Publisher's Synopsis
This book considers the normative basis of social policy and particularly policy and practice related to people with a mental handicap. The work considers the idea of autonomy as the basis of rights and considers the implications of these rights for social policy in general and people with a mental handicap in particular. The book contains a theory of autonomy, rights and paternalism all of which are generally applicable beyond social policy. - - The second part of the book considers the implication of autonomy based rights for social policy in general and mental handicap policy in particular. The book draws on a wide range of current and emerging policy and practice models from the UK and North America. The combination of rigorous political theory and applied social policy make this an important contribution to both the current debate on citizenship and community care.
