Examines diverse developments in the evolution of public policy institutions for remedying social problems. This title includes chapters that address the transformation of social problems, social problems work, and social problems solutions in the context of criminal justice, mental health, and community institutions in contemporary society.

Deviance is by definition a social problem. Since deviant behavior violates the normative expectations of a given group, deviance must be regarded as a problem for that group, since all groups of people want their norms to be enforced. Many modern societies place considerable value on personal liberty, so much so that interference with personal choices to deviate from group norms can be justified only in terms of the potential damage that particular kinds of behavior might do to the legitimate interests of others. Sociological research suggests that the social problem associated with deviance is often the behavior of individuals who violate norms cannot be justified in terms of basic values of liberty, social order, or justice. In other kinds of deviance, though, the social problem is that people or, in a more organized way, social institutions, interfere with individual liberty and self-realization. Each selection in this volume has been chosen to cover a full range of substantive problematic issues, a range of social science perspectives that can be brought to bear on issues of all kinds, and a range of social science methodologies used in studying modern society. Deviance and Liberty is divided up into thirty-nine contributions and five main parts ranging from "Modern Perspectives on Deviance and Social Problems"; "Deviant Exchanges: Gambling, Drugs, and Sex"; "Deviant Personal Control: Illness, Violence, and Crime; Deviance, Identity, and the Life Cycle"; and "Moral Enterprise and Moral Enforcement". It is a welcome addition to the libraries of those interested in the study of deviance or society as a whole.

"Understanding Social Problems, Policies, and Programs offers a comprehensive analysis of policies used in the United States to address social problems and to develop social programs. Leon Ginsberg, a respected authority in the field of social work policy, provides a framework for understanding some of the most controversial issues facing the nation, including welfare assistance, food stamps, and health care reform. In this timely volume, he defines the components of social welfare policy and illuminates the complex issues encountered by helping professionals." "Intended for practitioners, educators, administrators, and students, Understanding Social Problems, Policies, and Programs focuses on the history and analysis of social welfare policies as well as the political process of policymaking. Ginsberg describes social problems as their inevitable result of people living together in complex societies, and he traces society's desire to help its most vulnerable members - the children, the elderly, the homeless, and the poor. By explaining how policies and programs are developed, Ginsberg offers insight into the ways that individuals and groups might initiate, modify, and implement improved programs for the disadvantaged."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Divided into six sections, this title examines Government secrecy (GS) in a variety of contexts, including comparative examination of government control of information, new definitions, categories, censorship, ethics, and secrecy's relationship with freedom of information and transparency.

Many people think of 'social problems' as involving poor and powerless individuals in society. This work seeks to improve the balance by adding a focus on important and powerful institutions. It discusses policy sciences, public policy analysis and public management. It addresses operations and design issues for government organizations.

Reprint. Originally published as: Social problems and public policy: deviance and liberty. 1974.

Modern society is beset by a vast range of problems – such as poverty, homelessness and terrorism – that cause immense suffering for a significant number of people. These social problems both reflect and contribute to wider inequalities; consequently, in order to develop a true understanding of them, we must consider the social injustices with which they are inextricably linked. In this ground-breaking text, Neil Thompson turns his attention to the range of complex issues relating to social problems and social justice, and the relationship between them. With the help of engaging features that have become synonymous with his books, Thompson provides a clear exploration of some key social problems currently challenging us, analysis of the connection between social problems and social justice, and a review of how social policy initiatives to tackle these issues have fared to date. Innovative and absorbing, Social Problems and Social Justice is essential reading for students and practitioners across a wide range of social science disciplines and the social professions.