The overall objective of this study is to do a comparative analysis of the principles and modalities that are shaping the transformation of social assistance policy in Canada, primarily in Quebec. It also takes a brief look at the experiences of Ontario and New Brunswick. It describes 2 models of government intervention in the conception and implementation of the new contract of social assistance reciprocity between the poor and the State: workfare, as developed in the United States, and insertion, the chosen model in France. The focus of the study is to describe, in relation to these 2 models, the social assistance configuration of rights and duties currently being institutionalized between women and the State within Canada and Quebec.

This book brings together cross-cultural perspectives on political economy of social exclusion and a critical view of policies of inclusion. The themes covered are political economy of social exclusion; inclusionary policy outcomes; persistent challenges to social exclusion and rethinking social exclusion and inclusion. The contexts are located in varied geographies including India, South East Asia, USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Papua New Guinea. The book throws light on how, historically, social inclusion of various excluded communities has always been a part of nation building with varying results. Furthermore, it highlights how the terrain of social exclusion is becoming increasingly complex today. It provides the space to reimagine issues of inclusion and exclusion within the social policy landscape of a country. It provides ways to rethink policies of inclusion such that dialogue between the excluded and the state is enhanced, and the systems of seeking justice for a dignified life, peace and freedom are improved. It appeals to policy makers, academicians and practitioners of development and social policy studies, planning and governance in both developing and developed countries.

Teenage parenthood is recognised as a significant disadvantage in western industrialised nations. It has been found to increase the likelihood of poverty and to reinforce inequalities. This book explores, for the first time, the links between welfare state provision and teenage reproductive behaviour across a range of countries with differing welfare regimes. Drawing on both welfare state and feminist literature, as well as on new empirical evidence, the book compares public policy responses to teenage parenthood in each 'family' of welfare regime: Nordic, Liberal and Continental (Western European); analyses the different socio-political contexts in which teenage pregnancy is constructed as a social problem and identifies best practice in Europe and the USA. Countries included in the study are the UK, USA, New Zealand, France, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Canadian province of Quebec and Russia. The contributors are all internationally recognised experts in the fields of welfare and/or gender studies. When children become parents is important reading for a wide audience of students, policy makers, practitioners and academics in sociology, social policy, social geography, education, psychology, and youth and gender studies.

In the late 1970s, feminists urged us to "rethink" Canada by placing women's experiences at the centre of historical analysis. Forty years later, women's and gender historians continue to take up the challenge, not only to interrogate the idea of nation but also to place their work in a global perspective. This volume showcases the work of scholars who draw on critical race theory, postcolonial theory, and transnational history to re-examine familiar topics such as biography and oral history, paid and unpaid work, marriage and family, and women's political action. Taken together, these exciting new essays demonstrate the continued relevance of history informed by feminist perspectives.