Policy Press

Austerity

Touted as a short, sharp adjustment to the economy in the wake of the financial crisis, the cuts and slashing of the welfare state has caused a multitude of harms to individuals, communities and society as a whole as a result.

As a publisher who has had tackling inequality at its heart for 25 years, we have published many research outputs that tackle the topic of austerity, including many articles in our Journal of Poverty and Social Justice.

Bristol University Press and Policy Press are signed up to the UN SDG Publishers Compact. In this cross-cutting theme, we aim to address the following goal:

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You may also be interested in our Global Social Challenges on hunger, food, water and shelter, poverty, inequality and social justice and democracy, power and governance.

Showing 1-12 of 150 items.

Human dignity and welfare systems

Pro-'workfare' governments justify their policies by claiming 'workfare' helps enhance self-esteem and promote the dignity of the unemployed. On the other hand, welfare activists argue that 'workfare' suppresses the dignity of unemployed persons. This book examines the concept of human dignity in this context and attempts to clarify its meaning.

Policy Press

From Transmitted Deprivation to Social Exclusion

Policy, Poverty, and Parenting

The book is the only book-length treatment of New Labour's approach to child poverty, and examines initiatives such as Sure Start, the influence of research on inter-generational continuities, and its new stance on social exclusion. 

Policy Press

Ferraris for All

In Defence of Economic Progress

In Ferraris for all, Daniel Ben-Ami argues that society as a whole benefits from greater affluence and action is needed to increase and spread global prosperity.

Policy Press

How social security works

An introduction to benefits in Britain

A broad, accessible introduction to the benefit system in Britain which can help readers to make sense of the system in practice.

Policy Press

Ethnicity, class and aspiration

Understanding London's new East End

An analysis of the aspirations of different groups living in East London and the strategies they have used to improve their status.

Policy Press

Credit crunch health care

How economics can save our publicly funded health services

The credit crunch continues to threaten publicly-funded health care. In this timely and accessible book, Cam Donaldson considers value for money in the NHS and what can be achieved through reform and priority setting.

Policy Press

Fighting poverty, inequality and injustice

A manifesto inspired by Peter Townsend

This important book brings together many of the leading contributors in the field and provides a compelling manifesto for change in social justice.

Policy Press

Equality and diversity

Value incommensurability and the politics of recognition

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This important book explores the values of equality and diversity as promoted across liberal societies, drawing on various traditions of political and social philosophy, and applying them to policy and practice debates.

Policy Press

The last safety net

A handbook of minimum income protection in Europe

This book provides a systematic comparative and longitudinal analysis of minimum income protection systems in 17 EU-countries based on a newly developed dataset.

Policy Press

Social Inclusion and Higher Education

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This book is about the experiences of students in institutions of higher education from 'non-traditional' backgrounds with contributions from the UK, the USA and Australia which reveal that the issues surrounding the inclusion of 'non-traditional' students are broadly similar in different countries.

Policy Press

Social Justice and Social Policy in Scotland

Edited by Gerry Mooney and Gill Scott

Social justice and social policy in Scotland offers a critical engagement with the state of social policy in Scotland, focusing on a diverse range of topics and issues, including income inequalities, work and welfare, criminal justice, housing, education, health and poverty, each reflecting the themes of social inequality and social justice.

Policy Press

Gender Equality in the Welfare State?

This timely and accessible textbook analyses the male breadwinner model in terms of care, work, time, income and power, providing a framework which asks about policies and practices for gender equality in each of these. This new approach contextualises national policies and debates within comparative theoretical analysis and data.

Policy Press