This comprehensive Handbook provides a unique examination of the key issues and challenges facing society and social policy in the twenty-first century. Featuring both wide-ranging coverage of major issues and detailed analysis of social policies in different countries, the Handbook explores key concepts, policy areas and institutions, considering welfare and social policy in the context of wider socio-economic and cultural divisions. In addition to examining specific policy areas, contributors engage with the social divisions and complex infrastructures that underpin them on both local and global scales. Chapters also discuss significant challenges to contemporary social policy, including the threats to human and societal wellbeing posed by austerity, migration and the climate crisis, as well as the opportunities these present to reshape policy conceptually, ideologically and practically in the future in response to these issues. Scholars and students in social policy, sociology and political science looking for a comprehensive overview of the field of social policy will find this Handbook an invaluable resource. It will also prove useful to researchers and practitioners seeking in-depth analyses of particular countries or policy areas covered. Contributors include: E. Adamson, H. Bochel, D. Byrne, M. Calnan, B. Cantillon, H. Dean, C. Deeming, A. Dinham, F. Dukelow, B. Ebbinghaus, D. Edmiston, N. Ellison, K. Farnsworth, D. Finn, J.L. Garritzmann, M. Griffiths, P. Hall, K. Hamblin, T. Haux, A.J. He, E. Hogg, G. Huang, B. Hvinden, G.-J. Hwang, J. Javornik, R. Jawad, J. Jenson, H. Johannson, A. Kaasch, M. Kitzmann, M. Koch, K. Kuitto, S. Kuivalainen, Z. Li, E.V. Lomelí, N. Meer, N. Morel, K. Nakray, C. Needham, T. Newburn, L. Panico, T. Papadopoulos, N. Pleace, T. Reeskens, E. Righard, A. Roumpakis, M.A. Schoyen, C.B. Solano, M. Spång, A. Vlachantoni, Y. Yang

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction Nick Ellison/Tina Haux Section One: Ideas and concepts 1. Poverty and inequality Bea Cantillon 2. Needs and Rights Hartley Dean 3. Citizenship Daniel Edmiston 4. Social Investment: Polysemy in Perspective Jane Jenson Section Two: Social Policy and Social Divisions 5. Class David Byrne 6. Gender Elizabeth Adamson 7. Religion, Belief and Public Policy Adam Dinham 8. Race and Ethnicity Nasar Meer 9. Disability Miro Griffiths 10. Generations and the Life Course Athina Vlachantoni and Yazhen Yang Section Three: Welfare systems 11. Western and Northern Europe Bjørn Hvinden and Mi Ah Schoyen 12. Eastern Europe Jana Javornik 13. Southern Europe Theo Papadopoulos and Antonios Roumpakis 14. Liberal welfare systems Christopher Deeming 15. Latin America: Inertia and Transformation in Five Dual Welfare Regimes Carlos Barba Solano and Enrique Valencia Lomelí 16. India: Welfare/Disfare from Nehru’s Imagination to Modi’s Dirigiste Reforms Keerty Nakray 17. China: Social Policy and Reforms Alex Jingwei He, Zilin Lee and Genghua Huang 18. East Asia Gyu-Jin Hwang 19. The Middle East and North Africa Rana Jawad Section Four: Contemporary Social Policies 20. Pensions Kati Kuitto and Susan Kuivalainen 21. Changing Work and Welfare: Unemployment and Labour Market Policies Bernhard Ebbinghaus 22. Health Policy: In Sickness and in Health Mike Calnan 23. Social Care Patrick Hall, Catherine Needham and Kate Hamblin 24. Housing Policy Nicholas Pleace 25. Education Policy Julian L. Garritzmann 26. Family Policies and Child Wellbeing Lidia Panico and Morgan Kitzmann 27. Criminal justice Tim Newburn Section Five: Institutions and Welfare Delivery 28. The State Hugh Bochel 29. Public-Private Partnerships: The Delivery of Public Employment Services Dan Finn 30. The Third Sector and the Welfare State Eddy Hogg 31. Fiscal Welfare Nathalie Morel 32. Social, Corporate, Occupational: The ‘Whole Economy’ of Welfare Kevin Farnsworth 33. Global Institutions Alexandra Kaasch Section Six: Contemporary Challenges 34. Debt, Austerity Capitalism and the Welfare State Fiona Dukelow 35. Transnational Social Vulnerabilities and Reconfigurations of ‘Social Policy’ Erica Righard and Mikael Spång 36. Welfare States, Social Policies and the Environment Håkan Johansson and Max Koch 37. Migration and the Welfare State: Welfare Magnets and Welfare Chauvinism Tim Reeskens Conclusion: Looking Ahead Tina Haux and Nick Ellison Index