Welfare State and Welfare Change

"This excellent book should be read by students and academics alike. It provides a clear account of the nature of the contemporary welfare state and the 'How, what and why' of welfare state change in Britain...Highly recommended." - Nick Ellison, University of Durham

"An excellent guide to the complexities of understanding the British welfare state in the contemporary era." - Francis G. Castles, Department of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh

"The changing nature of the 'welfare state' in Britain over the last twenty-five years or so has been one of the key issues underpinning much of the debate about social policy development in the country. In this book Powell and Hewitt have provided an invaluable guide to the ideas and arguments which have been advanced to explain this process of change, and in so doing have helped to advance our appreciation and understanding of the broader context of policy practice ." - Pete Alcock, Professor of Social Policy and Administration, University of Birmingham

"As Powell and Hewitt write in their opening chapter, it is generally agreed that something has happened to welfare states at the end of the twentieth century, but quite what is a matter for complicated debate. This book will provide a valuable guide for students, attempting as it does to explain and assess the 'production of welfare' in Britain in the context of the wide-ranging, interdisciplinary literature on welfare restructuring." - Professor Jane Lewis, Barnett Professor of Social Policy, University of Oxford, UK

"In this book, Powell and Hewitt offer an interesting and thorough analysis of welfare change in the UK. A valuable feature of the book is its focus on explanations. It is clearly written and is admirably suited to an undergraduate readership." - Norman Johnson, School of Health and Social Care, University of Portsmouth.

Welfare State and Welfare Change is a textbook written with the undergraduate student in mind. It provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to one of the most important but relatively neglected issues in social policy. It addresses the 'what, when and why' issues of welfare change. What constitutes a change in the welfare state? Do we have a new welfare state? If so, when did this change occur? What factors influenced change? The book brings together a wide range of diverse material, and provides descriptive, analytical and explanatory perspectives on welfare change. It moves beyond both descriptive, historical accounts of the welfare state, and theoretical, abstract accounts to integrate them within a coherent structure.

This book brings a new perspective to the study of social policy and is designed for students of social policy, social work, politics, policy studies and public administration.