Social Development: The Developmental Perspective in Social Welfare

"This is an excellent and exciting book which makes a compelling case for social development. It more than succeeds in its objective of providing a comprehensive overview of the field of social development. Midgley has provided a wide-ranging and masterly synthesis of a diverse range of ideas and strategies and argued expertly for the advantages offered by social development. It is a book that deserves to be read by all who are interested in development studies, social policy, and social work. It will be of value both to academics and practitioners who will find it both interesting and stimulating." --International Social Work "James Midgley has produced a comprehensive and much-needed account of the theory and practice of social development. His many years of experience in the social development field . . . offers an integrated discussion that cuts across the international divide." --Anthony Hall, London School of Economics and Political Science "Among those committed to social development, none is better equipped than James Midgley to provide us with the first introductory text on the subject. Bringing his considerable scholarship to bear on social development issues, he presents a unique and knowledgeable perspective." --Caryl Abrahams, University of Calgary At a time when social welfare is undergoing structural economic change, this text puts the important emerging field of social development into the hands of the student. Inspired by the conceptual insights of contemporary political economy, social development offers a macro view of social needs and social problems. The first undergraduate textbook of its kind, Social Development provides a complete introduction to the field, providing the student with discussion of comprehensive strategies for social development as well as definitions, history, and theory. For undergraduate students in social policy and social administration, as well as those in social work, development studies, and public administration, this textbook cultivates a clear understanding of social development, now an area with especially timely applications.

James Midgley is the Harry and Riva Specht Professor of Public Social Services and Dean Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from South Africa, he studied at the University of Cape Town and the London School of Economics and held academic appointments at both universities before moving to the United States 1985 where he served as as Dean of the School of Social Work and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at Louisiana State University. He accepted the appointment as Specht Professor and Dean of the School of Social Welfare Berkeley in 1997.

He has published widely on issues of social development, social policy, social work and international social welfare. His major books include Professional Imperialism: Social Work in the Third World. Heinemann, 1981; Social Security, Inequality and the Third World, Wiley, 1984; Comparative Social Policy and the Third World, Harvester, 1987 (with Stewart MacPherson); The Social Dimensions of Development: Social Policy and Planning in the Third World, Gower, 1989 (with Margaret Hardiman); Social Development: The Developmental Perspective in Social Welfare, Sage, 1995; Social Welfare in Global Context, Sage, 1997; Social Policy for Development, Sage, 2004 (with Anthony Hall) and Social Development: Theory and Practice, Sage, 2014.

In addition, he has edited or co-edited many books on international social welfare and social development. Among the most recent are Social Work and Social Development: Theories and Skills for Developmental Social Work, Oxford University Press, 2010 (with Amy Conley); Social Policy and Poverty in East Asia: The Role of Social Security, Routledge, 2010 (with K. L. Tang); Grassroots Social Security in Asia, Routledge, 2011 (with Mitsuhiko Hosaka); Colonialism and Welfare: Social Policy and the British Imperial Legacy. Edward Elgar, 2011 (with David Piachaud); Planning and Community Development: Case Studies. Madrid: Technical University of Madrid, GrupoGESPLAN-UPM, 2012 (with Adolfo Carzola); Social Protection, Economic Growth and Social Change: Goals, Issues and Trajectories in China, India, Brazil and Africa. Edward Elgar, 2013 (with David Piachaud); Social Protection in Southern Africa: New Opportunities for Social Development. Routledge, 2014 (with Leila Patel and Marian Ulricksen) and Social Policy and Social Change in East Asia. Lexington Books, 2014 (with James Lee and Yapeng Zhu).

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and holds Honorary Professorial appointments at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, Nihon Fukushi University in Japan, Sun Yat-sen University in China and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.