Elgar Handbooks in Social Policy and Welfare series – serie

Research in social policy has been greatly influenced by the emergence of modern political economy in the late 1970s. The Handbook on the Political Economy of Social Policy offers a systematic, yet comprehensive, framework for understanding how concepts, theoretical standpoints and methodological approaches stemming from political economy have been applied to the study of social policies, and models of welfare provision. The authors also signpost current developments and discuss their likely impact on future research.With contributions from leading scholars in social policy, political science and political economy, The Handbook explores the key theoretical standpoints for understanding how social policies are introduced and/or reformed. These include historical institutionalism, the role of ideas, the influence of political parties and of political attitudes and preferences. The contributors also discuss key methodological approaches for understanding how social policies are adopted and how they change – from the case-study approach to more comparative approaches. Analysis of the applications of political economy approaches within social policy covers housing, welfare, labour relations and pensions as well as examining regional cases from across the globe.Offering a comprehensive overview of the current state of scholarship on the political economy of social policy, this Handbook will be crucial reading for scholars and students of social policy, welfare state analysis, area studies, political science, political economy and sociology.

This comprehensive Handbook considers the emergence of philanthropic foundations and institutions as increasingly crucial social policy actors. It presents an interdisciplinary examination of modern philanthropies, tracing their development and impact across global regions, social policy sectors and policy making processes.Leading international scholars discuss the key concepts and debates surrounding social policy and philanthropy, exploring how substantial donations made by wealthy families, individuals, foundations and corporations (characterised as Big Philanthropy) have created a more complex form of social welfare. Chapters outline the work of philanthropic organisations across fields such as health, education, housing and climate change mitigation and across multilateral development forums. Specific attention is paid to the impact of philanthropy in the Global South through the analysis of detailed case studies, including the role of the Ford Foundation in China’s reform era and the influence of the Tata Group in India. Ultimately, the Handbook provides an innovative and critical perspective on the nature of philanthropic actors in different social policy arenas, their normative influence on policy processes and dynamics, and the restructuring of contemporary welfare states.Students and scholars of social policy, philanthropy and development studies will benefit greatly from this new Handbook. It is also an invaluable resource for policy makers and practitioners working with philanthropic organisations.

This comprehensive Handbook provides an overview of China’s latest social policy developments, assessing welfare reforms amidst its transformation from a socialist to a mixed economy. Systematically examining the impact of China’s social policies on human wellbeing, expert authors examine the needs and challenges of various welfare users.Chapters explore China’s policymaking process, the welfare relationship between central and local governments and changes in key welfare policies, from social security and housing to health and education. Contributors also discuss measures implemented for special welfare issues, including poverty, migrant workers, left-behind children, mental health measures and digital technology in health services. The Handbook demonstrates how China has reduced poverty and increased opportunities for the general public to access medical services, while also highlighting demand for greater reduction in regional inequalities.The Handbook on Social Policy in China is a crucial resource for scholars and students in social policy, health and social care. Its valuable insights into socio-economic conditions in China and government measures to tackle inequalities, will also appeal to policymakers and welfare practitioners.

This compelling Handbook explores how social policies have been adapted and remodelled in response to transformations in work and employment in the twenty-first century. It outlines the history of the welfare-work relationship, assesses the current state of the global workforce and provides theoretical and practical analyses of the work-employment-social policy relationship.Leading experts review the state of the art in the work-welfare nexus and explore new avenues for future research. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, chapters consider young people in the labour market, unemployment insurance, free trade agreements and employment relations as well as the future of work and the welfare state. They also address core aspects of social protection and employment services, including the policy impact of enduring, current and future challenges. The Handbook sheds light on existing social policy ideas and initiatives which can be used to develop better living conditions for all.This authoritative book is an essential resource for scholars and students of comparative social policy, political science, the sociology of work and labour policy. It is also an engaging and informative read for policymakers and civil servants working in employment relations, as well as welfare professionals and civil society actors.

This incisive Handbook provides an overview of how social policies are implemented and how implementation often diverges from political expectations. It demonstrates that delivering welfare services is not only a technical task but a complex, contested process influenced by frontline workers, organizations, and broader social and political forces. Leading international scholars examine how today’s welfare states face new challenges, including digitalization, declining administrative capacity, multi-level governance, and changing relationships between the state and society. Addressing key topics such as capacity and resources, the role of emotions, and policy reforms for elder care, the authors illustrate that social policy implementation is a dynamic, interactive process in which rules, resources, professional norms, and power are constantly changing. Offering conceptual tools, empirical analysis, innovative research methods, and comparative perspectives, this Handbook advances research on the application of social policy, presenting new directions and methods for future study. The Handbook of Social Policy Implementation is a crucial resource for scholars and students of social and public policy, politics, public administration, and sociology. Practitioners employing social policy in welfare organizations, public agencies, advocacy groups, and state governance will also benefit from its valuable theoretical insights and practical guidance.

This comprehensive Handbook provides a fresh analysis of the balance between the state, markets and civil society that lies at the heart of all governance frameworks. Expert contributors highlight the ways in which civil society contributes to, complements and challenges traditional welfare structures.Bringing together key concepts such as social capital, human capital, reciprocity and volunteerism, this Handbook investigates how civil society shapes and is influenced by shifting social policies and societal transformations. It provides a multidimensional perspective on welfare provision across diverse contexts including the long-term care of older people, disability policy and the influence of NGOs on social policy. Chapters incorporate a comprehensive discussion of civil society’s role, clearly mapping the tensions between voluntary initiatives and the broader involvement of the state and society in social policy. This Handbook equips readers with the conceptual tools and empirical knowledge needed to engage critically with ongoing debates and developments in these fields.This Handbook is a vital resource for students and scholars of social policy, political science and sociology, as well as academics studying the welfare state. Its valuable insights will also benefit practitioners in welfare and social policy.

This innovative Handbook presents the core concepts associated with austerity, retrenchment and populism and explores how they can be used to analyse developments in different welfare states and in specific social policies. Leading experts highlight how these concepts have influenced and changed welfare states around the globe and impacted specific areas including pensions, long-term care, the labour market, taxation, social activism and gender equality.Comprehensive in approach, the authors offer cutting edge research demonstrating the importance of societal developments to welfare states and the effects of ideas, ideologies and variations in policies and decisions in different countries. They also investigate key country and regime-specific approaches to welfare state development, analysing and interpreting changes in the last 10-15 years. The main drivers for these changes, ranging from demography, to the financial crisis, to the use of new technology and the possible impact of populism, are examined.Far reaching and authoritative, this timely Handbook offers a systematic theoretic overview which will be invaluable for scholars of welfare states, social policy, sociology and political science. Social policy makers will also benefit from the novel case studies explored in depth, and suggestions for potential policy changes.

Featuring contributions from leading international scholars of social policy, this dynamic Research Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of conceptual and methodological developments in leave policy research, as well as state-of-the-art findings on leave policy determinants and outcomes globally. The topic of inequality is placed at the centre of the Research Handbook, to strengthen the global debate and encourage broader thinking about the interconnections between leave policy design and social inequalities. Chapters illustrate the continued relevance of this correlation in the context of gendered care and employment practices, precarious, underinsured, and nonstandard employment, informal economies, migration, family changes, and growing financial strains for parents. Using parental leave policy as an empirical lens to further our understanding of the intersectional nature of social inequalities, the editors ultimately consider whether there is a case to reconfigure leave policy as a social right. This incisive Research Handbook will be essential reading for a multi-disciplinary audience of students and scholars of social policy, family studies, gender studies, sociology, social work, and public policy. Its evaluation of cutting-edge developments in leave policy will also benefit national and international policy makers, as well as HR leaders interested in parenting leave best practice.

Examining how policy affects the human rights of people with disabilities, this topical Handbook presents diverse empirical experiences of disability policy and identifies the changes that are necessary to achieve social justice. Expansive in scope, the Handbook illustrates how language, law and concepts about human rights impact the way that disability policy is framed and implemented. Chapters use the lenses of human rights, welfare, health and economic inclusion to address contemporary policy questions such as globalization and technology. Grounded in lived experiences, the Handbook interweaves personal narratives from people with disabilities which provide important insights into how policy impacts opportunity and point to future possibilities for the influence of human rights on policy change. As narrative author Karla Garcia Luiz reflects, ‘We often share situations that make us feel lonely, exhausted, insecure, questioning ourselves.... When we share, we realize that these feelings are collective and, [in]naming them we re-signify them and, thus, we strengthen ourselves for political action’.Informed by international, comparative experiences, this Handbook will be an engaging and perceptive resource for students and scholars of sociology and social policy, health and welfare studies and disability policy. With diverse examples from across the Global North and South, it will also appeal to people working in social policy who are looking to develop and reform policies to be more inclusive, accessible and progressive towards people with disabilities.

This cutting-edge Handbook argues for social protection to be situated in a wider system of social welfare and development programmes for low- and middle-income countries. Focusing on the role of citizens and communities in enhancing human development, it explores how welfare systems are unfolding in diverse contexts across the global South.Tracing the evolution and theory of social protection, the Handbook examines the nature, design, scope, goals and linkages of social protection and social development programmes. Case studies examine responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; the entrepreneurial character of modern social protection schemes; cash transfer schemes and the move towards cash-plus policies; and the fluidity between progression and regression of social protection. With global and regional reviews of social protection from in-country experts, the Handbook provides innovative solutions to key challenges.Bridging theoretical and empirical approaches, the Handbook on Social Protection and Social Development in the Global South will prove an invaluable resource for academics and graduate students of development, social policy and sociology. Its comprehensive overview of the field will also be useful for policymakers and practitioners working on social welfare and development in the global South.

Applying a critical perspective to stimulate dialogue and mutual learning between the interconnected fields of social innovation and social policy analysis, this dynamic Handbook investigates the often-contested relationship between these two areas of enquiry and practice. Bringing together discerning contributions from a diverse team of international scholars and analysts, the Handbook explores key policy insights, practical lessons and advances in theoretical understanding which can be drawn from social innovation and social policy. Chapters examine a comprehensive range of social issues and policy areas including sustainable development, employment, immigration, financial exclusion, digital services, food provision, health and social care, and gender equality. Presenting distinctive new insights into how social innovation and social policy can address these issues, the Handbook ultimately considers how social innovation can offer solutions and ways forward in response to emerging social problems and persistent welfare needs. This expansive Handbook will be invaluable for academics, scholars, and advanced students of social policy, social innovation and enterprise, public management and administration, and politics. Locating the relationship between social innovation and social policy in historical, theoretical, and practical contexts, it will also benefit civil society organisations and public policymakers tasked with developing and implementing innovations and reforms in key policy areas.

Presenting extensive coverage of key theoretical and policy issues within the field of health care research, this forward-looking Research Handbook contends that students of health care need to take policy more seriously.Emphasising the critical importance of policy research and theorising for health care, the Research Handbook argues that analysts of health care policy need to draw on conceptual models of the policy process, in particular the ‘stages model’ and the ‘3 Is’ model of ideas, interests, and institutions. It considers how these models could be applied using specific cases of countries and regions across the globe, bridging the divide between the existing literature on health systems in the global North and global South. Chapters explore the various stages of the policy process, from agenda setting and policy formation to policy implementation and evaluation, before examining central topics such as governance, health care inequalities, long term care, responses to Covid-19, and providing, financing, and regulating health care.This erudite Research Handbook will be an essential resource for postgraduate students and scholars of health care policy, public policy, and health systems research. Its astute analysis of different transnational actors and health care processes across the globe will also benefit policy makers and practitioners working in health care.

This Research Handbook provides a comprehensive exploration of recent advances in social care policy scholarship. Spanning a breadth of issues and policy programmes, it presents a systematic, empirically and theoretically grounded overview of social care policy research, addressing a notable gap in a field often dominated by issue or country-specific studies.Recognising that social care is emerging as a respected and institutionalized public policy field, this Research Handbook investigates how social care policies have gained momentum across the globe and documents the development of contemporary literature in this area. The Handbook presents a topical and global overview of social care policies for children, frail older people and adults with disabilities, exploring the institutional setting of care systems, care policies and related trends. Chapter authors assess care work’s (in)formalization, marketization, quality and affordability, as well as exploring care poverty, inequality, and the consequences of the pandemic for care.A crucial read for social care policy scholars, this Handbook is also a vital resource for academics, researchers and students of social work, social policy, sociology, political science, public administration studies, gender studies, childcare, and disability studies.

This comprehensive Handbook examines the capacity of advanced welfare states to adapt to sustained pressures and unforeseen crises. It explores the enduring relevance of established frameworks in explaining welfare state change as well as their effectiveness in addressing essential areas for reform.Experts discuss reform patterns and trajectories across key policy domains, reflecting on governance models and political dynamics. They assess the mechanisms that shape reforms, such as public attitudes, organized interests, electoral politics, policy learning, and international multi-level governance. With a focus on Europe and further OECD countries, chapters conduct detailed process-tracing of major social policy topics, from pensions and healthcare to education, the reconfiguration of EU social policy and housing policy. The Handbook surveys advancements in both traditional and emerging methodologies for analysing reform processes, demonstrating the evolution of the field and suggesting future research paths in the age of polycrisis.Students and scholars of comparative social policy, welfare economics and welfare states will greatly benefit from this informative Handbook. It is also an essential resource for those studying comparative politics, political economy and contemporary social history.