Nick Ellison

Bringing together researchers from the fields of social policy, economics, sociology and clinical psychology, this book offers new evidence on the inter-related problems faced by disability claimants, and identifies important lessons for policy. Explores how reducing the level of UK benefit claiming among those with health limitations has been a priority for successive governmentsArgues that current policy fails to reflect the evidence that people on long-term disability benefits face a complex combination of barriers to work and social inclusionDemonstrates that there is a need for continuing inter-disciplinary research on the nature of the ‘disability benefits problem’ and the efficacy of current policy solutions and public services

In Egalitarian Thought and Labour Politics Nick Ellison argues that the concept of equality is the cornerstone of the British socialist tradition. He examines the alternative understandings of equality which have divided the labour party since 1930 and traces the origins of the current shift away from concern for social and economic equality to an increasing emphasis on liberty and individual entitlement. Egalitarian Thought and Labour Politics is also concerned with contemporary attitudes within the Labour party, discussing the importance of the concept to debates about citizenship and market socialism.

This accessible work provides a ‘political sociology’ of welfare states in industrial societies, with both historical and contemporary perspectives. Ellison focuses on the social and political underpinnings of a number of welfare regimes and looks at the transformations they have undergone and the challenges they face. This book assesses current debates about the role of ‘globalization’ in welfare state change, paying particular attention to contemporary views about the capacity of embedded institutional structures to limit the effects of global economic pressures. Ellison assesses the changing nature of social policies in nine OECD countries – selected to include ‘liberal, ‘social democratic’ and ‘continental’ welfare regimes. Taking labour market and pension policies as the main areas of investigation, this volume provides ‘snapshots’ of welfare reform in each case, charting the ways in which different regimes ‘manage’ the range of challenges with which they are confronted. Ultimately, the book suggests that all contemporary welfare regimes are experiencing a level of ‘neoliberal drift’. As yet, this trend towards liberalization remains constrained in those countries with more ‘coordinated’ economies and institutionalized forms of social partnership – but the question is for how long? This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of International Politics, Sociology and Social Policy.

This accessible work provides a ‘political sociology’ of welfare states in industrial societies, with both historical and contemporary perspectives. Ellison focuses on the social and political underpinnings of a number of welfare regimes and looks at the transformations they have undergone and the challenges they face. This book assesses current debates about the role of ‘globalization’ in welfare state change, paying particular attention to contemporary views about the capacity of embedded institutional structures to limit the effects of global economic pressures. Ellison assesses the changing nature of social policies in nine OECD countries – selected to include ‘liberal, ‘social democratic’ and ‘continental’ welfare regimes. Taking labour market and pension policies as the main areas of investigation, this volume provides ‘snapshots’ of welfare reform in each case, charting the ways in which different regimes ‘manage’ the range of challenges with which they are confronted. Ultimately, the book suggests that all contemporary welfare regimes are experiencing a level of ‘neoliberal drift’. As yet, this trend towards liberalization remains constrained in those countries with more ‘coordinated’ economies and institutionalized forms of social partnership – but the question is for how long? This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of International Politics, Sociology and Social Policy.

How a neighbourhood is viewed can affect the lives of those who live there and the attitudes and behaviour of others towards them. This report examines the increasing use and sophistication of Internet-Based Neighbourhood Information Systems (IBNIS), such as www.upmystreet.co.uk, and considers their potential impact on how neighbourhoods are viewed. Neighbourhoods on the net: · provides in-depth analysis of a number of IBNIS both in the UK and US; · considers their advantages and disadvantages; · reviews the research literature on IBNIS and compares and contrasts this with the perspectives of a number of key stakeholders involved in their development and use; · relates the emergence of IBNIS to broader discussions about the impact of the Internet on every day life, particularly in the context of the growing 'digital divide'; and · points towards a range of possible policy implications. The report is essential reading for those working on: urban and regeneration policy; the application of information and communication technologies to social policy issues; e-commerce; e-government; and social and public policy more generally.

This new edition of an acclaimed undergraduate text offers both a critical commentary on the core areas of social policy in Britain - particularly as they have developed under the auspices of the New Labour government - and an appraisal of the key ideas currently informing British welfare policy. It thus combines discussion of staple topics with original arguments about the new shape of social policy at the start of the twenty-first century.

This new edition of an acclaimed undergraduate text offers both a critical commentary on the core areas of social policy in Britain - particularly as they have developed under the auspices of the New Labour government - and an appraisal of the key ideas currently informing British welfare policy. It thus combines discussion of staple topics with original arguments about the new shape of social policy at the start of the twenty-first century.

In Egalitarian Thought and Labour Politics Nick Ellison argues that the concept of equality is the cornerstone of the British socialist tradition. He examines the alternative understandings of equality which have divided the labour party since 1930 and traces the origins of the current shift away from concern for social and economic equality to an increasing emphasis on liberty and individual entitlement. Egalitarian Thought and Labour Politics is also concerned with contemporary attitudes within the Labour party, discussing the importance of the concept to debates about citizenship and market socialism.