Stephen Baron – författare

The idea of ''social capital'' is increasingly influencing international, national, and local policy making and work within the social sciences. This book provides an overview of ''social capital'' together with critical discussion of its application in a wide variety of fields.However, its rapid rise to prominence has not been matched by proper scrutiny of the idea and its consequences. This book provides the first full critical analysis of social capital, written by authors from a wide range of disciplinary and policy backgrounds. The book asks searching questions. Is social capital really new? Does it offer significant analytic purchase? Can it be an operational, as opposed to rhetorical, concept? Can policies based on social capital deal with conflict and social exclusion? These issues are explored through studies of education, health, poltical science, urban regeneration, economic development and other areas and disciplines. The authors - who include academics, professionals and policy specialists - are all distinguished and prominent contributors in their own fields.

The idea of 'social capital' is increasingly influencing international, national, and local policy making and work within the social sciences. This book provides an overview of 'social capital' together with critical discussion of its application in a wide variety of fields.However, its rapid rise to prominence has not been matched by proper scrutiny of the idea and its consequences. This book provides the first full critical analysis of social capital, written by authors from a wide range of disciplinary and policy backgrounds.The book asks searching questions. Is social capital really new? Does it offer significant analytic purchase? Can it be an operational, as opposed to rhetorical, concept? Can policies based on social capital deal with conflict and social exclusion? These issues are explored through studies of education, health, poltical science, urban regeneration, economic development and other areas and disciplines. The authors - who include academics, professionals and policy specialists - are all distinguished and prominent contributors in their own fields.

The idea of social capital is increasingly prominent in international, national, and local policy-making and in the social sciences. However, its rapid rise to prominence has not been matched by proper scrutiny of the idea and its consequences. This book provides the first full critical analysis of social capital, written by authors from a wide range of disciplinary and policy backgrounds. The book asks searching questions: Is the concept of social capital really new? Does it offer significant anaytic purchase? Can it be an operational, as opposed to rhetorica concept? Can policies based on social capital deal with conflict and social exclusion? These issues are explored through studies of education, health, political science, urban regeneartion, economic development and other areas and disciplines. The authors - who include academics, professionals and policy specialists - are all distinguished and prominent contributors in their own fields.

There is a growing concern about the social exclusion of a range of minority groups, including people with learning difficulties. Lifelong learning is seen as one of the central means of challenging the exclusion of this group, but also of enhancing their economic status. This book demonstrates that policy based on human capital premises has produced forms of lifelong learning which exacerbate the marginalisation of people with learning difficulties. The Learning Society and people with learning difficulties: reviews the range of policy fields which increasingly intervene in the lifelong learning arena; maps the agencies involved in service delivery and describes their (sometimes conflicting) ethos; provides in-depth accounts of the lived experiences of individuals with learning difficulties as they navigate lifelong learning options. Its exploration of the links between community care, education, training, employment, housing and benefits policies in the context of lifelong learning is unique. This book makes a significant contribution to debates about how people with learning difficulties may achieve social inclusion, and the part which lifelong learning may play in this. It is therefore invaluable reading for policy makers, practitioners and academics interested in these issues.