Family Policy In Transformation

In the US and UK there has been a transformation in child care, family leave, social assistance, work activation and tax credits in the last twenty years. These policies have been expanded or radically reformed, and this book explores the factors behind these changes. Using detailed case studies Dorian R.

Woods finds that ideas and the power to wield them are some of the most crucial factors in the transformation of family policy. Woods' analysis shows that ideology and power are predominant factors in family policy-making because the policies are strongly associated with beliefs about families. The parties and influential women's groups who have close ties to power elites could impact policy change with new ideas at critical moments.

Woods argues that governments need to be receptive to prevailing views around families and have to convincingly justify new family policy goals. Review: 'Family Policy in Transformation does an exceptional job in reviewing the differences in the character and recent development of four key components of family policy between the US and the UK.

But more importantly, the author complements the 'how' of the difference with good stories about 'why. - Michael Wiseman, Research Professor of Public Policy and Economics, George Washington Institute of Public Policy, USA 'Dorian Woods' analysis of family policy and its development in the US and the UK is a significant contribution to social policy analysis.

Ideas and the different ways in which they are used and change, and their effect on family policy-making are explored in a nuanced way that illustrates well the specificity of adaptation of similar ideas in different contexts.' - Julia O'Connor, Professor of Social Policy, University of Ulster, UK