Social policy and social work

In the short time between the publication of the first edition of this book and the present edition, there have been radical changes in the relationships between the public and private sectors, and within the public sector - among federal, state, and local governments. The first edition examined the perceived dichotomy between two major approaches to social welfare - the institutional and residual models - arguing that the former assumes a sense of community while the latter is concerned with the extension of rights to the individual. In expanding this argument Moroney and Krysik incorporate notions of citizenship, suggesting that elements of both approaches can be integrated in such a way that the modified framework attempts to deal with critics from both sides. Current data are presented in each of the original chapters, and two new chapters cover the areas of health and employment.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.