Textbooks
Policy Press publishes a range of textbooks and other learning resources across the social sciences to suit a variety of course and learning needs. These are designed with students in mind and include many accessible features – from case studies and chapter summaries, to revision questions and illustrative boxes and diagrams.
The majority of our textbooks are available as consumer eBooks as well as in print and we are happy to discuss bespoke options such as print and digital packages or creating unique collections to suit your course needs. Our content is available through the key institutional content providers VitalSource and Kortext in early 2015, allowing seamless integration with VLE platforms. If you would like to discuss how we could help with your course resources, please contact pp-sales@bristol.ac.uk.
For more information about our textbooks, please see Information for Lecturers.
Understanding Community
Politics, Policy and Practice
This substantially revised edition of a highly topical text applies a critical approach to themes introduced in the first edition including economic development, heath and housing, and draws upon theory from Marx and Bourdieu to offer a clearer understanding of community in capitalist society.
Why We Need Welfare
Collective Action for the Common Good
Explains the challenges that collective welfare faces, and explores the complexities involved in delivering it, including debates about who benefits from welfare and how and where it is delivered.
Infrastructure Delivery Planning
An Effective Practice Approach
Janice Morphet sets out and analyses the key components of infrastructure delivery in Britain, both at national and neighbourhood level, situating this within international, European and domestic economic, territorial and social policy.
Social Work in a Diverse Society
Transformative Practice with Black and Minority Ethnic Individuals and Communities
Taking a transformative approach, this exciting new textbook bridges the gap between the theory and practice of social work with Black and minority ethnic groups. Practice scenarios and case studies encourage students and practitioners to form innovative solutions to service delivery.
Introduction to Social Policy Analysis
Illuminating Welfare
Illustrating the insights which Social Policy analysis offers to understanding the social world through examples such as the impact decisions about care provision have on workplace opportunities and access to welfare for men and women.
Public Management in Transition
The Orchestration of Potentiality
Shows how the effects of new forms of managerialism penetrate the state, local governments, welfare institutions as well as professional work and citizens rights. It facilitates a discussion about how basic values are put at stake with new reforms and managerial tools.
Direct Payments and Personal Budgets
Putting Personalisation into Practice
This third edition of the leading textbook on personalisation considers key policy changes since 2009 and new research into the extension and outcomes of personal budgets. It is essential reading for students, practitioners and policy makers in social work and community care services.
The Health Debate
This second edition of this best-selling book offers a fresh look at how the British NHS is coping under increased pressures. It offers a critical perspective on concerns and a critique of the market-style changes introduced by the Coalition government between 2010 and 2015.
The Health Debate
This second edition of this best-selling book offers a fresh look at how the British NHS is coping under increased pressures. It offers a critical perspective on concerns and a critique of the market-style changes introduced by the Coalition government between 2010 and 2015.
Community Development in Action
Putting Freire into Practice
This exciting and practical book is filled to the brim with useful ideas for busy practitioners. Building on the work of Paulo Freire, theories are presented in interesting and straightforward ways to provide an everyday reference for practice.
Key Thinkers in Childhood Studies
This book presents the perspectives of 22 leading figures involved in shaping the field of Childhood Studies over the last 30 years. They reflect on the changes that have taken place in the study of children and childhood, discuss ideas underpinning the field, examine current dilemmas and explore challenges for the future.
Understanding Health Policy
This fully updated edition of a bestselling book explores the processes and institutions that make health policy, examining what constitutes health policy, where power lies, and what changes could be made to improve the quality of health policy making.