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Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy [with Themes of the Times for Social Welfare Policy]
Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy is the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand introduction to the social welfare system and social welfare policy. This is a leading text in social welfare policy in departments of social work, political science, administration and government, and is also used in some departments of sociology. DiNitto focuses on the political aspects of policymaking; she describes the major social welfare programs, including public assistance, Social Security, disability, health insurance, and more. She also addresses racism, sexism, gay rights, and immigration in the context of social welfare policies and programs. Additionally, it includes new and updated information on welfare reform (TANF), food stamps, managed care, disability, aging, the latest figures on poverty, and the latest information on job training and employment. A full range of supplements includes an Instructor's Manual/Test Bank and a Computerized Test Bank. Student supplements include an Online Study Guide.
624 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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December 11, 2008i do not like this book. it is dry. it leaves something to be desired in the area of cultural inclusion/competency as well.
August 29, 2023
As others have mentioned, this book is dry. It is very dry. It is dryer than a clothes dryer running a high-heat cycle in Death Valley in August. But... it is also quite informative, especially if you have an interest in the history of US social policies up to around 2015. On that subject, this book is an excellent one-stop shop.
It does, however, have three flaws worth mentioning. First, it has a tendency towards recency bias. Chapters tend to devote substantial word count to policy events from the 5 or so years preceding its publication date (circa 2016) relative to all the policy events that occurred from the inception of the policy. So you'll see a lot of space devoted to deep dives on Bush Jr and Obama policies, but summary treatments of everything before.
That leads into the second flaw. The focus on recency isn't a problem in and of itself - it is after all a textbook focusing on modern policy - but at this point (2023) the 8th edition is so out of date that it feels a bit comical to spend so much time talking about policies that in many cases have been superseded by subsequent administrations. As dirty as it makes me feel to say this, I think that this may be one of the very few circumstances where a newer edition would be welcome and useful, rather than just a strategy to soak students for more money.
Finally, overall the book does a commendable job of remaining neutral in its coverage, but there are a few places where it strays into light advocacy. It never gets too overt, but it is noticeable on occasion. Overall, this is a pretty minor quibble as, again, it's limited and does not sully the generally excellent neutral voice that I would call essential for this kind of text.
Still, overall, an excellent read if you're interested in policy history. If you're using it to gain an understanding of *current* policy events, though, you might want to supplement with more timely sources.
It does, however, have three flaws worth mentioning. First, it has a tendency towards recency bias. Chapters tend to devote substantial word count to policy events from the 5 or so years preceding its publication date (circa 2016) relative to all the policy events that occurred from the inception of the policy. So you'll see a lot of space devoted to deep dives on Bush Jr and Obama policies, but summary treatments of everything before.
That leads into the second flaw. The focus on recency isn't a problem in and of itself - it is after all a textbook focusing on modern policy - but at this point (2023) the 8th edition is so out of date that it feels a bit comical to spend so much time talking about policies that in many cases have been superseded by subsequent administrations. As dirty as it makes me feel to say this, I think that this may be one of the very few circumstances where a newer edition would be welcome and useful, rather than just a strategy to soak students for more money.
Finally, overall the book does a commendable job of remaining neutral in its coverage, but there are a few places where it strays into light advocacy. It never gets too overt, but it is noticeable on occasion. Overall, this is a pretty minor quibble as, again, it's limited and does not sully the generally excellent neutral voice that I would call essential for this kind of text.
Still, overall, an excellent read if you're interested in policy history. If you're using it to gain an understanding of *current* policy events, though, you might want to supplement with more timely sources.
December 4, 2019
SocW 420
Big oof this was dry. But I learned quite a bit from it so it gets 4 stars.
Big oof this was dry. But I learned quite a bit from it so it gets 4 stars.
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September 13, 2017good
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews