Changing Directions of the British Welfare State

Gideon Calder is Reader in Ethics and Social Philosophy, Jeremy Gass is a Visiting Lecturer and Kirsten Merrill-Glover is Head of Community Learning, all at the University of Wales, Newport.

A valuable, wide-ranging assessment of where Beveridge's welfare state stands in the early years of the 21st century. It should be of interest to both students of social policy and a wider readership. Ruth Lister, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, Loughborough University and member of the House of Lords. The authors cast a committed but critical eye over the past performance of the British welfare state in relation to Beveridge's '5 Giants' over the 70 years since his 1942 report, and examine current issues that are key to its future. The combination of its grounding in the specific context of Wales on the one hand and its wide range of topics on the other gives this volume a unique and valuable perspective.

• Introduction Gideon Calder, Jeremy Gass and Kirsten Merrill-Glover Part 1: The 'five giants' 1. Want | 'What the British people desire': the rise and fall of insurance-based social security Peter Kenway 2. Disease | Social democracy, health inequalities and the welfare state Michael Sullivan 3. Ignorance | Combating ignorance: education, social opportunity and citizenship in Wales Gareth Rees 4. Squalor | Shifting boundaries: people, homes and the state since 1945 John Puzey 5. Idleness | 'No longer a problem of industry': principles, practice and policy in the early 21st century David Byrne Part 2: Five challenges 6. Gender | Continuity and change: gender and welfare Sandra Shaw 7. Race | A very British welfare state? 'race' and racism Charlotte Williams 8. Disability | What rights for disabled people in a welfare state? Need-fulfilment versus identity-assertion and the 'problem of dependency' Steven R. Smith 9. Devolution | Devolution and the welfare state: the case of Wales Mark Drakeford 10. The Start and End of Life The welfare of children since 1948 Ian Butler The welfare of older people since 1948 Liz Lloyd Conclusions: Taking Stock Victoria Winckler