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 eminent scholar Chiara Saraceno, this Advanced Introduction offers a synthetic overview of the core theoretical and policy issues involved in family policy, currently the most dynamic sector of social policies in both developed and developing countries. It discusses the three primary areas of family policy in contemporary society: financial support for the cost of children, short and long term care for children and dependent people, and work-family conciliation. Key features include: An engaging and accessible style exploration of the roles of civil law and feminist studies a comparative, global perspective including analysis of the Global South presentation of the core conceptual and methodological debates in the field. Providing a compact and concise introduction to the rich scholarship of the field, the Advanced Introduction to Family Policy will be a key resource for students and scholars of family policy, social policy and sociological theory.

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 eminent scholar Chiara Saraceno, this Advanced Introduction offers a synthetic overview of the core theoretical and policy issues involved in family policy, currently the most dynamic sector of social policies in both developed and developing countries. It discusses the three primary areas of family policy in contemporary society: financial support for the cost of children, short and long term care for children and dependent people, and work-family conciliation. Key features include: An engaging and accessible style exploration of the roles of civil law and feminist studies a comparative, global perspective including analysis of the Global South presentation of the core conceptual and methodological debates in the field. Providing a compact and concise introduction to the rich scholarship of the field, the Advanced Introduction to Family Policy will be a key resource for students and scholars of family policy, social policy and sociological theory.

This important book offers valuable insights into the way in which social policies and welfare state arrangements interact with family and gender models. It presents the most up-to-date research in the field, based on a variety of national and comparative sources and using different theoretical and methodological approaches. The authors address different forms of support (care, financial, emotional) and employ a bi-directional perspective, exploring both giving and receiving across generations. They illustrate that understanding how generations interact in families helps to reformulate the way issues of intergenerational equity are discussed when addressing the redistributive impact of the welfare state through pensions and health services. Encompassing a wide number of European countries as well as migrant groups, this book will greatly appeal to graduate students interested in sociology, social policy and social psychology. Researchers and policy makers in the fields of demography and sociology will also find the book an invaluable resource.

Recent enlargement to the east made the European Union a more diverse social space and brought it into more direct contact with the social and cultural aftermath of communism.

Sound empirical knowledge on heterogeneity and homogeneity in European societies after the EU enlargement is lacking. By bringing together a collection of informative analyses of key domains of social life in the new member states and candidate countries, viewed in comparison both to each other and to the 'old' EU-15, this handbook will help social scientists, policy makers and other observers cope with the unfamiliarity of this new world. In particular, it examines the implications of the new member states' membership for the future course of EU integration. This substantial text contains seventeen chapters with a focus on social conditions, such as:

• poverty and living conditions
• social inclusion, life satisfaction
• work and labour markets;
• family and housing.

Making use of a range of data, this handbook will be an essential resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers of Sociology, Social Policy and Welfare, European Studies and European Union Policy.

Governments have had a longstanding interest in family forms and the behaviour of family members, although their goals and instruments have differed over time and across countries. This timely collection brings together seminal contributions focusing on a number of important topics relating to this field. This research review focuses on the origins and social foundations of family policies, their main actors and drivers; together with consideration of crucial concepts and themes, including gender, intergenerational obligations and care and also deals with the various areas and goals addressed by family policies and their diversity across countries: the politics of reproduction; support for children, policies to reconcile paid work and family obligations; parenthood policies; patterns of care policies and domestic violence. This important title will be of immense value to those working in the field of families and family policies and will be an excellent source of reference to both students and academics.

Three experienced Italian sociologists explore the structural and cultural dimensions of poverty in their country. Comparing Italy's regime with other European countries, they consider the interplay of conditions in the labour market, the family and welfare arrangements as causes of poverty. This in-depth analysis explores how forced familialism, unbalanced gender arrangements, territorial cleavages and sluggish growth have rendered Italy vulnerable to financial crisis. As old risks of poverty have worsened, new risks have emerged and children, the working poor and migrants have become the 'new poor'. Combining theoretical and empirical tools, this is a topical fresh take on the understanding of poverty in Italy that is even more crucial considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent enlargement to the east made the European Union a more diverse social space and brought it into more direct contact with the social and cultural aftermath of communism. Sound empirical knowledge on heterogeneity and homogeneity in European societies after the EU enlargement is lacking. By bringing together a collection of informative analyses of key domains of social life in the new member states and candidate countries, viewed in comparison both to each other and to the 'old' EU-15, this handbook will help social scientists, policy makers and other observers cope with the unfamiliarity of this new world. In particular, it examines the implications of the new member states' membership for the future course of EU integration. This substantial text contains seventeen chapters with a focus on social conditions, such as: poverty and living conditions social inclusion, life satisfaction work and labour markets; family and housing. Making use of a range of data, this handbook will be an essential resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers of Sociology, Social Policy and Welfare, European Studies and European Union Policy.

Demographic and societal changes are strongly affecting the contexts of childhood and the experience of being children. At the same time, across social groups and across societies, diversities and inequalities in childhood are taking new forms. In the developed world, in particular, children their number, their welfare, their education, the division of power and responsibilities over them among the different social actors have entered the public agenda, at the national and supranational level. Public concern over issues such as fertility rates, mothers working, early childhood education and care as well as solemn international declarations of children's rights are examples of the ongoing politicization of childhood. Drawing both on micro and macro, national and comparative studies, this volume of "Comparative Social Research" traces some of the trends and analyzes in comparative perspective how they affect images and practices of childhood and transforms responsibilities for children. The volume's focus is mainly on children in the developed countries, but attention is also paid to transnational diversities and to the impact of globalisation through the experiences of migrant children and of children living through the processes of modernization in the developing world.

Throughout Europe income support for the poor has become highly controversial. It is often assumed to be not the answer to, but the cause of social exclusion, and is increasingly believed to give rise to welfare dependency This book contributes to a more complex understanding of welfare state regimes and welfare recipients in contemporary Europe. Describing social assistance "careers" in different national and urban contexts, it documents the strong interplay between personal biographies and policy patterns - a particularly useful perspective which compliments the more structural, top-down approach of much international work in social policy "Social Assistance Dynamics in Europe" compares: a range of northern and southern European countries (Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal); focuses on the actual working of their policies: their set of actors; cultural background; implementation; and uses a methodological approach, which combines longitudinal analysis with qualitative research Academics and students of welfare and poverty, policy makers and social policy evaluators in the public, private and non profit sectors should find this book useful.

Demographic and societal changes are strongly affecting the contexts of childhood and the experience of being children. At the same time, across social groups and across societies, diversities and inequalities in childhood are taking new forms. In the developed world, in particular, children their number, their welfare, their education, the division of power and responsibilities over them among the different social actors have entered the public agenda, at the national and supranational level. Public concern over issues such as fertility rates, mothers working, early childhood education and care as well as solemn international declarations of childrens rights are examples of the ongoing politicization of childhood. Drawing both on micro and macro, national and comparative studies, this volume of Comparative Social Research traces some of the trends and analyses in comparative perspective how they affect images and practices of childhood and transforms responsibilities for children. The volume's focus is mainly on children in the developed countries, but attention is also paid to transnational diversities and to the impact of globalisation through the experiences of migrant children and of children living through the processes of modernisation in the developing world.
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* A comparative look at the experience of childhood
* Contributions from an international group of leading researchers