Social and Political Contexts of Social Work

This unique textbook is designed to empower social work students and professionals to practise safely, responsibly and confidently. Candid accounts provide in-depth case studies in how to use theory and research in situations of pressure and dilemma.

A critical analysis of the domino effect of neoliberalism and austerity on social work. Applying theory including those of Bourdieu and Wacquant to practice, it argues that social work should return to a focus on relational and community approaches.

How is social work shaped by global issues and international problems and how should it address them? Taking a radical perspective, this book reveals what we can learn from different approaches from across the globe.

Through the perspectives of young people themselves, this book reviews changes in policy and practices that affected the generation of young people who grew up in state care in China during the last 20 years.

A historical and contextual account of how social work education became widely adopted in different national and cultural environments.

This timely book critically examines the capabilities and limitations of new areas of biology, especially epigenetics and neuroscience, that are used as powerful arguments for developing social policy in a particular direction, exploring their implications for policy and practice.

This engaging and accessible text, now in its third edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to health and social care. This new edition has been updated to cover recent developments, including the integrated care agenda, potential regional devolution and austerity.

The second edition of this popular book uses in-depth theoretical study and international case studies to explore new developments in social entrepreneurship, such as the rise of the social investment market and the increasing importance of social impact measurement.

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.

With contributions from a range of experts across OECD countries, this book examines changes in long-term care systems throughout those countries, discussing and comparing key changes in national policies and examining the main successes and failures of recent reforms.

This byte teases out some of the fundamentally moral questions that continue to perplex us, about life and death, good and evil, and sex and the body.

Through case-study examples this Byte explores individual and social problems that are characterised as moral panics.