far-left control significant political resources, Watson combines in-depth case studies of Iberia with cross-national analysis of OECD countries and qualitative comparative analyses of other divided lefts.

"In Caring for Our Own, Sandra Levitsky has written a moving and perceptive account of the dilemma facing those who provide care for frail family members. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation with family caregivers and the social workers that attempt to ameliorate their burden, this book uncovers the complex ideological and political factors that have made long term care the neglected stepchild of the welfare state in the United States."-Jill Quadagno, Mildred and Claude Pepper Eminent Scholar in Social Gerontology, Florida State University Aging populations and dramatic changes in health care provision, household structure, and women's labor force participation over the last half century have created what many observers have dubbed a "crisis in care": demand for care of the old and infirm is rapidly growing, while the supply of private care within the family is substantially contracting. And yet, despite the well-documented adverse effects of contemporary care dilemmas on the economic security of families, the physical and mental health of family care providers, the bottom line of businesses, and the financial health of existing social welfare programs, American families have demonstrated little inclination for translating their private care problems into political demands for social policy reform. Caring for Our Own inverts an enduring question of social welfare politics. Rather than asking why the American state hasn't responded to unmet social welfare needs by expanding social entitlements, this book asks: Why don't American families view unmet social welfare needs as the basis for demands for new state entitlements? How do traditional beliefs in family responsibility for social welfare persist even in the face of well-documented unmet need? The answer, this book argues, lies in a better understanding of how individuals imagine solutions to the social welfare problems they confront and what prevents new understandings of social welfare provision from developing into political demand for alternative social arrangements. Caring for Our Own considers the powerful ways in which existing social policies shape the political imagination, reinforcing longstanding values about family responsibility, subverting grievances grounded in notions of social responsibility, and in some rare cases, constructing new models of social provision that would transcend existing ideological divisions in American social politics.

Presenting a truly comprehensive history of Basic Income, Malcolm Torry explores the evolution of the concept of a regular unconditional income for every individual, as well as examining other types of income as they relate to its history. Examining the beginnings of the modern debate at the end of the eighteenth century right up to the current global discussion, this book draws on a vast array of original historical sources and serves as both an in-depth study of, and introduction to, Basic Income and its history. Commencing with Thomas Paine's advocacy for Basic Capital and Thomas Spence's for a Basic Income, Torry analyses thought from a variety of authors during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explores the widespread debate across Europe from the 1980s to the present day. Chapters further investigate a terminologically diverse debate in Canada and the USA and highlight the significance of recent research on feasibility in the UK. Concluding with a study of the anatomy of what is now a single global debate about Basic Income, this book will be of value to policy makers, students and scholars of Basic Income, social and economic history, and the economics of social policy.

This ground-breaking book expertly brings together the many effective dementia interventions to reduce the symptoms of this debilitating condition and also, for the first time, a Cost-Benefit Analysis of those interventions to establish whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Focussing on new interventions such as years of education, medicare eligibility, hearing aids and vision correction, Robert Brent also takes an innovative look at the need to reduce elder abuse and initiate an international convention for human rights. Cost-Benefit Analysis and Dementia takes an insightful look at dementia by using a behavioural definition and explaining how the symptoms can affect daily life activities, rather than just using the medical definition. It examines the causality of dementia interventions to establish their effectiveness, dealing with the risk factors and expanding the current list of interventions. Furthermore, it provides an in-depth three-step procedure for evaluating the monetary benefits of those interventions to establish whether these are found to be socially worthwhile. Written in a comprehensive, yet accessible style, this book will be an excellent resource for economists interested in the Cost-Benefit Analysis of dementia care. Healthcare professionals and policymakers as well as non-professionals will find the different interventions discussed to reduce symptoms of dementia illuminating and informative.

Elgar Research Agendasoutline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are give n the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Forward-looking and innovative, Elgar Research Agendas are an essential resource for PhD students, scholars and anybody who wants to be at the forefront of research. This timely book utilises the specialised insights and experiences of those who have carried out research on different aspects of social welfare law and policy to construct an innovative post-Brexit and post-Covid 19 research agenda that identifies what needs to be studied and how this should be carried out. Embracing not only social welfare law but also social welfare policy, practice and impact, expert contributors consider major areas of non-economic law, such as asylum and immigration law, health law, social care law, social work and child welfare law, social security law, and issues involving social rights. Individual chapters cover branches of social welfare law, four areas of social welfare policy, four distinctive methodological approaches, and three contemporary developments. They reflect a wide-ranging set of substantive concerns and methodological approaches and, taken together, comprise a challenging but non-prescriptive research agenda. This Research Agenda will be a key resource for socio-legal researchers contemplating research on social welfare law and policy, as well as research councils, government departments and charitable bodies that fund research on social welfare law and policy.

This unique book explores the question of whether different myths and narratives have an impact on the development of welfare states. After discussing the various definitions of 'myths' and 'narratives', Bent Greve disentangles their relationship with the welfare state, referring also to debates on welfare chauvinism, deservingness and retrenchment. Greve discusses why some myths are particularly persistent and why some narratives may have a stronger impact than others. Incorporating ideas about how decision makers select and present information as well as how fake news can influence development, the book unravels narratives and perceptions about welfare scroungers, migrants and the misuse of the welfare system. Rejecting a number of long-standing myths about welfare states, Greve concludes that they have had a limited impact on welfare states' spending and development as attitudes towards welfare have remained fairly stable over the past decade. Taking a novel approach to understanding how welfare states operate and change, with a focus on European states, this book will be critical reading for academics and students of social policy and political science.

Nowhere in the world presents a more dramatic case of wealth creation than East Asia. Contrary to the common belief that social policy in the economic powerhouses of the region is secondary to their pursuit of economic growth, Gyu-Jin Hwang argues that it has in fact played an integral part in building strong states and competitive market economies. Building Markets examines the original four Newly Industrialised Economies (NIEs) of East Asia: Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, as well as Japan, the regional forerunner in both economic and social terms. Chapters undertake a comparative analysis of the various social policy measures and redistributive efforts taken across a diverse range of social policy sectors in the region, covering cash transfers, healthcare, education, housing, and family policy. Addressing the mounting pressure on East Asian economies to rethink their growth strategies, Hwang concludes with a call for social means to be diverted, adapted, and converted to serve new social ends. Integrating cutting-edge theoretical insights with detailed policy analysis, Building Markets will be an invaluable tool for academics and postgraduate students interested in social policy, economics, and development in East Asia.

This Research Handbook is an essential guide to the design and use of research in mental health policy from a global perspective. It focuses on public mental health, as well as quasi-public and private policies in nations with significant private sectors. Expert contributors explore key mental health policies pertinent to psychiatric treatment and care, as well as those concerned with substance abusers and forensic patients. Organised into five parts, the Research Handbook addresses a wide array of mental health questions involving particular interventions and policies, ranging from psychiatric deinstitutionalization to system building, mental health law, and the human rights of mental patients. In addition, it considers the pros and cons of both established and emerging research methodologies, including geographic information systems and predictive analytics, and ways that these can be effectively integrated with policy making systems, along with their political, economic, and socio-cultural environments. This authoritative Research Handbook will be a key resource for scholars and students of mental health policy, social policy and welfare states. It will also be beneficial for policymakers and practitioners involved in public and private mental health programs.

Featuring contributions from leading international scholars of social policy, this dynamic Research Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of conceptual and methodological developments in leave policy research, as well as state-of-the-art findings on leave policy determinants and outcomes globally. The topic of inequality is placed at the centre of the Research Handbook, to strengthen the global debate and encourage broader thinking about the interconnections between leave policy design and social inequalities. Chapters illustrate the continued relevance of this correlation in the context of gendered care and employment practices, precarious, underinsured, and nonstandard employment, informal economies, migration, family changes, and growing financial strains for parents. Using parental leave policy as an empirical lens to further our understanding of the intersectional nature of social inequalities, the editors ultimately consider whether there is a case to reconfigure leave policy as a social right. This incisive Research Handbook will be essential reading for a multi-disciplinary audience of students and scholars of social policy, family studies, gender studies, sociology, social work, and public policy. Its evaluation of cutting-edge developments in leave policy will also benefit national and international policy makers, as well as HR leaders interested in parenting leave best practice.

Preface by Anton Hemerijck, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, European University Institute, Florence, Italy While for some scholars the Euro crisis dashed the dream of Social Europe, this thought-provoking book proposes a more nuanced assessment, challenging the notion of austerity as the only way forward. Tracing the evolution of the political debate on European social integration and its interplay with the European economic governance after the Euro crisis, it sheds light on the conflict dynamics and political conditions that enabled the progressive shift away from the initial post-crisis EU 'conservative reflex', towards a new European holding environment for flourishing welfare states. This timely book provides a detailed reconstruction of the European social agenda after the Great Recession, touching upon budgetary, legislative and coordinative policies and including an in-depth analysis of the EU response to the Covid-19 crisis. Utilising innovative approaches and methodology, Francesco Corti identifies four lines of functional and territorial conflict which characterise the debate on EU social integration. An original focus on the role of the European Parliament in fostering further social integration gives the book an original and insightful perspective. The Politicisation of Social Europe will be a key resource for students and scholars of European politics, political sociology and welfare states, as well as EU officials and policy makers seeking to identify strategies that can facilitate them in pursuing a successful social agenda.

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.

This book explores developments in the social legitimacy of present-day European welfare states since the banking crisis of 2008. It analyses how the welfare attitudes of Europeans have been influenced by economic recession and consequent welfare reforms, as well as reactions to on-going debates around welfare. Utilising cross-national perspectives, the book analyses the differences and similarities in welfare attitudes of Europeans between 2008 and 2016. It highlights popular welfare attitudes towards different groups of society, including migrants, the elderly and unemployed, exploring if and why specific practices and policies would meet popular resistance or approval. Social policy and sociology scholars will find this book helpful, as the cross-national analysis provides new insights into the contextual drivers of welfare attitudes. It will also be useful to policy-makers and practitioners working in Europe offering analysis of welfare preferences, evaluations and perceptions. Contributors include: H. Chung, L. de Blok, S. Delespaul, B. Ebbinghaus, M.A. Eger, H. Ervasti, J. Gale, D. Gugushvili, A. Haugsgjerd, S. Kumlin, T. Laenen, C.A. Larsen, B. Meuleman, J. Mewes, E. Naumann, E. Politi, F. Roosma, C. Staerkle, W. van Oorschot

This comprehensive and innovative book demonstrates the dynamics of welfare policies in different socioeconomic settings by providing comparative analyses of the Baltic and Nordic welfare state systems. The book contributes to finding and reflecting upon innovative solutions to common challenges in European welfare states. Challenging conventional welfare state research, the authors compare the Nordic countries with the welfare states of the market-oriented democracies of the Baltic area, discussing welfare state theories, family policy regimes and welfare state models. Top international contributors provide a better understanding of the complex inequalities that families and individuals are facing in the 21st century, and cover important topics such as poverty, social insurance and family policy in the Nordic and Baltic areas. Challenges to the Welfare State will be of great interest to social policy scholars and policy makers, particularly those with an interest in the Baltic and Nordic countries. It will also be a welcome addition to the literature for students interested in family policy and pension protection reforms, and those with a general interest in the contemporary welfare state studies in Europe.

Bringing together prominent scholars in the field, this Handbook provides an interdisciplinary exploration of the complex interrelationship between migration and welfare. Chapters explore the extent to which immigration policy affects - and is affected by - welfare states, from both economic and political perspectives. This Handbook also examines the effects of emigration on sending societies, exploring issues such as the impact of remittances, diasporas, and skill deterioration as a result of human capital flight on capacity building and on economic and political development more generally. Contributors draw on both qualitative and quantitative research to illuminate the contours and patterns of this complex relationship. This includes the assumed tension-reducing role of multiculturalist and integration policies, the shaping of native beliefs about migrants by socio-economic constraints and the potential for the extension of social rights to migrants to influence and increase pro-redistributive attitudes. Investigating the drivers of welfare chauvinism and its effects on social trust between native and immigrant groups, the Handbook also provides insights into the latest theoretical and empirical findings regarding the progressive's dilemma, one of the most formidable policy challenges leaders of modern societies face. Breaking new theoretical and empirical ground, this cutting-edge Handbook is essential reading for academics, researchers and students in political science, economics, sociology, social policy and political philosophy, particularly those focused on global migration and changing attitudes to welfare. It will also benefit policymakers looking for new data and pioneering perspectives on immigration policy and the future of welfare states in a changing world economy.

Malcolm Torry explores Citizen's Basic Income - an unconditional income for every individual - moving the reader from a basic understanding of the concept to an in-depth recognition of its wide-ranging implications. Torry examines debates around the desirability, feasibility and implementation of a Citizen's Basic Income, and how this idea is becoming increasingly widespread. This Modern Guide presents a comprehensive treatment of Citizen's Basic Income, first offering insight into the language surrounding it, and moving through a number of key disciplinary perspectives, including sociology, politics, economics and law. Each chapter discusses an academic discipline, looking at relevant aspects of the debate to understand how the discipline enhances knowledge of Citizen's Basic Income, and how discussion around the topic can contribute to the academic discipline. Containing detailed case studies in each chapter, this book will be helpful to a wide variety of scholars and students wanting a broader knowledge of Citizen's Basic Income. It will also be useful to policymakers who wish to engage in the debate on the potential benefits and drawbacks of a Citizen's Basic Income.

This innovative Handbook presents the core concepts associated with austerity, retrenchment and populism and explores how they can be used to analyse developments in different welfare states and in specific social policies. Leading experts highlight how these concepts have influenced and changed welfare states around the globe and impacted specific areas including pensions, long-term care, the labour market, taxation, social activism and gender equality. Comprehensive in approach, the authors offer cutting edge research demonstrating the importance of societal developments to welfare states and the effects of ideas, ideologies and variations in policies and decisions in different countries. They also investigate key country and regime-specific approaches to welfare state development, analysing and interpreting changes in the last 10-15 years. The main drivers for these changes, ranging from demography, to the financial crisis, to the use of new technology and the possible impact of populism, are examined. Far reaching and authoritative, this timely Handbook offers a systematic theoretic overview which will be invaluable for scholars of welfare states, social policy, sociology and political science. Social policy makers will also benefit from the novel case studies explored in depth, and suggestions for potential policy changes.

This exciting and innovative Handbook provides readers with a comprehensive and globally relevant overview of the instruments, actors and design features of social protection systems, as well as their application and impacts in practice. It is the first book that centres around system building globally, a theme that has gained political importance yet has received relatively little attention in academia. Combining academic discussion with cases from the Global South and North, this Handbook offers practical recommendations on how greater harmonization across social protection policies, programmes and delivery mechanisms can be achieved. It also highlights the importance of linkages to other policy fields and issues such as taxation, humanitarian aid and livelihood approaches. Overall, the chapters argue that a systems approach is needed to respond to the individual needs of different groups in society and to face future challenges from demographic change, globalization, automation, climate change and pandemics. Targeting a broad audience, the Handbook on Social Protection Systems bridges the divide in academic debate around social protection in the Global South and North. It will be an invaluable resource for academics, students and practitioners.

Experiences of the struggle for housing, ignited by the lack of social and affordable housing, have led to the establishing of shared and self-managed housing areas. In such a context, it becomes crucially important to re-think the need to define common urban worlds "from below". Here, Penny Travlou and Stavros Stavridis trace contemporary practices of urban commoning through which people re-define housing economies. Connecting to a rich literature on the importance of commons and of practices of commoning for the creation of emancipated societies, the authors discuss whether housing struggles and co-habitation experiences may contribute in crucial ways to the development of a commoning culture. The authors explore a variety of urban contexts through global case studies from across the Global North and South, in search of concrete examples that illustrate the potentialities of urban commoning.

This insightful book provides a comprehensive analysis of the nationwide randomised Finnish basic income experiment 2017 to 2018, from planning and implementation through to the end results. It presents the background of the social policy system in which the experiment was implemented and details the narratives of the planning process alongside its constraints, as well as a final evaluation of the results. Empirical chapters analyse the outcomes of the experiment in relation to the employment, health and well-being, in various forms, of the recipients of unconditional income transfer. Phenomenological aspects of living on basic income, based on face-to-face interviews, are also reported, as well as media discourse on the experiment and its results. This thought-provoking book concludes with an examination of the political feasibility of basic income in Finland. Offering important lessons on the planning and implementation of such experiments in a developed welfare state, this unique book will be a vital resource for scholars and students of social policy, welfare economics, basic security and basic income.

Focusing on the developing economic challenges confronting Korea and the US in response to the aging of their populations, this timely book examines how public policies are evolving in light of demographic changes, the impact of aging on governmental expenditures, and transitions in the labor force associated with aging. International contributors comparatively analyze government approaches to population aging, illustrating the similar challenges faced across nations. Chapters draw attention to those particular issues that public policy plans must surmount, including funding pressures on retirement plans and the effects of an aging labor force on economic growth and productivity. They offer evidence on the scale of these challenges in Korea and the US and empirically evaluate how governments, employers, and individuals may respond to these issues in the years to come. Addressing fiscal sustainability and key social security programs, including the implications of the 2015 Korean pension reform and the economic difficulties entailed by the future of Medicare, this book investigates the implications of managing and sustaining welfare for an aging population. This cutting-edge book will be ideal reading for economists focusing on public policy and welfare programs, benefiting from the comparative approach to fiscal accountability and sustainability. It will also appeal to practitioners and policymakers seeking insights into the consequences of an aging population and hoping to develop innovative methods and approaches to welfare.

Presenting a truly comprehensive history of Basic Income, Malcolm Torry explores the evolution of the concept of a regular unconditional income for every individual, as well as examining other types of income as they relate to its history. Examining the beginnings of the modern debate at the end of the eighteenth century right up to the current global discussion, this book draws on a vast array of original historical sources and serves as both an in-depth study of, and introduction to, Basic Income and its history. Commencing with Thomas Paine's advocacy for Basic Capital and Thomas Spence's for a Basic Income, Torry analyses thought from a variety of authors during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explores the widespread debate across Europe from the 1980s to the present day. Chapters further investigate a terminologically diverse debate in Canada and the USA and highlight the significance of recent research on feasibility in the UK. Concluding with a study of the anatomy of what is now a single global debate about Basic Income, this book will be of value to policy makers, students and scholars of Basic Income, social and economic history, and the economics of social policy.

Are we living in an age of permanent austerity? In this insightful book, Bent Greve provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of welfare states since 2000, exploring the ways in which austerity can be measured and quantified and how far retrenchment has impinged on European welfare states. Featuring clear and succinct discussions defining austerity and retrenchment, Greve offers strong methodological approaches to the measurement of austerity. This timely book provides detailed comparative European analysis, unpacking changes in health care, pension systems and employment policies to better understand the nature, impact and extent of austerity in welfare services. Detailed and nuanced, this book is critical for students of social policy, sociology and political science exploring contemporary European austerity programs. Researchers will also benefit, as the author casts new light on the development and trajectories of the modern welfare state.