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Family Policy and the American Safety Net
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Family Policy and the American Safety Net

Gain a larger perspective on a topic that you are already close to; the family



July 2012 | 408 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Family Policy and the American Safety Net shows how families adapt to economic and demographic change. Government programs provide a safety net against the new risks of modern life. Family policy includes any public program that helps families perform their four universal obligations of caregiving, income provision, shelter, and transmission of citizenship. In America, this means that child care, health care, Social Security, unemployment insurance, housing, the quality of neighborhood schools, and anti-discrimination and immigration measures are all key elements of a de facto family policy. Yet many students and citizens are unaware of the history and importance of these programs. This book argues that family policy is as important as economic and defense policy to the future of the nation, a message that is relevant to students in the social sciences, social policy, and social work as well as to the public at large.


 
Introduction
 
Chapter 1: The Emergence of Family Policy in America
 
Chapter 2: Defining the Family
 
Chapter 3: The Gender Factor
 
Chapter 4: The Re-Invention of Caregiving
 
Chapter 5: Family Income and Economic Security
 
Chapter 6: Housing, Neighborhoods, and Life Chances
 
Chapter 7: Family Heritage, Identity, and Citizenship
 
Chapter 8: Family, Government, and the Safety Net
Key features
Features and Benefits:
  • By providing a historical perspective the book encourages a historical understanding of changes in family life and social policy, allowing readers to better appreciate a sociological explanation of the need for a broader safety net.
  • A strong theoretical framework helps students understand the family as a social system and see how changes in the economy trigger internal changes in family structure and gender roles.
  • Use of Research Data, including a 650-item bibliography, provides students with current resources and websites that they can use for research papers on more specialized topics.
  • Useful tables at the end of each policy chapter list key pieces of legislation that authorize the major programs of the safety net.

Sample Materials & Chapters

toc

ch 1

ch 4


For instructors

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ISBN: 9781452289335

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ISBN: 9781412998949
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This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.