Social Policy: An Introduction

349 Pages·2007·3.094 MB·English

by  Ken Blakemore, Edwin Griggs

SOCIAL POLICY
Third Edition

SOCIAL POLICY
AN INTRODUCTION
Third Edition
Ken Blakemore and Edwin Griggs

Open University Press
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Contents
Theauthors xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
1 THE SUBJECT OF SOCIALPOLICY 1
Social policy: anidentityproblem? 1
Socialpolicy and other subjects 2
Thestory of social policy 5
Earlyroots: social work, sociology and socialadministration 5
Coming ofage: thewelfare stateand social administration 8
Crisisand change: thedevelopment ofsocial policy as asubject 9
Conclusions: thesubject today 10
Plan ofthebook 12
Key termsandconcepts 14
Suggestions forfurther reading 14
2 IDEASAND CONCEPTS INSOCIAL POLICY 15
Introduction 15
Equality, equity andjustice 18
Equalityand politics 18
Justifying policies for equal ity 20
Egalitarianism 20
Equity 23
Equality ofopportunity 24
Need 26
Needs, wantsand satisfaction 29
Sen’stheory: ‘commodities’,‘capabilities’ and ‘functionings’ 31
Freedom and rights 32
Citizenship 35
Conclusions 37
Key termsandconcepts 38
Suggestions forfurther reading 39
3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL POLICYINBRITAIN 40
Introduction 40
Example 1:from workhouse to workfare? 41
viii CONTENTS
Example 2:public healthreform 41
Example 3:education, theroles ofcentral and localgovernment andthe
conceptof the‘contract state’ 46
Thedevelopment of a‘contract state’ ineducation 47
Thedevelopment of a welfarestate 49
Beveridge: theman and theplan 49
Conclusions: Britain’s welfarehistoryin comparative context 53
Keyterms andconcepts 56
Suggestions forfurther reading 57
4 THECONTESTEDBOUNDARIESOFSOCIALPOLICY:THECASEOF
CRIMINALJUSTICE 59
Introduction: whatiscriminal justicepolicy? 59
Criminal justice, social controlandsocial policy: a ‘penal–welfare state’? 60
Comparingcrime and criminal justice 63
Criminal justice policyin theNetherlands 65
Measuring crime 67
Thecriminal justice process 69
Equality and discrimination 71
Thecontemporary politics of law andorder 72
New Labour and criminaljustice 73
An assessment 75
Conclusion 76
Keyterms andconcepts 77
Suggestions forfurther reading 77
5 WHOGETSWHAT? SLICING THE WELFARECAKE 78
Introduction: whatarethe benefits of thewelfaresystem? 78
Shouldbenefits andservices be selective or universal? 80
Gainers andlosers: indivi duals andgroups 82
Contributions: taxation 83
Contributions: care 86
Keeping a perspective on theindividual 86
Howlarge isthewelfare cake? 87
Social security: whobenefits? 89
Non-contributory benefits 90
Tax credits 90
Contributory benefits 91
Who benefits? 91
Povertyand social exclusion 95
Poverty and inequality 96
Relative and absolute poverty 98
Social exclusion 102
Conclusions 104
Perception of necessities 107
CONTENTS ix
Key termsandconcepts 108
Suggestions forfurther reading 108
6 SOCIAL POLICY, POLITICSAND SOCIAL CONTROL 110
Introduction: social control andtherise ofwelfare 110
Socialpolicy and regulation 113
Toomuch control –or not enough? 114
Social policyand thepolitical order 115
Socialwelfare and political control inhistorical perspective 115
Twentieth-century Britain: social welfare in thepolitical order 116
Britain and other examples 118
Social control andindividual freedom 119
Socialwelfare and coercion 120
Socialpolicies andindirect control: theexamples ofage andother social
divisions 122
Conclusions: cansocial policies bringbenign control? 127
Key termsandconcepts 130
Suggestions forfurther reading 130
7 WHOMAKES POLICY? THE EXAMPLE OFEDUCATION 132
Introduction: power anddemocracy 132
Government and state 134
Models of power– understanding how decisions aremade 135
Thedemocratic pluralistmodel 135
Theelitecontrol model 137
Thepolitical economymodel 137
Thebackground: education andConservative policies ofthe 1980s
and 1990s 138
The1988 Education Act 140

Thelessons ofthe1988 education reforms: howpolicy wasmade 141
Implementing theConservative reforms 144
Centralizing control: Labourand education policy 145
City academies 147
Restructuring secondaryeducation: radical reformor piecemeal change? 149
Policies forthe future? 153
Conclusions 154
Key termsandconcepts 158
Suggestions forfurther reading 159
8 WORK ANDWELFARE 160
Introduction 160
Work:anobject ofsocial and economic policy 161
Does workequal welfare? 162
Employment policy options 164
x CONTENTS
Thecontext:workand unemployment in theUK 165
Thestory of unemployment 168
Currentemployment policy 170
TheNew Deal 171
Other policies – thewelfare of peoplein work 173
Employment relations 173
Tax credits 173
Minimum wage 174
Part-time workers 174
Conclusions – inwhoseinterests isemployment policy? 175
Keyterms andconcepts 178
Suggestions forfurther reading 178
9 AREPROFESSIONALS GOODFORYOU? THEEXAMPLE OF
HEALTHPOLICYAND HEALTHPROFESSIONALS 180
Introduction 180
Health,illness, modernmedicine andhealth policy 181
Thehealth professions: toomuch power? 183
Acrisis of confidence inthemedical profession 185
Flaws in service delivery 187
Medical andnursing professions inthedevelopment of theNHS 189
Theadvantages and limitations ofthe NHS 189
Thehealthprofessions andhealth service reform 191
TheNHS and themedicalprofession in a newera of uncertainty 193
Conclusions 195
Keyterms andconcepts 198
Suggestions forfurther reading 198
10 UTOPIASAND IDEALS: HOUSING POLICYAND THE ENVIRONMENT 200
Introduction 200
Housing policy:definitions and significance 202
Housing utopiasand ideals 203
From philanthropy and self-help tosocial engineering 204
Thetriumph ofmarket ideals: housing policy in the1980s and 1990s 207
Housing underNew Labour –a forgotten dream? 212
Conclusions: housing andtheenvironment inapostmodern society 218
Keyterms andconcepts 220
Suggestions forfurther reading 221
11 COMMUNITYAND SOCIAL CARE 222
Introduction 222
Thedevelopment of community andsocial care 223
TheVictorian legacy:care in institutions 223
The1950s and 1960s: deinstitutionalization gains momentum 224
The1980s: ‘community’ and ‘care’redefined 225