Canadian Social Policy, Fifth Edition: Issues and Perspectives

ISBN 10: 1554583594 / ISBN 13: 9781554583591

Published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2012

About this Item

Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting.

Seller Inventory # 1554583594-2-4

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Canadian Social Policy, Fifth Edition: Issues and Perspectives
• Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1554583594
• ISBN 13: 9781554583591
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 5th or later Edition
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 1.5 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

Social policy shapes the daily lives of every Canadian citizen and should reflect the beliefs of a majority of Canadians on just approaches to the promotion of health, safety, and well-being. Too often, those on the front lines—social workers, nurses, and teachers—observe that policies do not work well for the most vulnerable groups in society. In the first part of this new edition of Canadian Social Policy, Westhues and Wharf argue that service deliverers have discretion in how policies are implemented, and the exercise of this discretion is how citizens experience policy—whether or not it is fair and reasonable. They show the reader how social policy is made and they encourage active citizenship to produce policies that are more socially just. New material includes an examination of the reproduction of systemic racism through the implementation of human rights policy and a comparative analysis of the policy-making process in Quebec and English Canada.
The second part of the book discusses policy issues currently under debate in Canada. Included are new chapters that explore parental leave policies and housing as a determinant of health. All chapters contain newly updated statistical data and research and policy analysis.
A reworked section on the process of policy-making and the addition of questions for critical reflection enhance the suitability of the book as a core resource in social policy courses. The final chapter explores how front-line workers in the human services can advocate for change in organizational policies that will benefit the people supported.

About the Authors

Anne Westhues is a professor of social work at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her teaching and research are in the areas of social policy, planning, and evaluation.

Brian Wharf was a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria until his death in 2011.