ABSTRACT
This book explores ways in which sociology, as an academic discipline and a set of analytic tools, might aid the theory and practice of social welfare. It shows how and in what ways sociology aids the development of understanding of the aims and functions of social welfare systems, the development of social policies and the theory and practice of social work. The book argues that sociology represents an invaluable analytic weapon in the armoury not only of social policy analysts but also of social work practitioners. Problems relating to a greater interpenetration of sociological analysis and social work practice appear to fall into two categories: problems arising from the nature and history of social work practice and problems arising from the nature of sociologists' practice. The book discusses the problems which sociology and social work perceive in a closer association between the two practices, and concludes by balancing those problems against the advantages of a closer association.
