In a period of rapid change for welfare states around the world, this insightful book offers a comparative study of three historically small welfare states: the US, Japan, and South Korea. Featuring contributions from international distinguished scholars, this book looks beyond the larger European welfare states to unpack the many common political and institutional characteristics that have constrained welfare state development in industrialized democracies.
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James Midgley
This thought-provoking book examines the role of social protection in reducing inequality and enhancing social justice. It assesses social protection’s impact on inequality in different parts of the world and shows that if carefully designed, adequately funded and effectively implemented, it can make a significant contribution to reducing income, gender and other forms of inequality. In this way, it can promote egalitarian ideals and enhance social justice.
Mary Daly
Gender equality has been one of the defining projects of European welfarestates. It has proven an elusive goal, not just because of political opposition but also due to a lack of clarity in how to best frame equality and take account of family-related considerations. This wide-ranging book assembles the most pertinent literature and evidence to provide a critical understanding of how contemporary state policies engage with gender inequalities.
Children's Lives in Southern Europe
Contemporary Challenges and Risks
Edited by Lourdes Gaitán, Yannis Pechtelidis, Catarina Tomás and Natália Fernandes
This interdisciplinary book provides a sociological view of the contemporary experiences of children in Southern Europe. Focusing on regions deeply affected by the 2008 economic crisis, it offers a detailed investigation into the impact of economic downturn and austerity on the lives of children.
The Policies of Childcare and Early Childhood Education
Does Equal Access Matter?
Edited by Katja Repo, Maarit Alasuutari, Kirsti Karila and Johanna Lammi-Taskula
This timely book reveals how policies of childcare and early childhood education influence children’s circumstances and the daily lives of families with children. Examining how these policies are approached, it focuses particularly on the issues and pitfalls related to equal access.
The Relational Nordic Welfare State
Between Utopia and Ideology
Edited by Sakari Hänninen, Kirsi-Marja Lehtelä and Paula Saikkonen
The success of the Nordic welfare state is well known, but the key drivers of its remarkable expansion are not. This book explores the relationships between citizens that constitute the normative groundwork of Nordic societies, arguing that the quality of relations steers welfare development.
Governance Analysis
Critical Enquiry at the Intersection of Politics, Policy and Society
Edited by Emma Carmel
This state-of-the-art book develops the parameters of ‘governance analysis’ as a critical mode of enquiry. From a synthesis of theoretical approaches to public policy and governance, it offers a critical analytical perspective for empirical research and the development of theories of governance. This perspective is applied to seven detailed examples, from local to international and comparative public policy. Both innovative and unique, Governance Analysis shows that the messy real life of policymaking and its implications can be analysed systematically and insightfully without retreating to outdated ‘models’ of public policymaking or case-specific critique.
Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa
The New Social Protection Paradigm and Universal Coverage
Edited by Rana Jawad, Nicola Jones and Mahmood Messkoub
This book presents a state of the art in the developing field of social policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It offers an up-to-date conceptual analysis of social policy programmes and discourses in the MENA region by critically reviewing the range of social insurance and social assistance schemes that are currently in existence there. It also analyses and offers suggestions on which of these policies can positively impact the region’s advancement in terms of human development and in addressing social and economic inequalities and exclusion.
Globalizing Welfare
An Evolving Asian-European Dialogue
Edited by Stein Kuhnle, Per Selle and Sven E.O. Hort
From the welfare state’s origins in Europe, the idea of human welfare being organized through a civilized, institutionalized and uncorrupt state has caught the imagination of social activists and policy-makers around the world. This is particularly influential where rapid social development is taking place amidst growing social and gender inequality. This book reflects on the growing academic and political interest in global social policy and ‘globalizing welfare’, and pays particular attention to developments in Northern European and North-East Asian countries.
Edited by James Midgley, Rebecca Surender and Laura Alfers
The Handbook of Social Policy and Development makes a groundbreaking, coherent case for enhancing collaboration between social policy and development. With wide ranging chapters, it discusses a myriad of ways in which this can be done, exploring both academic and practical activities. As the conventional distinction between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries becomes increasingly blurred, this Handbook explores how collaboration between social policy and development is needed to meet global social needs.