Social Policy The Media And Misrepresentation

Social Policy, the Media and Misrepresentation examines aspects of news media reporting of social policy and how such coverage can influence processes of policy-making and implementation. It offers an appraisal of the complex inter-relationships between news media, news sources, the content of media coverage of social policy and its impact on audiences, public opinion and policy makers. Through detailed case studies, the various contributors explore: *social work and child protection *housing and homelessness *the charity and voluntary sectors *poverty and welfare policy *health (including HIV/AIDS) and mental health *education and crime and juvenile justice.

The Court’s decisions are interpreted and disseminated via the media. During this process, the media paints an image of the Court and its business. Like any artist, the media has license regarding what to cover and the amount of attention devoted to any aspect of the Court and its business. Some cases receive tremendous attention, while others languish on the back pages or are ignored. These selection effects create a skewed picture of the Court and its work, and might affect public attitudes toward the Court. Indeed, studies of media coverage of other governmental institutions reveal that when, and how, their policy decisions are covered has implications for the public’s understanding of, compliance with, support for, and cynicism about the policy. This book uncovers and describes this coverage and compares it to the confirmation hearings, the Court’s actual work, even its members. Rorie Spill Solberg and Eric N. Waltenburg analyze media coverage of nominations and confirmation hearings, the justices’ "extra-curricular" activities and their retirements/deaths, and the Court’s opinions, and compare this coverage to analyses of confirmation transcripts and the Court’s full docket. Solberg and Waltenburg contend that media now cover the Court and its personnel more similarly to its coverage of other political institutions. Journalists still regurgitate a mythology supported by the justices, a "cult of the robe," wherein unbiased and apolitical judges mechanically base their decisions upon the law and the Constitution. Furthermore, they argue the media also focus on the "cult of personality," wherein the media emphasize certain attributes of the justices and their work to match the public’s preferences for subject matter and content. The media’s portrayal, then, may undercut the Court’s legitimacy and its reservoir of good will.

Designed for use by undergraduates on social policy, social work and sociology courses and by students on vocational training courses (including postgraduate), this textbook covers all the main topics of social policy.

By stressing the importance of subjectivity and interpretation, social constructionism offers a different conception of reality from the traditional approach to housing policy analysis. This book provides an up-to-date review of the social constructionist perspective and considers its philosophical basis. It discusses how social problems are constructed and, in turn, how this informs policy-making. It is divided into two parts. The first section is theoretical and discusses the variety of conceptual approaches utilised within the constructionist paradigm. The second part provides a number of empirically based case studies from the UK and Australia to illustrate the different methodologies that form the social constructionist corpus. The book also evaluates both the criticisms that have been made against the social constructionist perspective and the strengths and weaknesses of constructionist methods. It therefore contributes to the development of a future research agenda for social constructionist research in housing and urban policy.

An understanding of social policy is crucial for social workers as it underpins and shapes the legislative framework that they work within. From safeguarding service users and enabling them to improve their lives, to protecting the most vulnerable in society, social policy also has a vital role to play within social work education. It is important therefore for students to engage critically with social policy. This book introduces policy and shows how it has changed and evolved over time, how it reflects changes in society and how it is applied to everyday practice.

This book offers a commentary on the responses to white collar crime since the financial crisis. The book brings together experts from academia and practice to analyse the legal and policy responses that have been put in place following the 2008 financial crisis. The book looks at a range of topics including: the low priority and resources allocated to fraud; EU regulatory efforts to fight financial crime; protecting whistleblowers in the financial industry; the criminality of the rogue trader; the evolution of financial crime in cryptocurrencies; and the levying of financial penalties against banks and corporations by the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.

The second edition of Policy Practice for Social Workers expands the concept of policy practice in social work settings and illustrates how significant policy change may be achieved at a local, community, state, and national level. Guided by an ethic of care approach, this textbook is intended to raise readers’ awareness about policy practice and its fundamental relationship with the aims of the social work profession, offers a foundation for key skill development, and contextualizes the work of policy practitioners in the larger political-economic settings in which they work. This textbook is divided into two parts. First, readers will expand their understanding of policy practice, its beginnings and development over the course of social welfare history, and the political, economic, and social drivers that affect policy decisions and undergird the U.S. political system. Readers will also learn about the ethic of care framework and the value-based lens it contributes to the policymaking process. Later, in the book’s second part, readers will explore the essential skills and values in policy work. Detailed coverage and vivid examples offer valuable insight into specific advocacy skills including lobbying, community organizing, mobilizing advocacy publics, coalition building, campaigning, problem analysis, policy analysis, and policy evaluation. Within its comprehensive overview of policy practice and advocacy, the new edition of this text extols a value-laden perspective to identify and assess unmet needs and promote a more socially just environment for all. Combining these dual aims, Policy Practice for Social Workers is an excellent cornerstone of policy and policy work for undergraduate and graduate students in social work.