COMPARATIVE SOCIAL POLICY
Richard J. Estes
University of Pennsylvania
The social policy sequence is one of the most natural places to locate
international content in social work curricula. Indeed, the volume of
available comparative social policy materials is both extensive and varied.
Much of this materials relates directly to the contribution that teachers
of social policy can make toward preparing the current generation of
social work students for their
more "global" professional roles.
This chapter contains three types of material of relevance to
teachers of social policy: (1) an extensive listing of international and
comparative social policy materials is reprinted at the end of the chapter;
(2) illustrative materials of a course in "Comparative Social Welfare" are
reprinted in Charts 17 and 18; and (3) some suggestions are offered
concerning ways in which policy specialists can "connect" with other policy
specialists undertaking comparative policy work elsewhere in both the
United States and other countries.
Published Comparative Social Policy Resource Materials
The publications resource section of this chapter is quite extensive. The
section identifies approximately 100 books and articles on various aspects
of contemporary social policy. The list does not contain references that
deal primarily with policy development in the United States. My assumption
is preparing this list was that the majority of readers would already be
familiar with foundational content used in the teaching of U.S. social
policy development.
The references listed here are those that I have found useful in my
own courses on Comparative Social Welfare, Dilemmas in International
Development, and Research Seminar in International and Comparative Social
Welfare(1). All of these resources are available in English; the majority
may be ordered from U.S. publishers. Most large universities and colleges
may already have the majority of these publications in their collections;
some may already be included on selected introductory or advanced social
policy reading lists. In any event--and baring some serious omissions that
may be more apparent to the reader--this list, excluding those relating to
social policy development in the United States, constitutes what I regard
as a "basic readings list" in international and comparative social policy.
Comparative Social Policy Research Institutes, Organizations, and
Investigators
The resource section of the chapter also identifies a selected list of
comparative social policy research organizations, institutes, and centers
located both within and outside of the United States. This listing,
however, is far from complete; a more complete listing would require
several dozen printed pages. Rather, the purpose of this list is only to
suggest the range of international institutional resources that can be
accessed teachers of comparative social policy.
Individual readers will almost certainly want to construct their own
list(s) of international centers and institutes that engage in specialized
comparative social policy analysis on issues of interest to them. The
present list should be used as a starting place for identifying those more
specialized resources. Many of the larger organizations identified, for
example, employ significant numbers of policy analysts (e.g., the United
nations, the World Bank, OECD, etc.). The work of these institutions tends
to be highly specialized with the result that many of their publications
may be use to faculty members, but of more limited use to students in
introductory comparative courses. Other organizations identified on the
list are smaller, more focussed on welfare concerns and, as a result, their
publications may be more easily adapted for use in U.S. courses on
comparative social welfare (e.g., the Office of International Policy of
the U.S. Social Security Administration, the Brookings Institution, the
European Centre for Social Welfare Research and
Training, etc.).
One of the most valuable sources of information concerning the
location of comparative social policy investigators and institutes outside
of the United States is Current Research in Social Security. This
monograph is published quarterly by the International Social Security
Association. The publication is distributed without cost to social policy
scholars and contains summaries of "works in progress" and information for
communicating with the relevant scholars. In obtaining copies of reports
of research published by foreign research institutes, my experience
has been that most institutes will make available reprints of their
English publications on a quid pro quo basis. A charge is often made for
copies of reports published in languages other than English; if needed,
translations into English of summaries of larger works may be made available,
but usually at the cost of the translation.
I have also found the following directory to be of use in locating
specialized social policy
institutes in particular countries:
Irvin, Linda (Editor). 1991. Encyclopedia of Associations:
International Organizations. 25th Edition. (Detroit: Gale Research,
Inc.).
Comparative Social Welfare Curricula
The International Committee of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
maintains a computerized data base of U.S. and Canadian educators with
interests in international social work, including in comparative social
policy. In addition, the Committee collects and, as possible, disseminates
copies of selected comparative course descriptions, syllabi, and reading
lists. These materials can be accessed through a written inquiry to the
Council on Social Work Education, 1600 Duke Street, Arlington VA.
One example of a graduate level course in comparative social policy
that some readers may find useful is that which I teach at the University
of Pennsylvania. The course is open to both MSW and doctoral students and
is offered as an elective; it usually attracts a mix of students both
within and outside social work. Chart 17 contains a description for the
course and its learning objectives; Chart 18 reprints the course syllabus.
- Chart 17
- COMPARATIVE SOCIAL WELFARE: Sample Course Description and Learning Objectives
The major written assignment for the course is for students to
undertake a small-scale comparative analysis of the dynamics of welfare
development in at least three countries, one of which must be the
student's own country of origin. The specific substance of the analysis is
individualized and is selected by the student in consultation with the
instructor. The semester-long written assignment serves as the locus of
student integration of international policy content with comparative
research methods. The format of final report must resemble that of a paper
submitted for publication.
- Chart 18
- COMPARATIVE SOCIAL WELFARE: Sample Course Syllabus
RESOURCE MATERIALS
ON INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE SOCIAL POLICY
BOOKS & SELECTED ARTICLES
Abel-Smith, Brian and Kay Titmuss (Editors). 1987. _The Philosophy of
Social Welfare: Selected Writings of Richard M. Titmuss_ (London: Allen &
Unwin).
Abrahamson, Peter. 1989. _Post Modern Welfare: Market, State, and Civil
Society Towards Year 2000_. (Roskilde, Denmark: Roskilde University,
Institute of Economics & Planning).
Aharoni, Yair. 1981. _The No-Risk Society_. (Chatham NJ: Chatham House
Publishers).
Alger, C. F. 1990. "Grassroots Perspectives on Global Policies for
Development," _Journal of Peace Research_ 27(2):155-168.
Ashford, Douglas E. 1986. _The Emergence of the Welfare States_ (New York:
Basil Blackwell, Inc.).
Bawden, D. Lee. 1984. _The Social Contract Revisited_. (Washington: Urban
Institute Press).
Bean, Philip et al. (Editors) _Approaches to Welfare_. (London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul).
Bery, S.K. 1990. "Economic Policy Reform in Developing Countries: The Role
and Management of Political Factors," _World Development_ 18(8):1123-1131.
Beveridge, W. H. 1943. _The Pillars of Security_. (New York: Macmillan).
Beveridge, W. H. 1944. _Full Employment in A Free Society_. (Allen & Unwin).
Bolderson, Helen. 1991. _Social Policy and Social Security: A Comparative
Study of Australia, Britain and the USA_. (Brookfield
VT: Avebury).
Bottomore, T. B. and Maximilian Rubel (Editors). 1964. _Karl Marx: Selected
Writings in Sociology and Social Philosophy_. (New
York: McGraw Hill).
Cawson, Alan. 1982. _Corporatism and Welfare: Social Policy and State
Intervention in Britain_. (London: Heinemann Educational
Books).
Clark, N. 1990. "Development Policy, Technology Assessment and the New
Technologies," _Futures_ 22(9):913-931.
Cornia, Giovanni A. et al. (Editors). 1987. _Adjustment With a Human Face:
Protecting the Vulnerable & Promoting Growth_. (Oxford: Clarendon Press for
UNICEF).
Cornia, Giovanni and Sandor Sipos (Editors). 1991. _Children and the
Transition to the Market Economy: Safety Nets and Social Policies in
Central and Eastern Europe_. (Brookfield VT: Avebury).
Coughlin, Bernard J. 1965. _Church and State in Social Welfare_. (New York:
Columbia University Press).
De Schweinitz, Karl. 1943. _England's Road to Social Security from the
Statute of Laborers in 1349 to the Beveridge Report of 1942_. (New York:
Barnes).
Dickinson, James and Bob Russell (Editors). 1986. _Family, Economy, and
State_. (New York: St. Martin's Press).
Dixon, John. 1986. _Social Security Traditions and Their Global
Applications_. (Canberra Australia: International Fellowship for Social and
Economic Development).
Dolgoff, Ralph and D. Feldstein. 1984. _Understanding Social Welfare_. (2nd
Edition). (New York: Longman).
Evers, Adalbert & Helmut Wintersberger (Editors). 1988. _Shifts in the
Welfare Mix_. (Vienna: European Center for Social Welfare Training and
Research).
Fischer, F. and Jay Forester. 1987. _Confronting Values in Policy
Analysis:the Politics of Criteria_. (Newbury Park, CA: Sage
Pub.).
Fishkin, James S. 1982. _The Limits of Obligation_. (New Haven: Yale
University Press).
Forder, Anthony et al. 1984. _Theories of Welfare_. (London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul).
Friedman, Milton. 1962. _Capitalism and Freedom_. (Chicago).
Galbraith, John K. 1967. _The New Industrial State_. 2nd Edition. (Deutsch).
Galbraith. 1970. _The Affluent Society_. (Penguin)
Gaylin, Willard et al. 1981. _Doing Good: The Limits of Benevolence_. (New
York: Random House).
Genovese, Rosalie G. (ed.) 1984. _Families and Change: Social Needs and
Public Policies_. (New York: Praeger).
George, Vic and Nick Manning. 1980. _Socialism, Social Welfare, and the
Soviet Union_. (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul).
George, Vic and Paul Wilding. 1985. _Ideology and Social Welfare_. (London:
Routledge & and Kegan Paul).
Gilbert, David. 1976. _The Challenge of Social Equality: Essays on Social
Policy, Social Development, and Political Practice_. (Cambridge: Schenkmann
Publishing Company).
Goodin Robert E and Julian LeGrand. 1987. _Not Only the Poor: The Middle
Classes and the Welfare State_. (London: Allen and
Unwin).
Gough, Ian. 1979. _The Political Economy of the Welfare State_ (London:
Macmillan Press Ltd.).
Handel, Gerald. 1982. _Social Welfare in Western Society_ (New York: Random
House).
Hardiman, M. and Midgley, J. 1982. _The Social Dimensions of
Development:Social Policy and Planning in the Third World_. (New York: John
Wiley).
Hardy, J. 1981. _Values in Social Policy: Nine Contradictions_. (London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul).
Hasenfeld, Yeheskel et al. 1991. "Implementation of Social Policy
Revisited," _Administration and Society_ 22(4):451-479.
Heckscher, G. 1984. _The Welfare State and Beyond: Success and Problems in
Scandinavia_. (Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press).
Howard, Donald S. (1968). _Social Welfare: Values, Means, & Ends_. (Los
Angeles: University of California Press).
Howe, Irving (ed.). 1982. _Beyond the Welfare State_. (New York: Schocken
Books).
Jamieson, Anne and Raymond Illsley (Editors). 1990. _Contrasting European
Policies For the Care of Older People_. (Brookfield
VT: Avebury).
Johnson, Norman. 1987. _The Welfare State in Transition: The Theory &
Practice of Welfare Pluralism_. (Amherst: University of Massachusetts
Press).
Jordan, B. 1987. _Rethinking Welfare_. (Oxford: Blackwell).
Kahn, Alfred and Sheila Kamerman. 1975. _Not For the Poor Alone_.
(Philadelphia: Temple University Press).
Kamerman, Sheila & Alfred J. Kahn. 1989. _Privatization and the Welfare
State_. (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
Kim, Bun-Woong and Wha-Joon Rho (Editors). 1982. _Korean Public
Bureaucracy_. (Seoul: Kyobo Publishing).
Kleinig, J. 1984. _Paternalism_. (Totowa NJ: Rowman and Allenheld).
Le Grand, J. 1982. _The Strategy of Equality: Redistribution and the Social
Services_. (London: Allen and Unwin).
Le Grand, J. and R. Robinson (Editors). 1984. _Privatization and the
Welfare State_. (London: Allen and Unwin).
Leung, Benjamin K. et al. 1990. _Social Issues in Hong Kong_. (Hong Kong:
Oxford University Press).
Madison, Berneice. 1968. _Social Welfare in the Soviet Union_. (Stanford:
Stanford University Press).
Marshall, T. H. 1981. _The Right to Welfare_. (New York: Free Press).
Martin, George T. et al. (Editors). 1981. _Social Welfare in Society_. (New
York: Columbia University Press).
Matzner, E. 1980. _The Future of the Welfare State: Towards a New Pattern
of State Intervention_. Papers of the International Institute for Management
(IIM/dp/8-74). (Berlin).
MacPherson, S. and Midgley, J. 1987. _Comparative Social Policy and the
Third World_. (New York: St.Martin's Press).
Mesa-Lago, C. 1978. _Social Security in Latin America_. (Pittsburgh:
University of Pittsburgh Press).
Midgley, James. 1984. _Social Security, Inequality, and the Third World_.
(London: Wiley).
Midgley, James. _Professional Imperialism: Social Work in the Third World_.
(London: Heinemann).
Miller, David. 1976. _Social Justice_. (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Mishra, Ramesh. 1977. _Society and Social Policy: Theoretical Perspectives
on Welfare_. (London: Macmillian Press Ltd.).
Mitchell, Deborah. 1991. _Income Transfers in Ten Welfare States_.
(Brookfield VT: Avebury).
Mohan, Brij. 1988. _The Logic of Social Welfare_. (New York: St. Martin's
Press).
Moon, J. Donald (ed.), 1988. _Responsibility, Rights, and Welfare_.
(Boulder: Westview Press).
Morris, Robert. 1986. _Rethinking Social Welfare: Why Care for the
Stranger?_ (New York: Longman).
Myint, Hla. 1948. _Theories of Welfare Economics_. (Augustus M. Kelley
Bookseller--for the London School of Economics,
Reprinted 1965).
Pascall, Gillian. 1986. _Social Policy: A Feminist Analysis_. (London:
Tavistock).
Pinker, Robert. 1971. _Social Theory and Social Policy_. (London: Heinemann
Educational Books, Ltd.).
Quinley, Harold E.. 1974. _The Prophetic Clergy: Social Activism Among
Protestant Ministers_. (New York: Wiley).
Qureshi, H. and Alan Walker. 1987. _The Caring Relationship_. (London:
Macmillan).
Rath, A. 1990. "Science, Technology and Policy in Periphery: A Perspective
from the Centre," _World Development_ 18(11):1429-1443.
Rawls, John A. 1971. _A Theory of Justice_. (Cambridge: Harvard University
Press).
Reddin, M. 1970. "Universality vs. selectivity," in W. A. Robson and B.
Crick (Editors) _The Future of the Social Services_. (Harmondsworth:
Penguin).
Redding, Gordon S. 1990. _The Spirit of Chinese Capitalism_. (New York:
Walter de Gruyter).
Rein, M., G. Epsing-Anderson, and L. Rainwater 1987. _Stagnation and
Renewal in Social Policy: The Rise and Fall of Social Regimes_ (Armonk,New
York: M.E.Sharpe).
Reynolds, Bertha C. 1951,1975. _Social Work and Social Living: Explorations
in Philosophy and Practice_. (Washington: National Association of Social
Workers).
Rimlinger, Gaston. 1971. _Welfare Policy and Industrialization in Europe,
America, and Russia_. (New York: Wiley).
Robson, William. 1976. "Human values in the welfare state," _Welfare State
and Welfare Society: Illusion and Reality_. (London: Allen & Unwin), pp.
81-94.
Rose, Richard & Rei Shiratori (Editors). 1986. _The Welfare State East and
West_. (New York: Oxford University Press).
Sanders, Daniel S. 1982. _The Developmental Perspective in Social Work_.
(Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press).
Schenk, Q. F. and Schenk, E. L. 1981. _Welfare, Society, and the Helping
Professions: An Introduction_. (New York:
Macmillian).
Spicker, Paul. 1988. _Principles of Social Welfare: An Introduction to
Thinking About the Welfare State_. (London & New York:
Routledge).
Spiegel, 1971. _The Growth of Economic Thought_. (Durham: Duke University
Press).
Stoesz, David. 1986. "Corporate Welfare: The Third Stage of Welfare in the
United States," _Social Work_ 31:245-249.
Stoesz, David. 1989. "A Theory of Social Welfare," _Social Work_ 34:101-107.
Sullivan, Michael. 1987. _Sociology & Social Welfare_. (London: Allen &
Unwin).
Sumption, Joseph and J. Sumption. 1979. _Equality_. (London: John Murray).
Taylor-Gooby, Peter and Jennifer Dale. 1981. _Social Theory and Social
Welfare_. (London: Edward Arnold).
Thomas, J.W. and M.S. Grindell. 1990. "After the Decision: Implementing
Policy Reform in Developing Countries," _World Development_ 18(8):1163-1181.
Timms, Noel and David Watson (Editors). 1976. _Talking About Welfare:
Readings in Philosophy and Social Policy_. (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul).
Titmuss, Richard. 1968. _The Commitment to Welfare_ (New York: Pantheon
Books).
Trattner, Walter I. (ed.). 1983. _Social Welfare or Social Control?: Some
Historical Perspectives on Regulating the Poor_. (Knoxville: University of
Tennessee Press).
Troeltsch, Ernst. 1932, 1960. _The Social Teaching of the Christian
Churches_. (New York: Harper).
Vogel, Ezra F. 1991. _The Four Little Dragons: The Spread of
Industrialization in East Asia_. (Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press).
Walzer, Michael. 1983. _Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and
Equality_. (New York: Basic Books).
Ward, Michael D. (ed.). 1985. _Theories, Models and Simulations in
International Relations: Essays in Honor of Harold Guetzkow_. (Boulder
CO:Westview Press).
Watson, David. 1980. _Caring for Strangers_. (New York: Routledge & Kegan
Paul).
Weber, Max. 1952. _Ancient Judaism_. (New York: MacMillan Co., The Free
Press).
Weber, Max. 1922, 1930. _The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism_.
(London: Allen and Unwin).
Wilensky, Harold L. and Charles Lebeaux. 1965. _Industrial Society and
Social Welfare_. 2nd Edition. (New York: The Free
Press).
Wilensky, Harold L. 1975. _The Welfare State and Equality_. (Berkeley:
University of California Press).
Wolfenden Committee. 1977. _The Future of Voluntary Organizations_.
(Beckenham: Croom Helm).
Yanowitch, Murray. 1977. _Social and Economic Inequality in the Soviet
Union: Six Studies_. (White Plains New York: M.E. Sharpe).
Zald, M. N. (ed.). 1965. _Social Welfare Institutions: A Sociological
Reader_. (New York: Wiley).
Zaretsky, Eli. 1976. _Capitalism, the Family, and Personal Life_. (New York:
Harper and Row).
JOURNALS
Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars
Community Development Journal
Development
Development Forum
Futures
International Social Development Review
International Social Policy
International Social Security Review
International Social Work
Journal of International and Comparative Social Welfare
Journal of International Development
Journal Social Policy
Journal of Peace Research
Policy
Social Development Issues
Social Policy and Administration
Social Service Review
World Development
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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Center for the Study of Social Policy
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Council of Europe
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European Centre for Social Welfare
Research and Training
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4, rue du Tressor
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Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
via delle Terme di Caracalla
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International Association of Schools of Social Work
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Joseph Platz 6
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International Council on Social Welfare
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International Federation of Social Workers
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International Monetary Fund
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International Organization for Migration
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International Social Security Association
Case Postale 1
CH-1211 Geneva 22 Switzerland
Inter-University Consortium for
International Social Development
% James Billups, President
Ohio State University
College of Social Work
Columbus OH
The Living Economy Network
42 Warriner Gardens
London SW11 4DU United Kingdom
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OXFAM (Relief)
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Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
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The Other Economic Summit (TOES)
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United Nations Centre for Social
Development and Humanitarian Affairs
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U.S. Social Security Administration
Office of International Policy
Office of Research and Statistics
4301 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20008
The Work Bank
1818 H Street NW
Washington DC 20433
(202) 477-1234
-----------------------------
(1) Diane Smitz supplemented the "basic books" reading list during
Fall 1991 while a student in my seminar on International Social Development
taught at Washington University. The author acknowledges that
contribution with appreciation.
---------------------------
Excerpted from Richard J. Estes (1992) _Internationalizing Social Work
Education: A guide to Resources For a New Century_ (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work).
Permission is granted to disseminate this document so long as proper
credit has been given to the source.