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Overview
In the search for the causes of and solutions to social problems, no social institution has been allocated such a central role as the family. Social Problems and the Family examines how 'the family' is constituted both in explanations of social problems and in modes of state intervention. In doing so, it shows how public anxieties about the well-being of the family reveal normally implicit assumptions about the relationship between this institution and wider society.
The contributors consider some of the most controversial social policy issues in Britain today:
· domestic violence · child abuse · old age · mental health · juvenile delinquency · poverty and homelessness
In examining each of these social problems, the contributors address key definitional issues, assess traditional and alternative theoretical perspectives, and survey different modes of intervention. By exploring how notions of the 'normal' family are framed in explanations of and interventions in social problems, the contributors show just how pervasive and complex is the state regulaton of the family in contemporary society.
With its illuminating interdisciplinary approach, Social Problems and the Family will be an essential textbook for students and practitioners in all fields of family-related social work, social policy and social science disciplines. It is a Course Book for The Open University course D311 Family Life and Social Policy.