Includes bibliographical references and index.

The subject of social policy / Pete Alcock -- Methods and approaches in social policy research / Saul Becker -- History and social policy / David Gladstone -- Social needs, social problems, social welfare and well-being / Nick Manning -- Equality, rights and social justice / Peter Taylor-Gooby -- Efficiency, equity and choice / Carol Propper -- Altruism, reciprocity and obligation / Hilary Land -- Neo-liberalism / Nick Ellison -- The conservative tradition / Robert Pinker -- Social democracy / Robert M. Page -- The socialist perspective / Hartley Dean -- Third way perspectives / Martin Powell -- Feminist perspectives / Jane Lewis -- Green perspectives / Michael Cahill -- Postmodernist perspectives / Tony Fitzpatrick -- Divisions and difference / Sharon Wright -- Poverty and social exclusion / Pete Alcock -- The distribution of welfare / John Hills -- Social policy and economic policy / Colin Hay -- Culture and nationhood / Fiona Williams -- Social policy and family policy / Jane Millar -- The political process / John Hudson -- Evidence and evaluation / Stephen Harrison and Ruth McDonald -- State welfare / Catherine Bochel -- Commercial welfare / Christopher Holden -- Occupational welfare / Margaret May -- Voluntary welfare / Jeremy Kendall -- Informal care / Caroline Glendinning and Hilary Arksey -- Paying for welfare / Howard Glennerster -- Citizenship and access to welfare / Ruth Lister -- Managing and delivering welfare / John Clarke -- Accountability for welfare / Janet Newman -- Welfare users and social policy / Peter Beresford -- Local and regional government and governance and social policy / Guy Daly and Howard Davis -- Social policy and devolution / Richard Parry -- Social policy and the European Union / Linda Hantrais -- Social policy and supranational governance / Nicola Yeates -- Income maintenance and social security / Stephen McKay and Karen Rowlingson -- Employment / Alan Deacon -- Healthcare / Rob Baggott -- Education in schools / Anne West -- Lifelong learning and training / Claire Callender -- Housing / Alan Murie -- Social care / Jon Glasby -- Criminal justice / Tim Newburn -- 'Race' and social welfare / Lucinda Platt -- Children / Tess Ridge -- Young people / Bob Coles -- Older people / Alan Walker and Tony Maltby -- Disability / Mark Priestley -- Migrants and asylum-seekers / Alice Bloch -- The role of comparative study in social policy / Margaret May -- Globalization and social policy / Rob Sykes -- Social policy in Europe / Jochen Clasen -- Social policy in liberal market societies / Michael Hill -- Social policy in East Asian societies / Michael Hill -- Social policy in developing societies / Patricia Kennett.

These essays convey the immediacy of social policy's intellectual and political engagements with the world, and its practical applications in research and employment. They also provide an overview of resources available to students.