ABSTRACT

This title was first published 1983. A common method, concern, and argument underlie all of these essays. The method is 'value critical'. The concern is with a more institutionally grounded understanding of why governments do what they do. The argument is substantive, dealing with concrete issues such as the claim for economic resources, social protection and the organization of social services....The canonical (that is, the conventional and normative) view is thrown into question, on the implicit assumption that things do not work as expected, that there is inherently a difference between the text and the message.

chapter 1|20 pages

The Social Policy of the Firm

chapter 2|17 pages

Claims, Claiming, and Claims Structures

chapter 3|19 pages

Social Services: Purpose and Form

chapter 4|19 pages

The Plea for Coordination of Services

chapter 5|18 pages

The Design of In-kind Benefits

chapter 6|17 pages

Value Tensions in Program Design

chapter 7|25 pages

Implementation: A Theoretical Perspective

chapter 8|20 pages

Practice Worries

chapter 9|16 pages

Comprehensive Program Evaluation

chapter 10|21 pages

Knowledge for Practice

chapter 11|26 pages

Policy Research: Belief and Doubt

chapter 12|14 pages

Action Frames and Problem Setting

chapter 13|12 pages

Social Science and Social Policy