Routledge Library Editions: Social Administration & Social Policy – serie

Originally published in 1985, this book investigates, through real cases, whether independently funded research which was intended to solve social problems has had the desired effect. It also inquires whether civil servants believe that research has a part to play in the formulation of policy. The researcher’s time scale is long and the policy maker’s is short. Does this conflict always mean that the results of research are produced long after policy has been decided and implemented? The book also examines the funders of social research who make up the third party in the uneasy relationship between social scientists and policy makers. This important study goes to the very heart of the debate about social research.

The topic of housing is central to urban history as well as to social policy. Historians have focussed either on local conditions or national developments, but until first publication of this book in 1980, there had been few systematic attempts to relate local amenities to general policy. The essays provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study of housing, blending original local studies with a novel theoretical perspective on the development of social policy. Covering a wide geographical area, the book focusses on housing conditions within the locality surveyed and the intervention of both local and central government in the provision of working-class dwellings. The studies relate specific cases to general problems of economic and social development and changes in class relations.

Published in 1994, as a revised and updated seventh edition, this classic guide to social administration was first published in 1969. The book provides information about social problems and the structure and working of the social services in the late 20th Century. It also identifies the main lines of development in social legislation and clarifies the issues that dominated social policy, many of which are still relevant today. Major changes to provision in social security, health, education, employment and personal social services have been incorporated and the conflicts around these changes explored. The trend towards the privatization of welfare and the centralizing role of the state are discussed in the context of economic change. This text will be of interest to students, lecturers and professionals in the history of social policy, sociology, policy-making.

Originally published in 1967, this book examines the health services, social insurance, social assistance, family allowances and housing in the Irish Republic during the late 20th Century. Discussion of the social services is introduced by an outline of the environment in which social policy operates – the political system, social implications of the demographic characteristics and the country’s economy. The book will be of interest to historians of social policy and social work.

Originally published in 1965, this introductory textbook provides the student with an outline of the subject matter of Social Administration. It deals with the growth of this discipline of study, its inter-relatedness with the other social sciences, and examines the historical development and structure of the social services in the 20th Century. The book discusses the complexity of the study of the study of the formation and implementation of social policy in the United Kingdom and will be of interest to those in the areas of the history of social policy and the welfare state.

Originally published in 1980, this book introduces students of social studies to ideas in moral, social and political philosophy which are useful for assessing social policy. At the same time the book enables philosophy students to discover the value of social and political philosophy beyond its traditional confines. The book begins with the claim that modern social welfare has to be thought of as help given to strangers and goes on to ask how services of this sort can be justified. The first part of the book discusses the distinction between social and economic policy. Using Titmuss’ notion of ‘the gift-relationship’ it shows its implications for our understanding of social integration, alienation, community and the importance of moral status in social life. It then considers the justification of our ways of discriminating among strangers in our social policies. The idea of social justice and the implications of the ‘work ethic’ are examined, particularly in relation to our views of what help strangers need or deserve and the relationship between welfare rights and human rights is also discussed.

Originally published in 1985 the discussions in this book open up a series of important issues for the ethical practice of social work, including questions about the proper relations between personal and professional values, professional responsibility, relations between professionals and their employers, the rights of clients and the education appropriate to ethical social work practice.

Social policy is never static because both needs and resources alter. However, many of the issues which were central to social policy when these books were first published remain relevant for much of the world today: an ageing population, housing shortages, changes in employment. Originally published between 1965 and 1990 the 14 volumes in this set:· Concentrate on the major developments in social policy in the second half of the 20th century. They consider these in relation to the economic and social environment, examining social policy in relation to industry, urban planning, and housing need.· Examine the idea of social justice and the implications of the ‘work ethic’ particularly in relation to our views of what help strangers need or deserve.· Discuss the relationship between welfare rights and human rights· Critique official policy towards families with young children living on low incomes and look at some of the myths prevalent in the public debate· Analyze the trend towards the privatization of welfare in the context of economic change.· Discuss the fundamental questions of the nature, scope and intent of social policy· Provide information about social problems and the growth, structure and working of the social services in the late 20th Century.

Originally published in 1979, this book enabled students and practising professionals who wished to deepen their understanding of their subject by using a comparative approach. The book begins with a stringent treatment of methodological problems, moves on to suggest how they can be tackled, and sets up a conceptual and analytical framework for the four case studies, and the comparative analysis arising out of them. These case studies, from Britain, France, Israel and Australia are deliberately focused on the personal social services and social work – although these are necessarily set within the political, economic and social context and related to other areas of social provision in each country.

Originally published in 1974, this book provides a critique of official policy towards families with young children living on low incomes and looks in detail at some of the myths prevalent in the public debate – both political and academic – about the ‘cycle of deprivation’, a phrase coined by Sir Keith Joseph (British Politician, 1918-1994). One of these myths is that it is possible to provide, on a selective basis, the best services for the poorest members of the community. Anthe is that the poorest group is the one which is in most need of every kind of social service. A third is that the more generous provision of social services to areas with high concentrations of poor families can reduce tensions and conflicts between social groups. The author contends that these myths are being used to obscure the fact that the persistent force behind post-war social policy is none other than the spirit of the Poor Law.

Social policy is never static because both needs and resources alter. It must involve a responsiveness to social change on the part of the agencies involved. Originally published in 1969, this study employs this dynamic approach and sets the subject against a background of democratic involvement. It discusses the fundamental questions of the nature, scope and intent of social policy. Throughout the approach to the subject is integrative. The book explains issues in terms of social policy, not fragmented social policies, in the discussion of common factors and common problems and above all in the realistic appraisal of means and ends in contemporary society.

Originally published in 1979, this book concentrates on the major developments in social policy in the second half of the 20th century. The first part considers these in relation to the economic and social environment, comprising essays on social policy in relation to industry, urban planning, and housing need. Further chapters consider social policies designed to meet individual needs such as education, health, and the maintenance of income. The final section deals with personal social services, and the relation of social policy to crime. For its breadth and scope of coverage the book will be of interest to all students of the history of social policy and social work.

When this book was originally published in 1972 very little had been written about prison staff. The author acknowledges that interest should of course be concentrated on the prisoner community but maintains that the prison staff must also be examined if prisons are to be fully understood. This book demonstrates that the central figure in any prison system is the basic grade uniformed officer and that the collective views of officers have a direct and supreme impact on the working of the system. The book discusses the role of the prison officer in the English prison system, a highly centralized organization which has been in operation for over 150 years. The definition of new organizational tasks during this time brought problems of adjustment for staff which were never properly examined or understood, and which led to major crises. This examination of the English prison service is relevant to prison systems in all advanced societies and raises many controversial issues of importance to policymakers in prison services.

What part did the British voluntary hospital system play in the health of the community in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? Did hospitals kill or cure? Originally published in 1974, this study investigates these questions through a pioneering examination of the extant hospital records, ranging from admissions registers to annual reports, and by an analysis of the contemporary literature. It relates the hospital system to the changing economic and social environment and is primarily concerned with the patients themselves and their experiences. The lack of medical treatment for the bulk of the population is emphasised, and the influence of the reformers on the foundation of the first voluntary hospitals in the beginning of the 18th century is assessed. Staffing and administrative procedures are studied as a prelude to examining the patients – their social background and physical and surgical complaints. Important aspects of the hospitals’ work and their influence on the rate of mortality are explored. They are admissions policy regarding fever cases; the nature and number of surgical cases and the incidence of sepsis. The effect of growing urbanization and industrialization on the success of the voluntary hospitals in the 19th century is also examined.