Social Policy in Australia

Alison McClelland AM has previously held senior positions in government, academia and the community sector. She has been a Commissioner with the Productivity Commission and participated in government boards and advisory committees, held several honorary positions with the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), was made a member of the Order of the Australia and awarded a Centenary Medal for her contribution to social policy and social research in Australia. Her main work has been directed to examining the impact of social and economic policies on the distribution of material well-being in Australia.Paul Smyth is Honorary Professor of Social Policy at the University of Melbourne where he was previously founding Coordinator of the Master of Social Policy; and, conjointly, General Manager of the Research and Policy Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence. He was earlier Director of Social Policy in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Queensland; and senior researcher at Uniya, the Jesuit social research and action centre at Kings Cross, Sydney.Greg Marston is Professor of Social Policy in the School of Social Science and Deputy Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at The University of Queensland. He has previously held positions at Queensland University of Technology and RMIT University and visiting appointments in Sweden and the United States. Prior to entering academia he worked in the community sector at the local, state and national level. His main research interests are unemployment, poverty, welfare governance, work and emerging technologies and the politics of policymaking.

• Part 1: Introduction to Social Policy Chapter 1. What is Social Policy? Chapter 2. Values, Concepts and Social Policy Design Chapter 3. A Framework for Understanding, Advocacy and Action Chapter 4. The Institutional Context for Social Policy Part 2: The Historical, International and Changing Context for Action Chapter 5. The Historical Context for Action Chapter 6. Australian Social Policy in an International Context Chapter 7. Changes and Challenges Part 3: Areas for Social Policy Action Chapter 8. Immigration: Welfare Rights in a Temporary Immigration State Chapter 9. Unemployment Policy: Unemployment, Underemployment and Labour Market Insecurity Chapter 10. Losing Sight: Social Security Policy in Australia Chapter 11. Housing Policy in Australia Chapter 12. Health and Health Care: A Contested Terrain Chapter 13. Education Policy: Issues and Opportunities in Australian Schooling Chapter 14. Community Services, Individualism and Markets Chapter 15. Climate Change: An Urgent Challenge for Social Policy Chapter 16. Taxation: Paying for Policy