bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding emotions as effective practice in English probation: the performance of emotional labour in building relationships
Authors: Fowler Andrew , Phillips Jake , Westaby Chalen
Published: September 2018

In this chapter we study the performance of emotional labour by probation practitioners to reveal the complex emotion management undertaken to develop the officer-offender relationship. We begin by discussing the rise of managerialism and its effect on how emotions should be used in the officer-offender relationship, before focusing on Skills for Effective Engagement and Development and Supervision programme. We use data generated through interviews with probation practitioners to analyse one aspect of SEEDS: the development of the professional relationship through getting to know and understand the client and the need to create clear boundaries. By analysing the data through the lens of emotional labour we focus on the use of surface and deep acting in order to create effective professional relationships as required by the SEEDS model. We found that practitioners are required to perform considerable emotional labour which has, until now, remained unacknowledged in probation policy and discuss what needs to be done if SEEDS were reintroduced following the implementation of Transforming Rehabilitation. (164)
Evidence-based skills in Welsh youth justice settings
Authors: Ugwudike Pamela , Morgan Gemma
Published: September 2018

This chapter presents the findings of a study that examined supervision skills within three youth offending teams. The study focused on youth justice practice in Wales and its objective was to explore how best to integrate research evidence into frontline practice. It found that participating practitioners employed mainly relationship skills. This is a positive finding but there was limited use of evidence-based skills embedded in what is described as the ‘structuring principle' of effective interpersonal interactions (Bonta and Andrews 2017). The skills are change-focused and they impact on what young people learn during interactions with practitioners and the quality of the influence the practitioners exert over them. This chapter examines the factors that impede the application of structuring skills and concludes with a discussion of the ways in which gaps between research and supervision practice can be bridged to enhance the quality of youth justice practice.
The impact of training and coaching on the development of practice skills in youth justice: findings from Australia
Authors: Trotter Chris
Published: September 2018

A number of studies have found that the skills and practices of probation and parole officers, and others who supervise offenders in the community, have an impact on the recidivism rates of offenders under supervision. There is evidence to suggest, however, that evidence based practice skills are not used routinely in probation and parole supervision. The limited amount of research in this area suggests that while some probation officers may have a natural pre-disposition towards the use of effective practice skills, training and coaching may increase the level of skills of most probation officers. The studies which have been undertaken to date, however, have been done with relatively small samples rather than across whole organisations. This chapter reports on a study undertaken in Queensland Youth Justice which aimed to increase the skill levels of probation officers. It was found that the use of pro-social modelling and relationships skills increased following training and coaching, however, the use of problem solving and cognitive behavioural techniques remained low both before and after training and coaching.
Resisting effective approaches for BAME offenders in England and Wales: the triumph of inertia
Authors: Williams Patrick , Durrance Pauline
Published: September 2018

Following the theme set by the previous chapters in this section; this chapter identifies practices that are useful for working with other typically marginalised groups on probation, particularly Black and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME). The chapter is set in the context of the cancellation of Home Office programmes and interventions with BAME offenders in England and Wales, and the authors describe this as the ‘triumph of inertia, and explore why this has occurred. They contextualise the chapter with statistics about BAME communities’ experiences of the Criminal Justice System and the wider society, including institutional racism, and looks at specific Home Office strategies that have disproportionately impacted on BAME communities. Finally, the chapter includes recommendations to improve practice for people working with these groups.
Conclusion
Authors: Ugwudike Pamela , Annison Jill , Raynor Peter
Published: September 2018

The editors draw on the key themes covered by the preceding chapters to summarise the international research on evidence-based skills in criminal justice. The chapter also locates the key themes within the contexts of the organisational factors, policy conditions, and other issues that affect the deployment of evidence-based skills. Finally, the chapter demonstrates the broad significance of evidence-based skills in criminal justice settings.
Introducing Rotherham
Authors: Pahl Kate , Crompton Miles
Published: September 2018

This chapter aims to sketch out Rotherham as a remembered place, where people hold knowledge and experiences. Rotherham is also a place in the future. The chapter explores ways in which communities can be represented differently in an age of uncertainty and austerity. It focuses on creativity and the arts as a source of hope and a way of imagining better communities. This draws on the central purpose of the ‘Imagine’ project. As part of the ‘Imagine’ project, this chapter reveals a series of interlinked projects within Rotherham, exploring common everyday cultures, writing in the community, artistic images of Rotherham, and oral histories of Rotherham.
How can historical knowledge help us to make sense of communities like Rotherham?
Authors: Pente Elizabeth , Ward Paul
Published: September 2018

This chapter addresses the question of how historical knowledge can help one to make sense of communities like Rotherham. It first considers what counts as ‘historical knowledge’, and examines the limitations of historiography in producing histories at a local level, where issues of class, gender, and ethnicity are played out in people's everyday lives. The chapter then explores how historians are expanding what counts for historical knowledge — in particular, the co-production of research, which can be defined as research with people rather than on people. It also provides some real-world examples of co-production in action. Finally, the chapter provides some arguments as to why historical knowledge matters.
Re-imagining contested communities: implications for policy research
Authors: Rutherfoord Robert , O’Beirne Maria
Published: September 2018

This chapter suggests that this volume's insights on collaborative ethnography could have even more impact if it were generated in collaboration with policy contributors, and it is notable that the local authority has worked in partnership with the ‘Imagine’ project in Rotherham. This points to other opportunities to bring together communities, local policy makers, and academics in generating knowledge for future policy making. If community-based collaborative research is to make its full impact, then it would need to develop beyond a small number of case study areas and be strategically planned, resourced, and structured. The chapter also considers how — and what type of — academic research is prioritised, and how research careers are incentivised to include more collaborative, community-based knowledge production.
New Public Management, migrant professionals and labour mobility: possibilities for social justice social work?
Authors: Baines Donna
Published: September 2018

Social work labour is increasingly mobile and global, as are neoliberal policy and management models such as New Public Management. These global processes overlap with local contexts to create and limit possibilities for social-justice-directed social work practice. Drawing on qualitative case study data collected in Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand, this chapter: 1) briefly sketches the history of colonialism and immigration that shaped, and shape, these four countries; 2) discusses the standardising influence of New Public Management and managerialism on social work practice possibilities in the four countries; analyses, in particular, the increasing use of immigrant ‘volunteer’ labour and other forms of unpaid labour, including student placements and internships, as a response to ongoing under-funding of social services and policies of ‘permanent’ austerity; and 3) explores implications for practice and possibilities for liberatory social work practice.
In search of better opportunities: transnational social workers in the UK navigating the maze of global and social mobility
Authors: Hussein Shereen
Published: September 2018

Social workers are increasingly becoming global professionals, both in utilising their professional qualifications as a means to achieve international mobility, and in the expectation of gaining an internationally transferable set of skills. However, there is a continued dilemma in defining such professional international identity due to contradictory processes of ‘indigenisation’, or the extent to which social work practice fits local contexts; ‘universalism’, finding commonalities across divergent contexts; and ‘imperialism’ where western world-views are privileged over local and Indigenous cultural perspectives (Gray, 2005). Many regard social work to be especially context-sensitive in that a good understanding of language and cultural clues is an essential element in the ability of workers to perform their work effectively. In that sense, while global professional mobility facilitates transnational social work (Hanna and Lyons, 2014), social work is not yet a global ‘common project’ and clear differences remain at the level of training, qualifications and practice (Weiss-Gal and Welbourne, 2008; Hussein, 2011, 2014).
Pōwhiri: a safe space of cultural encounter to assist transnational social workers in the profession in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Walsh-Tapiata Wheturangi , Simmons Helen , Meo-Sewabu Litea , Umugwaneza Antoinette
Published: September 2018

The Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand (Māori) believe that, when any visitor or guest arrives in their land, that they should be invited and welcomed. This helps to establish a relationship between those of the land and those who have chosen to live in this land. New Zealand's population is increasingly multi-ethnic and inclusive of a broad range of transnational social workers and yet there are very few programmes or frameworks that assist them to navigate these borders. Instead, transnational social workers are left to struggle when they arrive and struggle further when they find themselves working with the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand. Social work practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is informed by understandings of indigeneity and moral obligations to Te Tiriti ō Waitangi, the founding document of New Zealand society. For ‘responsible hosts’ fostering positive relationships, a process of cultural encounter is needed for transnational social workers whereby they can be better integrated into their new country, their communities and into their work as social workers.
Consistency and change: internationally educated social workers compare interpretations and approaches in Canada and their countries of origin
Authors: Sansfaçon Annie Pullen , Brown Marion , Éthier Stephanie
Published: September 2018

Every year, a number of social workers who have studied and obtained their qualifications abroad immigrate to Canada. They do so to start a new life and pursue their careers in one of the Canadian provinces (Brown et al, 2015; Pullen Sansfaçon et al, 2012). However, even with the ‘Global Qualifying Standards’ (International Federation of Social Workers [IFSW], 2015), a document that recognises the increased labour mobility within the profession and aims for consistency within and between the different qualifications, social work still needs to adapt to local variations and is considered highly dependent on the cultural and socio-political context where it is practised (Fouché et al, 2013; Beddoe et al, 2012; Hussein et al, 2010; Welbourne et al, 2007). This specific social work imperative led us to investigate the processes by which transnational social workers adapt to new work contexts in Canada and, more specifically, to explore issues related to knowledge transfer in different practice contexts, and to further investigate how social workers really adapt to local variations.
Will she be right, mate? Standards and diversity in Australian social work
Authors: Healy Karen
Published: September 2018

Australia is often characterised as a laid-back society. When it comes to the regulation of the Australian health and human services workforce there may be some truth to this depiction. Indeed, many Australian health and human service occupations operate in a largely self-regulated environment with limited government oversight of education or professional standards. This chapter discusses government regulation of the health and human service professions in Australia, and the implications for social workers seeking to relocate to Australia. The concept of ‘professional self-regulation’ is outlined, and the prospects and problems of self-regulation for achieving professional standards and achieving diversity within the social work profession are considered, as are the implications of the self-regulating environment for social workers migrating to Australia. It concludes with a discussion of how the Australian Association of Social Workers is collaborating with other allied health professions and with the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board to strengthen professional standards and capacities.
Introduction
Authors: Hird John A.
Published: September 2018

Policy analysis traverses and aims to bridge the space between truth and power. Indeed, policy analysts are trained to be in a position to ‘speak truth to power.’ With its political origins in the United States during the progressive era, the operational origins of policy analysis occurred in the 1950s when both truth and power were more clearly defined and when those in power presumably were interested in truth. Policy analysis emerged from systems analysis, which was applied successfully to clearly delineated problems with unambiguous objective functions....
The evolution of the policy analysis profession in the United States
Authors: Radin Beryl A.
Published: September 2018

Despite the growth of the field in the United States over the past several decades, this is not a profession that the general public understands. Indeed, as time has gone by since the profession developed, there sometimes appears to be less agreement about the activity than there was in its earliest days. For the answer to the question ‘What is a policy analyst?’ is different today than it was in the 1960s, when the profession first defined itself. One can depict the realities of the policy analysis profession as occurring during three periods: 1960 to 1989, 1990 to 2003; and 2003 to the present. Using three points of time to frame this contrast does provide a way to emphasize the shifts that have occurred in the profession.
Political parties and policy analysis
Authors: Albert Zachary , La Raja Raymond J.
Published: September 2018

The role of political parties in developing public policy is a thoroughly understudied topic. We argue that, to understand the role of formal party organizations in the policy process, researchers must examine the relationship between parties and ideologically similar but informally affiliated groups – called the ‘extended party network’ (EPN) – such as interest groups and think tanks. We show that parties are focused on electoral pursuits and should thus be viewed as demanders of policy ideas. The organizations in their extended network, however, have the resources and incentives to invest in developing public policy ideas. We argue that groups in the EPN supply their preferred party with policy ideas, and formal party actors filter these ideas and choose a policy proposal acceptable to these supporters. Conceiving of parties beyond their formal organizations should therefore clarify their role in the policy process.
Think tanks and policy analysis
Authors: Rich Andrew
Published: September 2018

Since the 1960s, think tanks have proliferated in the United States, especially ideological think tanks, with conservative think tanks coming to substantially outnumber liberal organization. In this environment, the quality of analysis from think tanks is often in question and consumers of their work seem to be more often attracted to analysis that supports preexisting point of view rather than the most rigorously produced research. For sure, think tanks matter; they are among the most important sources of analysis in American policymaking. But in order to be influential, think tank analysts must target their audiences clearly and be relentless in marketing their work.
Social work in the era of neoliberalism and austerity
Authors: Cummins Ian
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the development of neoliberal ideas in a context of austerity. It begins with an overview of the key features of neoliberalism, focusing on two key beliefs at the heart of neoliberal ideas: the supremacy of the market (as the most effective means established for the distribution of resources) and a belief in liberty (freedom from state or other interference) as the supreme social and political value. It then considers F. Hayek's influence on the modern development of neoliberal thought, the nature and role of the state in neoliberalism, and the rhetoric of meritocracy. It also explores the austerity measures introduced by the UK coalition government from 2010 and how they reconstructed and re-engineered the country's welfare state. Finally, it analyses social work's place in this new era of neoliberalism and austerity.
Class, poverty and inequality
Authors: Cummins Ian
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines debates about the nature of class and inequality in the UK, along with their continuing importance to social work as a profession. It first considers the various discourses that explain poverty in relation to the nature of social work, noting that social work as a profession is committed to social justice but that in the debates exploring social work's theoretical focus on broader identity politics in the 1980s and 1990s, the issue of class was obscured or marginalised. The chapter proceeds by discussing how progressive parties have developed a whole new language of social exclusion to avoid addressing class, poverty and inequality as issues of social justice. It also looks at P. Bourdieu's 2010 analysis of class as well as recent trends and approaches to the study of poverty and inequality before concluding with an overview of the link between social work and poverty.
Conclusion
Authors: Cummins Ian
Published: September 2018

This concluding chapter summarises the book's key themes and offers a number of suggestions about how social work can reassert its core mission and commitment to social justice. It begins with the argument that neoliberalism has to be understood as a political and economic project, noting how neoliberals' anti-statism is most apparent in attitudes to the welfare state — or, more precisely, payments made to those who are out of work. It then considers the cumulative effect of the government's austerity policies, the ideological attack on the whole basis of the social contract and the post-war welfare settlement, and the increase in the so-called ‘marketisation’ of the state. It also explains how neoliberal policies followed by a period of austerity has exacerbated inequality and ends by analysing the poverty paradox of social work.
Labour market policies in the era of European pervasive austerity: a review
Authors: Theodoropoulou Sotiria
Published: September 2018

This chapter introduces the questions that the book addresses. It explains the rationale and motivation of the book with reference to the existing literature on welfare state change and the political economy thereof, as well as within the context of recent policy developments. It then justifies the empirical approach and explains in more detail the rationale behind the selection of national case studies.
The Italian labour market policy reforms and the economic crisis: coming towards the end of Italian exceptionalism?
Authors: Vesan Patrik , Pavolini Emmanuele
Published: September 2018

The Italian labour market has been put under very strong pressure since the onset of the financial and economic crisis. After the 2011 sovereign debt crisis a new wave of reforms started in relation to labour market policies. Although it is not possible to detect a single trajectory of change in Italian labour market policies, we can observe an overall tendency toward a peculiar version of ‘welfare readjustment’, a pattern of reform in which governments curtail such policies as income or job protection for insiders, while adopting new social policies. This ‘readjustment process’ has been realised through the adoption of some provisions that favour ‘outsiders’ and, at the same time, the drastic retrenchment of labour rights for workers on open-ended contracts. As a result, the boundaries between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ now appear more blurred than they were before the outbreak of the Great Recession.
French employment market policies: dualisation and destabilisation
Authors: Caune Hélène , Theodoropoulou Sotiria
Published: September 2018

In this chapter explores whether the direction of labour market reforms in France has changed since 2010 by comparison with the previous two decades. It looks into broad labour market policy areas, namely, income support for the unemployed, active labour market policies and employment protection legislation before and after 2009 and asks the following questions. What form has retrenchment taken under the recent fiscal pressures and how has it been distributed across these policy domains? Has the emphasis of active labour market policy instruments changed? How have policy changes affected insiders and outsiders in the labour market?
It is shown that during economic crisis and the subsequent fiscal austerity period there were no paradigmatic changes in French labour market policies, which continued to develop along a path pursued since the early 2000s. Successive governments, both centre-right and centre-left, have implemented flexicurity à la française, with a focus on flexibility at the expense of security. External flexibility – firms’ ability to hire and dismiss workers – has been developed for both core workers and more precarious forms of employment (temporary work). Furthermore, new measures also introduced important changes in the field of internal flexibility (working-time organisation, wages).
No longer ‘fit for purpose’? Consolidation and catch-up in Irish labour market policy
Authors: Dukelow Fiona
Published: September 2018

This chapter discusses recent change to Irish labour market policy which, it argues, has been guided by the idea that Ireland’s policy regime prior to the 2008 crisis was no longer ‘fit for purpose’ being overly focused on a passive benefit system and a similarly passive approach to activation. The chapter maps three key changes related to consolidation and catch-up. First, retrenchment is further eroding the already weak social insurance underpinnings of the system. Second, existing activation programmes which focused heavily on direct job creation have been somewhat curtailed; new more market oriented programmes have been introduced and compulsion has been stregthened. Third, major institutional re-design is leading to greater integration of the benefit system with employment services and a turn towards privatisation and marketisation. By assessing these changes against recent labour market dynamics the chapter also considers how they are contributing to a more precarious labour market regime post-crisis.
Slovakia: perpetual austerity and growing emphasis on activation
Authors: Domonkos Stefan
Published: September 2018

This chapter provides an overview of labour market policies in Slovakia since the early 1990’s. Particular attention is given to the 2004 EU enlargement and the onset of EU fiscal stringency since 2010. Unemployment and underfunded labour market policies have been a problem well before EU institutions gained the right to evaluate national budgets and sanction member states. The difficult post-socialist transition, the fiscal discipline needed to introduce the euro and a mandatory private pension system, as well as the excessive deficit procedure between 2010-2014, allowed for limited fiscal space for labour market policies. Punitive measures and underfunded labour offices have become endemic to the system. Alongside budgetary constraints, the incumbent’s partisan leaning also plays a moderate role. Social-democratic governments have emphasised stronger employment protection and higher minimum wages, while right-of-centre parties have supported weaker employment protection, and some of them have proposed an abolition of the minimum wage.
The individual: growing into society
Authors: Bonner Adrian
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the main developmental processes underlying future emotional and social behaviours. Early life experiences, combined with the development of social networks, exert a strong influence on health and well-being in later life, which in turn are mediated by the development of prosocial behaviour, coping skills, resilience, and optimal cognitive functioning. These complex issues require a healthy mind and body and the motivation to benefit and learn from a supportive environment. The chapter first provides an overview of neuropsychological development and the role of affection, fear and anxiety in early development before discussing social anxiety, communication and socialisation, and the well-being of children. It also considers the interrelationships between poverty, child abuse and neglect and concludes with an assessment of social inclusion strategies, troubled families, deviant and anti-social behaviour, the link between mental health and human distress.
Addressing inequalities in education: parallels with health
Authors: Kerr Kirstin
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines similarities in patterns of inequality in education and in health. Using England as a case study, it considers broad patterns of educational inequality and recent policy responses to these, emphasising the need for greater understanding of, and engagement with, the underlying causes of educational inequalities. The chapter first provides an overview of patterns of inequality in educational outcomes before discussing policy responses to educational inequalities in England. It argues that a central part of efforts to address educational inequalities must be for education, as a field, to think and act more comprehensively in ways that parallel thinking about the social determinants of health. It also highlights the important role of schools in leading the development of innovative responses to educational inequalities at a local level and concludes with an analysis of overlaps between educational and health inequalities and the responses needed to address these.
Health and exercise in the community
Authors: Brooks Naomi
Published: September 2018

This chapter discusses the health benefits of exercise and physical activity (PA) in the community. PA and exercise are known to improve a range of health outcomes. PA and exercise reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders, and some cancers; improve functional ability by strengthening muscle and bones; and enhance psychological mood and well-being. In addition, PA and exercise can be a means of promoting social interactions, social support and reduced social isolation. The chapter explains these benefits in greater detail before considering physical inactivity (PIA) as a health concern and international policy aimed at promoting exercise and PA in the community. It also presents UK guidelines for exercise and PA and concludes with two examples of successful public health and community interventions to increase PA and exercise programmes in the community: the Daily Mile and the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme.
Building an inclusive community through social capital: the role of volunteering in reaching those on the edge of community
Authors: Bonham Claire
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the role of volunteers in bringing those on the edge of community into their social networks. Social capital is a multifaceted concept that can be useful for thinking about civil society. Generally speaking, social capital starts from the viewpoint that relationships matter: social networks are a way of creating cohesive communities that have shared norms and values, and fostering cooperation within and between groups. Using the lens of social capital, the chapter demonstrates how volunteering can build inclusive communities. It also considers whether volunteering has a transformational effect on both volunteers and beneficiaries and society as a whole by looking at volunteer-involving community programmes run by the Salvation Army in the UK.
Community well-being programmes: reviewing ‘what works’
Authors: Bagnall Anne-Marie
Published: September 2018

This chapter considers the challenges inherent in choosing the most appropriate methodologies to determine what works to improve the well-being of communities. Using the case of the multidisciplinary What Works: Wellbeing Centre's Communities Evidence Programme in the UK, it shows that in order to find out what works to improve community well-being, efforts must be made to include those who are excluded from society and from traditional research, and making their voices heard within the evidence base. The chapter first explains what community well-being is and the available evidence on what works for community well-being before discussing the implications of health and social inequalities for the evidence base. It then provides a background on What Works: Wellbeing Centre and discusses how its Communities Evidence Programme has approached the challenges involved in reducing inequalities in well-being, as well as improving overall community well-being.
Local authority perspectives on community planning and localism: a case study
Authors: Melican Joyce
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the perspectives of local authorities on community planning and localism by focusing on the case of the London Borough of Sutton and reflecting on the author's experience in working at the London Borough of Croydon as a housing project leader. It begins with a brief historical background on social housing policy in the UK and describes how the London Borough of Sutton was forced to divest itself of its housing stock to illustrate the complex and political nature of the local authority perspective on housing. It then considers a range of policies introduced by the UK government in an attempt to change the face and ownership of social housing, including compulsory competitive tendering (CCT), the Right to Buy enshrined in the Housing Act 1980, and the Housing and Planning Bill 2015. The chapter concludes by discussing what is needed in housing policy.
What works to improve the health of the multiply excluded?
Authors: Hewett Nigel
Published: September 2018

This chapter considers what is needed to improve the health of people affected by multiple exclusions, focusing on the homeless as exemplars for the research, service and policy agenda known as Inclusion Health (IH). The aim of IH is to prevent and redress health and social inequities among the most vulnerable and marginalised in a community, such as those with experiences of homelessness and drug use. The chapter first explains why special effort is required to improve health care services for multiply excluded groups and argues that neither a right of access to health care nor a right of access to housing is sufficient to address health inequalities. It then discusses what works by emphasising prevention, pharmacological interventions and service organisation before concluding with an overview of models of service delivery and social determinants of health.
Geopolitical aspects of health: austerity and health inequalities
Authors: Bambra Clare , Garthwaite Kayleigh , Murphy Amy Greer
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the effects of austerity on geographical health inequalities by focusing on the North–South health divide in England and health inequalities between local neighbourhoods. It first explains the importance of geography for health by presenting the two case studies involving the North–South divide and local inequalities. It then considers the austerity and welfare reforms that have been introduced in England since 2010 and how these policies are affecting these spatial health divides. It also reviews evidence from previous international research into welfare retrenchment, as well as qualitative data about the lived experiences of people at the sharp end of austerity. The chapter concludes by highlighting the uneven consequences of austerity measures for health across localities and across different sociodemographic groups, thus exacerbating existing health inequalities.
Conclusion
Authors: Bonner Adrian
Published: September 2018

This book has examined the social determinants of health using an interdisciplinary approach, showing that relative poverty and social capital will provide the resilience for an individual to experience a sense of well-being and lead to successful ageing, while lifestyle choices and the support of a healthy community will reduce vulnerability to negative health behaviours. It has also explained how personal well-being is related to the availability of personal, family and community resources. This conclusion considers the austerity policies and other highly contentious policy intentions in the Conservative Party's manifesto and highlights their implications for health and well-being, particularly the policy on social care known as the ‘dementia tax’. It argues that these regressive policies are being reinforced by a major economic impact on the UK economy from policies related to Brexit and concludes by emphasising the importance of a wholistic approach to inequality and well-being.
Unequal citizenship? The new social divisions of public welfare
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: September 2018

To establish the extent of continuity and change, the first section of this chapter outlines the historical and contemporary context from which the prevailing citizenship configuration has emerged in the UK. The changing enactment and experience of social security can be broadly characterised as a ratcheted transition from a social democratic period of welfarism (1945-1979) to a post-Keynesian era of neoliberal citizenship (1979-present day). I then turn to consider how these developments are producing new social divisions in the design and receipt of public welfare. I argue that welfare austerity is producing an increasingly bifurcated system of social citizenship that has come to authenticate the status and reward the practices of some, to the exclusion and denigration of others. Drawing on secondary quantitative analysis, the distributional effects arising from this are considered for those at the bottom, middle and top of the income distribution. The remainder of the chapter describes two conditions that emerge from the shifting logic of welfare galvanised through public service reform and fiscal recalibration: the Validated Active Citizen and the Residual Contingent Citizen. These categories are outlined to understand how the variegated praxis of social citizenship shapes the identity and status of notionally equal citizens.
Lived experiences of poverty and prosperity in austerity Britain
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: September 2018

This chapter explores how poor and rich citizens negotiate the institutions and ideals that have come to structure welfare and inequality. By examining the lived experiences of those marginalised and validated by the prevailing socio-political settlement, this chapter provides an account of the penury and prosperity that presently characterises embedded welfare austerity in the UK. Findings from in-depth qualitative interviews are considered here to explore how income, employment status and local area affect the everyday lived experiences of social citizenship. These dimensions of advantage and disadvantage are used to critically compare the outcomes, opportunities, constraints and experiences of the rich and poor. Taken together, the evidence suggests that deprivation and affluence are meaningful and potent in isolation. However, the relativity of these socio-material conditions is perhaps most meaningful for understanding the sense making of citizenship orientation. Citizens seem to evaluate the worth of their resources, orientate their experiences and authenticate their identity in relation to, and against, others. The chapter concludes by examining the material and symbolic significance of inequality and demonstrates that deprivation and affluence are not only a material deficit or accretion; they are also an expression of one’s citizenship status and position.
The sociological imagination of rich and poor citizens
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: September 2018

Overall, the general public tend to oppose excessive inequality and support a degree of redistribution as a matter of principle. However, differences in welfare attitudes are clearly observable between institutional regimes, ideological systems and socio-demographic groups. Drawing on analysis of the British Social Attitudes survey, this chapter begins by outlining how rich and poor citizens differ in terms of their attitudes towards welfare, inequality and social citizenship. It then turns to demonstrate how this attitudinal divergence is mediated by material position and the knowledge accumulated through lived experiences of inequality. The main body of the chapter pivots on a series of vignettes that are used as a heuristic to explore tacit and explicit intuitions about the structural determinants of agency and outcome. These vignettes were presented to those interviewed for this study to explore operational notions of justice, responsibility and fairness. The vignettes draw upon caricatures of individuals commonly (mis-) represented in policy discourse and the media: ‘the deserving workless poor’, ‘the undeserving workless poor’, ‘the deserving working poor’ and ‘the undeserving working rich’. The chapter demonstrates that affluence and deprivation engender distinct understandings, and explanations of social stratification that, in turn, affect attitudes towards welfare, rights and responsibilities.
Deliberating the structural determinants of poverty and inequality
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: September 2018

Inequalities give rise to divergent experiences and conceptions of social citizenship. In a number of important of respects, the rich really do differ from the poor. In light of the factors contributing towards divergence and disagreement, this chapter explores how, public attitudes can both galvanise and hinder popular support for tackling poverty and inequality. To say that ‘solidarity’ or ‘recognition of mutual vulnerability’ can offer a challenge and tool to tackle inequality is true. However, the general public first need to be effectively sensitised to the causes of as well as the effects of socio-economic stratification. By raising awareness about the structural determinants of socioeconomic outcome and agency, drawing on areas of mutual policy and moral concern, and reformulating the political language surrounding poverty and inequality, it is possible to re-orient public discourse and consciousness in this area. This chapter starts by examining the roots of attitudinal disagreement around poverty and inequality. The subsequent section reflects upon what is known about the determinants of difference and suggests how support for tackling structural inequality might be strengthened. The chapter closes by discussing what implications this has for the health and efficacy of social citizenship in a democratic, institutional and procedural capacity.
Conclusion
Authors: Edmiston Daniel
Published: September 2018

This book has examined the relationship between inequality and social citizenship through the everyday accounts of notionally equal citizens in austerity Britain. In doing so, it has sought to establish how citizens perceive and negotiate the material and status hierarchies that condition their lives. In particular, whether and how individuals experiencing relative deprivation and affluence develop distinctive modes of reference, attachment and engagement when it comes to welfare and social citizenship. Since the Great Recession, public service reforms and fiscal recalibration have resulted in an increasingly individualistic and commodified welfare settlement in the UK. These developments have given rise to fault lines in the subjectivity and political agency of social citizens that need to be understood within and as contributing towards systemic processes of inclusion and exclusion. Through a schematic summary of the key themes and lessons that have emerged from this book, this concluding chapter considers what this reveals about the rise of anti-social citizenship and its implications for welfare policy and politics going forward.
Qualitative research in the shadow of violent conflict
Authors: Christian Patrick James
Published: September 2018

The chapter examines the physical, psychological, and emotional challenges faced by researcher and research participant in qualitative field research into the underlying drivers of violent communal conflict, as well as inhibitors to successful resolution. The reflections in this chapter are drawn from the author’s qualitative field research experiences in Somalia, Yemen, Darfur Sudan, Niger, Colombia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The utility of this chapter is a deeper appreciation of the importance of qualitative field research in studies involving violent communal conflict, and an understanding of how transference and countertransference work to degrade data collection and analysis.
Packing for Kabul
Authors: Myrttinen Henri
Published: September 2018

Using a visit to Kabul as its entry point, the vignette explores feelings of apprehension and fear linked to this visit, but also the privileges that come with being a male western researcher.
Writing the wrongs: Keeping diaries and reflective practice
Authors: Browne Brendan Ciarán
Published: September 2018

This chapter emphasises the role diaries assume in being a useful repository for the practice of critical reflexive thinking; providing an important space for those engaged in conflict based field research to manage expectation, deal with emotion and highlight experience. Based on research conducted in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories, the chapter reveals how meticulously maintained research diaries provided the emotional space needed to continuously evaluate the impact that such research was having upon personal wellbeing as well as the direction of the research as a whole. In the absence of commonly availed of familiar support networks, the research diary, in a conflict setting acts as a cathartic tool in providing the mental and emotional space to document fears and anxieties impacting upon the individual researcher.
Abetting atrocities? Reporting the perspectives of perpetrators in research on violence
Authors: Broache Michael
Published: September 2018

This chapter explores ethical dilemmas arising from research involving perpetrators of atrocities, specifically the possibility that such research may aid perpetrators and abet future atrocities. Drawing from the researcher’s experiences interviewing members of armed groups involved in atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this chapter identifies two possible mechanisms through which research involving perpetrators may abet future atrocities. The first mechanism, “direct assistance,” entails provision of money, material benefits, or information to perpetrators. The second mechanism, “dissemination,” involves providing a platform for an individual or organization’s ideology or broader “story,” intentionally or unintentionally. This chapter then concludes by reflecting upon how researchers might mitigate attendant ethical dilemmas by incorporating possibilities for abetting atrocities in analyses of the risks and benefits of research.
Sociological social work: a case example
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: September 2018

This chapter discusses social work in relation to other fields and disciplines. The underlying assumption is that social work research and practice have much to gain by welcoming their relationship to other bordering fields — particularly sociology. First, the chapter outlines the scope and nature of what sociological social work might encompass. Second, it looks at how sociologists and social workers have understood their relationship. The heart of this section is an introduction to a series of sociologists who are doing work that treats social work as of sociological interest. Finally, the chapter outlines a case about how the methods of inquiry that are associated with qualitative sociological research are open to ‘translation’ such that they may become a form of practice.
The housing crisis
Authors: Spiers Shaun
Published: September 2018

This chapter examines the scale of the housing crisis: too few homes; too many living in intolerable housing conditions; and growing and ultimately unsustainable inequality between those who own property and those who do not. Poor housing harms lives. The high cost of home ownership means that the sort of people who would have been buying their first home a generation ago are now stuck in insecure, rented accommodation. They may have good income, but they lack wealth. Addressing these problems requires targeted public investment and stronger regulation. To suggest that all that is needed is more house building is to miss the point. However, part of the solution must be to address the chronic undersupply of new homes. This is a moral imperative, for conservationists as much as for anyone else.
Rural housing
Authors: Spiers Shaun
Published: September 2018

This chapter explores good and bad examples of house building in rural areas, what makes people oppose development and what might persuade them to support it. For all the concerns about imposition and inappropriate development, there is a strong case for more rural housing—much more in some places. The trouble is that there is generally zero confidence that a new development can result in better places. Indeed, the common and justified assumption is that development causes harm; that promises of affordable housing, good design, and green infrastructure will be negotiated away on grounds of non-viability; and that local people will be lied to and forced to accept whatever the developer can get away with. It is not always like this, but it almost always seems like this to local people faced with development—development that is always framed as meeting housing numbers, rather than creating a better place.