{"product_id":"what-is-social-policy-9780745645841","title":"What Is Social Policy?","description":"From housing, pensions and family benefits, to health care, unemployment insurance and social assistance, the welfare state is a key aspect of our lives. But social programs are contested political realities that we can't hope to understand without locating them within the \"big picture.\" \u003cp\u003e This book provides a concise political and sociological introduction to social policy, helping readers to grasp the nature of social programs and the political struggles surrounding them. It takes a broad comparative and historical viewpoint on the United States, using an international perspective to contextualize American social policy within the developed world. Provocative and engaging, it offers insight into a wide range of social policy issues such as: welfare regimes, welfare state development, the politics of retrenchment and restructuring; the relationship between social programs and various forms of inequality; changing family and economic relations; the role of private social benefits; the potential impact of globalization; and debates about the future of the welfare state.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eWhat is Social Policy?\u003c\/i\u003e will be stimulating reading for upper-level students of sociology, political science, public policy, and social work.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDaniel Beland\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Public Policy and Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Polity Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51831223157010,"sku":"9780745645841","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9799f33d-4d64-4f62-b463-76391ab5ad25.jpg?v=1767005562","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/what-is-social-policy-9780745645841","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}