Publisher's Synopsis
Families, in whatever form they may take, are at the centre of all our lives. In the absence of a comprehensive national family policy, any policy that attempts to alter our lives peripherally can affect the stability, composition, and future of our families. In the United States, all policy becomes family policy. Such is the position of the authors ofThe Dynamics of Family Policy.
This book challenges readers to redefine and broaden definitions of the family to reflect fundamental and recent demographic shifts in its structure. Devolution and managed care are among the nine major themes that weave their way through the chapters of the book. The book provides an approach to policy analysis and advocacy that takes politics, power, and social problems into account. The authors provide an in-depth and detailed coverage of social policy in areas such as poverty, work and employment, food, housing, and welfare, health care, and family violence. Additional chapters address family-focused policy initiatives such as marriage incentives, family caregiving across the lifespan, and the care and support of children. The book includes exercises and assignments for readers who want to become more actively involved in advocacy and policy practice.
The Dynamics of Family Policyexplores the roles professionals play in developing, implementing, and monitoring family policy. The book's combination of a comprehensive government policy account and a family-focused analytic perspective will enable students to maximise their understanding as they begin their careers in the helping professions.
Features:
- Comprehensive coverage enables you to use it as a central text in social welfare courses.
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- Offers a dynamic model of policy analysis and advocacy that puts the welfare of families at the centre of policy making.
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- Special attention is given to the involvement of families in finding solutions to their problems through impact analysis, research, and advocacy campaigns.
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- Includes chapter on social economy and family well-being in the global context.
