Exploring Social Policy in the New Scotland

Exploring social policy in the 'new' Scotland is the first book to integrate the description and analysis of social policy in Scotland since devolution in 1999. It has been designed to support the delivery of social policy and related courses in Scotland itself but also to appeal to students on social policy, politics, sociology, public policy and regional studies courses across the United Kingdom, on which devolution and its impact are examined. The contributors are all highly experienced researchers and academics from across the social sciences. The book therefore presents a variety of perspectives and approaches with which to consider the key issues. The following unifying themes are explored in each chapter: consideration of the 'newness' of social policy in Scotland through evaluation of pre- and post-devolution policies; social policy convergence and divergence between post-devolutionary Scotland and the rest of the UK; social inclusion, social inequalities and social divisions as they relate to and impact on the social policy issue in question; what needs to be done and what needs have yet to be met in each social policy area. Up-to-date material on a wide range of social policy topics, including work and welfare, health and social work, criminal justice, education, and urban policy, means that the book will be valuable to academics, researchers, policy makers and practitioners, as well as students.