`This is an illuminating and topical study, which skilfully blends together theoretical and empirical analysis in search of the "citizen-consumer". It should become a key text for all with an interest in public service reform and the "choice" agenda, as well as consumerism and citizenship' - Ruth Lister, Professor of Social Policy, University of Loughborough Political, popular and academic debates have swirled around the notion of the citizen as a consumer of public services, with public service reform increasingly geared towards a consumer society. This innovative book draws on original research with those people in the front-line of the reforms - staff, managers and users of public services - to explore their responses to this turn to consumerism. Creating Citizen-Consumers explores a range of theoretical, political, policy and practice issues that arise in the shift towards consumerism. It draws on recent controversies about choice to examine the tensions of modernising public services to meet the demands of a consumer society. The book offers a fresh and challenging understanding of the relationships between people and services, and argues for a model based on interdependence, respect and partnership rather than choice. This original book makes a distinctive contribution to debates about the future of public services. It will be of interest to those studying social policy, cultural studies, public administration and management across the social sciences, as well as for those working in public services. John Clarke is a Professor of Social Policy at the Open University. Janet Newman is a Professor of Social Policy at the Open University. Nick Smith is a Research Officer in the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent. Elizabeth Vidler is a Project Officer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Open University. Louise Westmarland is a Lecturer in Criminology at the Open University.
`This is an illuminating and topical study, which skilfully blends together theoretical and empirical analysis in search of the "citizen-consumer". It should become a key text for all with an interest in public service reform and the "choice" agenda, as well as consumerism and citizenship' - Ruth Lister, Professor of Social Policy, University of Loughborough Political, popular and academic debates have swirled around the notion of the citizen as a consumer of public services, with public service reform increasingly geared towards a consumer society. This innovative book draws on original research with those people in the front-line of the reforms - staff, managers and users of public services - to explore their responses to this turn to consumerism. Creating Citizen-Consumers explores a range of theoretical, political, policy and practice issues that arise in the shift towards consumerism. It draws on recent controversies about choice to examine the tensions of modernising public services to meet the demands of a consumer society. The book offers a fresh and challenging understanding of the relationships between people and services, and argues for a model based on interdependence, respect and partnership rather than choice. This original book makes a distinctive contribution to debates about the future of public services. It will be of interest to those studying social policy, cultural studies, public administration and management across the social sciences, as well as for those working in public services. John Clarke is a Professor of Social Policy at the Open University. Janet Newman is a Professor of Social Policy at the Open University. Nick Smith is a Research Officer in the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent. Elizabeth Vidler is a Project Officer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Open University. Louise Westmarland is a Lecturer in Criminology at the Open University.
Despite the many `alternative' schools and programmes in the United States designed to redirect the lives of at-risk youth, the majority of these in fact serve to isolate and segregate. This challenging book presents a comprehensive plan for those interested in creating truly alternative educational programmes for this group. John Kellmayer outlines the key characteristics of alternative programmes, describes alternative models and explains how to implement and manage these programmes. He also provides strategies on how to empower teachers, involve students in their own education and evaluate alternative programmes.
This text provides a critical introduction to the debates and politics surrounding welfare reform in the UK, Europe and the US. It explains the origins and main tenets of the Blair-Clinton orthodoxy; compares policy in Western Europe with the dilemmas facing the governments of Central and Eastern Europe; assesses the broader prospects of European ......
Empowering a community takes more than organizing and mobilizing its people; it takes a simple, yet radical, notion that consensus can be reached by creating mutual self interest between key individuals in the community and players of interest. In Consensus Organizing: Building Communities of Mutual Self Interest, author Mike Eichler shows how even poor and disempowered communities can achieve lasting results by implementing some key consensus organizing strategies. Through personal, lively, and relevant examples, Eichler takes the reader on a road trip through various communities and shows how collectively they were able to reach lasting results by finding key areas where consensus could be reached. Key features: The author shares his twenty-five years of experience as a community organizer, including the development of a national effort to train young people as consensus organizers in diverse locations such as Las Vegas, New Orleans, and New York City. Demonstrates how consensus organizing can be applied to a variety of settings, including public education, housing, economic development, health and crime. Gives readers the opportunity to learn more about themselves: It helps students to see the other side of any situation and understand how common ground can be achieved. It is written in a student-friendly, conversational manner, which will make students feel as if they have taken a journey with the author, struggled with the various communities, won the victories with the disempowered, and had a few laughs along the way. Intended audience: This book can be used as a core textbook for courses in community organizing and as a supplemental volume in various macro social work courses on community practice. It can also be used in departments of social work, urban planning, public administration, and public health.
This text provides a critical introduction to the debates and politics surrounding welfare reform in the UK, Europe and the US. It explains the origins and main tenets of the Blair-Clinton orthodoxy; compares policy in Western Europe with the dilemmas facing the governments of Central and Eastern Europe; assesses the broader prospects of European ......
This accessible and original text combines a systematic examination of the theories of welfare with an historical account of the evolution of the welfare state and its impact in promoting social justice. It identifies the principles governing social distribution and examines the rationales for these different distributive principles. This book ......
Focusing on the various facets of the caregiving experience, the authors aim to sensitize professionals to the ways in which caregiving is affected by the conditions, personalities, capabilities, and wishes of both the caregivers and the care recipients. Chapters explore the range of care receivers, from frail elderly to young children.
This volume explores the different ways in which the idea of citizenship can be seen as a unifying concept in understanding contemporary social change. The text outlines traditional linkages between citizenship and public participation, national identity and social welfare, and shows the relevance of citizenship for a range of contemporary issues extending from global change through gender to the environment. The issues explored include the challenge of internationalization to the nation state and its effect on national identity; the contested nature of citizenship in relation to poverty, work and welfare; redefining citizenship in relation to gender inequality, and the potential for new concepts of environmental citizenship and cultural citizenship. It is suitable for students and academics in politics, sociology and social policy.
