Vic George - Böcker

This broad and accessible text examines one of the most crucial issues facing western governments today: how to raise sufficient funds to meet the rising aspirations of their electorate for more and better welfare services. Looking at seven European countries representing different policy traditions, government ideologies and levels of economic affluence, it discusses health, social security, housing, personal social services and education policies against a background of economic, demographic and familial change.

This thematically structured text offers an ideal introduction to the positive and negative effects of globalization on human welfare in industrial and developing societies. It documents the effects of globalization on economic growth, income distribution, poverty, education, health, social care and the environment. It pays special attention to the effects of globalization on ethnic and gender issues and concludes with an assessment of the possibilities of global social policy. It will appeal to undergraduates in the social sciences both as a basic text and a reference book.

Governments in all advanced industrial societies are involved in an endless struggle of how to 'square the welfare circle', as demand for public services rises due to demographic, social and labour market foctors. Government ability to finance this rising tide of public service demand is constrained by economic and, at times, ideological factors but failure to make welfare provision has adverse electoral consequeces. This is not an issue which is likely to go away. Social Policy Towards 2000 examines the issues and factors affecting the welfare state and by comparing the proposals of the three main UK political parties for the welfare system for the remaining part of the decade, offers a prospective analysis of the future of welfare.

European Welfare Futures presents a clear and up-to-date analysis of developments in social policy in the main EU member states. It provides a systematic account of welfare retrenchment and assesses the competing explanations of this process. The authors provide convincing evidence for the view that an 'ever closer union' in social policy will require a much more difficult process than that which led to monetary union. The book makes a major contribution to understanding how welfare policy in Europe will develop over the next few years. It offers an original and wide-ranging account of the forces affecting the direction of policy, and stresses the role of social and political institutions in explaining why countries differ.European Welfare Futures will be essential reading for undergraduates, graduate students and scholars in social policy, sociology, political science, area studies and international relations courses. It will also be of great interest to policy-makers in the EU, especially in the areas of pensions, health, social care and unemployment.

In this major new textbook, Vic George and Robert Page provide an original and much-needed introduction to global social problems and the emergence of a global social policy response. In an increasingly globalized world, it is inevitable that many of the social problems which have so far been seen as national in character will assume a global character. Global social problems are those which cannot be confined within national boundaries and which need both national and international attention if they are to be ameliorated. Pollution of the atmosphere is a stark example of this process. Global Social Problems begins with a discussion of the contested concept of globalization. Then eight of the most important global social problems are explored and explained by leading experts in environmental degration, international poverty, crime, AIDS, drugs, family violence, racism and migration. The book also includes chapter which explores the global social policy implications of these developments. With suggestions for further reading and accessible style, this book will be essential reading for undergraduate students in the social science, particularly those studying social policy, sociology and politics.

In this major new textbook, Vic George and Robert Page provide an original and much-needed introduction to global social problems and the emergence of a global social policy response. In an increasingly globalized world, it is inevitable that many of the social problems which have so far been seen as national in character will assume a global character. Global social problems are those which cannot be confined within national boundaries and which need both national and international attention if they are to be ameliorated. Pollution of the atmosphere is a stark example of this process. Global Social Problems begins with a discussion of the contested concept of globalization. Then eight of the most important global social problems are explored and explained by leading experts in environmental degration, international poverty, crime, AIDS, drugs, family violence, racism and migration. The book also includes chapter which explores the global social policy implications of these developments. With suggestions for further reading and accessible style, this book will be essential reading for undergraduate students in the social science, particularly those studying social policy, sociology and politics.

First published in 1980, Socialism, Social Welfare and the Soviet Union examines the views of Marx, Engels and Lenin on what constitutes a socialist form of provision of social security, income, education, health and housing. The authors discuss the implementation of these ideas in the Soviet Union since the 1917 Revolution in the context of economic and political development, and describe the social services in the Soviet Union, assessing the extent to which the original ideas have been matched by reality. They also briefly survey the views of several East European academic writers on social policy, outlining some distinctive features of social policy in the Eastern bloc.The authors’ general conclusion is that the Soviet Union has made great progress in social policy provision; from their research and from their visits in the course of writing this book, they show that the social services of the Soviet Union are as good as and, in some ways, more comprehensive than those of Western Europe. Equally important is their conclusion that a society in which the means of production and distribution are nationalised, and which makes a full provision of social services is not necessarily a socialist society. This book will appeal to students of sociology, political science and area studies.

First published in 1980, Socialism, Social Welfare and the Soviet Union examines the views of Marx, Engels and Lenin on what constitutes a socialist form of provision of social security, income, education, health and housing. The authors discuss the implementation of these ideas in the Soviet Union since the 1917 Revolution in the context of economic and political development, and describe the social services in the Soviet Union, assessing the extent to which the original ideas have been matched by reality. They also briefly survey the views of several East European academic writers on social policy, outlining some distinctive features of social policy in the Eastern bloc.The authors’ general conclusion is that the Soviet Union has made great progress in social policy provision; from their research and from their visits in the course of writing this book, they show that the social services of the Soviet Union are as good as and, in some ways, more comprehensive than those of Western Europe. Equally important is their conclusion that a society in which the means of production and distribution are nationalised, and which makes a full provision of social services is not necessarily a socialist society. This book will appeal to students of sociology, political science and area studies.

This is the first book to examine the views of a number of theorists from ancient times to the 19th century on a range of welfare issues: wealth, poverty and inequality; slavery, gender issues, and the family; child rearing and education; crime and punishment; the role of government in society; the strengths and weaknesses of government provision vis a vis market provision. The book also looks at the values of the various theorists as well as their perception of human nature for these tend to underpin their welfare views. The book will make essential reading for students of social policy, gender issues, community care, social work, and sociology.