Welfare Theory: An Introduction

Social policy debates often get lost in highly technical discussions and in day-to-day politics. This introduction to welfare theory offers an alternative approach to understanding social policy. It reviews the concepts of welfare, equality, liberty and citizenship, key political and sociological themes, old and new welfare ideologies, as well as recent theoretical developments including globalization, postmodernism and risk society.

Social policy debates often get lost in highly technical discussions and in day-to-day politics. This introduction to welfare theory offers an alternative approach to understanding social policy. It reviews the concepts of welfare, equality, liberty and citizenship, key political and sociological themes, old and new welfare ideologies, as well as recent theoretical developments including globalization, postmodernism and risk society.

Tony Fitzpatrick is Lecturer in Social Policy, Nottingham University.