Working the ‘spaces’ between policy and practice: the contributions offered by resilience theory and action research

The policy‐practice dimension often presents challenges particularly in the policy arena of child well‐being. Policy designers identify risk factors and design programmes intended to develop protective factors in areas of need. The 2004 Australian Communities for Children (CfC) initiative aimed to improve the social, health and educational outcomes for young children living in socio‐economically disadvantaged localities. Its method was to engage local community members to contribute towards developing protective factors. Rather than considering this national–local arrangement, an unworkable alliance, we examine the performance of CfC through three examples and demonstrate how resilience theory and action research can assist this programme achieve its social inclusion aims and well‐being outcomes. We choose not to disregard policy programmes like CfC, rather we emphasize the possibilities offered when working these complex spaces involving multiple and inherent contradictions. The spaces that often exist between the policy and its implementation are rethought to allow a greater opportunity for the growth of innovation and change.     

Applying Social Psychology to International Social Issues

This article discusses six key issues that arise when social psychology applies its insights to international affairs. Three involve the applications themselves. Effective applications must connect with the macro level of analysis, attend to social problems long overlooked by the discipline, and operate consistently across cultures and societies. For this last point, two broad predictions—the universality and mediation hypotheses—are advanced that assert that the same social psychological processes can lead to diverse outcomes in different settings. The remaining issues involve the political context of applications made in the public arena. Such efforts must avoid victim blaming; be made available throughout the status hierarchy, not just to elites; and recognize that the public policy arena is scalding hot and controversial. Throughout the discussion, Kelman's remarkable applications to the search for peace in the Middle East illustrate the points. The article closes with remedial suggestions for the future.     

Aging and Elder Care in Japan: A Call for Empowerment-Oriented Community Development

This article provides a brief overview of the situation of the elderly and their caregivers in Japan, including demographic changes in Japan, development and changes in long-term care policy that have targeted the poorly integrated community care system, and other challenges that the elderly and family caregivers face. Policy direction designed to address these issues is increasingly targeting care by the community versus support care by society (which was initially the main strategy). The potential of empowerment-oriented community development intervention strategies to decrease the gap between available institutional and formal community-based services and the needs of the elderly and their families in their efforts to meet late life challenges is described. The need for an increased role of social workers in community development interventions is explored and strategies are suggested.     

Social work in South Africa at the dawn of the new millennium

The article examines recent developments in social policy and its implications for social work education and practice in South Africa. It traces the changes from the birth of democracy in South Africa to the dawn of the new millennium as these crucial years marked the beginning of a new era in South Africa's welfare history. It examines the challenges to social work and provides an example of the integrated, holistic developmental interventions, which are needed to combat social problems such as crime, AIDS and poverty. It ends with an examination of the implications of developmental welfare policy for social–work education as social workers are called to address mass poverty, unemployment and social deprivation through greater use of diverse social work methods, such as advocacy, community development, empowerment, consultation, networking, action research and policy analysis.     

“It's not all tied up with bureaucrats and funding”: Autonomous volunteer participation in the rural resettlement of refugees

This paper reports on a study that explored the experiences, perceptions and motivations of a new type of autonomous volunteer emerging in modern society, in particular, those working to assist in the rural resettlement of refugees in Australia. The volunteers filled a gap left by under resourced government and community services. In‐depth semi structured interviews revealed that their motivation was due in part, to the lack of bureaucratic' red tape'. Their drive to address social issues was based also in part on values to see social justice expressed in their community. Some challenges and tensions due to cultural differences were identified. Questions for community development and social capital are raised. Implications are raised for volunteer groups' and resettlement organisations' policy and practice to enhance the resettlement process for both the host community and those with a refugee background.     

Achievements,experiences and challenges: The 30-year development of social policy in China

ABSTRACT

This paper provides a brief summary of China’s social policy in the last three decades by dividing it into two significant stages. It analyses the different policy orientations and concrete measurements in the two stages. According to the author, the changes and development of China’s social policy in the last three decades were, to a large extent, responses to the economic transition and the current socio-economic conditions. In the first stage, China’s social policy had to keep a low social welfare level to support the labour-intensive and foreign-trade oriented economic model in the 1990s. In the second stage, it had turned more to solve serious social problems and responded to the new economic and social challenges. After the fast development of almost two decades, China’s social policy is still facing big challenges. Several important issues for further social policy development are discussed in this paper.     

昆明市空巢老人健康与照顾需求的评估

“空巢”是中国科技与社会发展、独生子女政策落实的必然。日益增长的“空巢老人”为国家福利、代际和谐和社区照顾带来了严峻挑战。本文从社会保障的视角,采用健康自测量表（SRHMS）,从生理、心理和社会健康的维度,对昆明市10所养老机构和18个社区的289位空巢老人和212名非空巢老人进行了比较分析,发现空巢老人社会健康与心理支持令人担忧。文章就构建“空巢老人”长期照顾网络作了讨论和建议。     

社区社会企业的责任承担及培育发展

改革开放以来,中国社会处于快速转型期,政府失灵、市场失灵及社区服务组织失灵的现象给社区建设带来了严峻的挑战。社区社会企业作为一种新型的社区服务组织,对这种挑战做出了积极的回应。本文介绍了社区社会企业的发展现状,分析了社区社会企业在推动社区居民就业、提高社区服务水平、承担社区环保中的责任,并提出社区社会企业的培育发展需要政府、社会企业家、志愿者、社会支持机构共同努力的对策建议。     

Social Enterprise – A New Phenomenon in the Field of Economic and Social Welfare?

Drawing upon insights from historical institutionalism, this article critically examines the origins of social enterprise and its emergence into the mainstream policy arena. It begins by relating the social enterprise idea to major non‐state/non‐private institutional traditions, including the European social economy, US non‐profits and the UK charitable sector, and places it within the specific field of economic and social welfare. In so doing, the article contests the idea that social enterprise is a new phenomenon in the social welfare field and proposes instead that the supposed ‘novelty’ of social enterprise as an organizational form and a subject of public policy lies primarily in the nature of the socio‐political and economic context of the 1980s–1990s, during which time it became ‘en vogue’. The process of institutionalization of social enterprise and its ascension into the mainstream policy arena is examined in more detail in the case of England during the time New Labour was in office and beyond, and lessons are drawn from this experience concerning both the role that social enterprise plays or is expected to play as a vehicle to address economic and social needs, and how this is intertwined with both a dominant neo‐liberal discourse, as well as alternative perspectives that emphasize more equalitarian and sustainable development paths. The article concludes with some reflections in relation to the apparent consensus that seems to exist around social enterprise as a legitimate subject of public policy and the resulting social enterprization of public services which is currently taking place in England.     

Meeting (or not) at the street level? A literature review on street‐level research in public management,social policy and social work

This literature review analyses the adoption and development of a street‐level perspective in public management, social policy and social work. The last years have seen a prominent revival of a perspective based on Michael Lipsky's street‐level bureaucracy approach in the debates conducted within all three disciplinary fields. Based on 71 key publications in public management, social policy and social work, the review analyses the adoption of the street‐level bureaucracy approach during the period 2005–2015, pointing out the main themes of the debate within, as well as overlaps and differences between, the three disciplines. The findings show the potential of better integrating the different perspectives and taking stock of the articulated debate. Lastly, the review discerns a common viewpoint for further street‐level research, emphasising its importance for the critical analysis and understanding of street‐level work as a vital dimension of responsive and accountable institutions and as a decisive moment to shape positive policy outcomes on the ground. Key Practitioner Message: ? The use of discretion by frontline practitioners and their role as policy actors on the ground has become an important focus of research; ? This literature review shows that the debate has gone far beyond discussing discretion as an all‐or‐nothing issue, pointing out both positive and negative aspects of discretion and developing comprehensive frameworks to explain the use of discretion at the street‐level; ? However, street‐level research has traditionally rather neglected the notion of professionalism. The social work literature brings in the perspective of professionalism; more research efforts are needed to better explore and explain how professionalism matters in relation to challenges and dilemmas of different policy and practice fields.     

空间结构类型与街邻关系:城市社区整合的空间视角

本文基于2014年中国劳动力动态调查数据,探讨社区内部空间结构差异对街邻关系的影响,构建了三类社区空间结构：社区社会空间结构、社区物理空间结构和社区生态空间结构。研究发现,社区社会空间指标中社区职业异质性水平越高,街邻关系越差;社区中本地人口比例越高,社区居民的平均社会组织活动参与率越高,街邻关系就越好;居民参与成为人口异质性负效应的补偿效应。社区物理空间指标中隔离性设施（如楼宇门禁）和社区生态空间指标中失调型生态环境污染均会降低街邻关系水平;绿地覆盖率越高,街邻关系就越好。因此,在社区整合重塑中,降低居住区环境污染程度,建设友好型的社区生态环境,积极鼓励和促进居民参加不同类型的社会组织活动,是提升居民街邻关系的重要手段。     

Electoral Support for Community Growth Management Policy*

Objectives. This study seeks to explain the variation in voter support for growth management policy. Interest group theory of local politics and property rights is used as a theoretical framework to explore how competing pro‐growth and anti‐growth interests influence the level of electoral support at the ballot box. Methods. Survey data collected from local planning officials in Massachusetts are analyzed using a two‐stage Heckman selection model. Results. The results indicate that development competition has a negative effect and controversy over development a positive effect on the probability of a community placing growth management policy on the local ballot. The analysis further indicates that environmental interests and suburban communities have a positive influence on the percentage of votes cast in favor of conservation‐oriented growth management policy. Neighborhood‐based interests, on the other hand, have a negative influence on voter support. Conclusions. The findings suggest that compared to the normal legislative process, ballot‐box voting allows anti‐growth and localized interests the opportunity to craft proposals and then mobilize support for policy changes.     

文化多元与民族敏感——西方民族社会工作中的东方思想

本文分析了全球化背景下社会工作回应文化多样性与民族敏感的发展历程,西方社会工作对东方宗教、精神性议题、信仰社区、社会结构、民族敏感性社会工作等议题的关注,以及在社会工作实务应用的得失。反观西方社会工作对文化多元性的回应,对中国社会工作本土化特别是多民族中进行社会工作实务有着重要的借鉴价值,多元一体的理念与社区为本的社会工作,应该成为社会工作本土化的重要取向。     

Social Policy in a Cold Climate: Health and Social Welfare in Russia

The Russian Federation faces multiple challenges for its health and welfare systems and for the development of social policy responses. This article provides a review of some of the key challenges for social policy in Russia and assesses the adequacy of the responses to date. The author surveys recent developments in health and social welfare and makes recommendations on priorities for Russia's policy‐makers and international funders. A range of public health challenges including drug and alcohol misuse, health in prisons and mental health is discussed; HIV/AIDS is singled out for particular attention. While Russia is increasingly attracting the attention of social scientists in the West, there is uncertainty about models and concepts suitable for the analysis of this complex society. Although empirical trends are largely discussed in this article, it is argued that theoretical development is required and some suggestions are made about concepts of the ‘middle range’ to assist in future analyses. Intermediate theories, such as those relating to the management of personal welfare, and development of resilience in a formerly collectivized context, are identified as having explanatory potential for this task.     

A Psychology of Immigration

The discipline of psychology has much to contribute to our understanding of immigrants and the process of immigration. A framework is proposed that lays out two complementary domains of psychological research, both rooted in contextual factors, and both leading to policy and program development. The first (acculturation) stems from research in anthropology and is now a central part of cross- cultural psychology; the second (intergroup relations) stems from sociology and is now a core feature of social psychology. Both domains are concerned with two fundamental issues that face immigrants and the society of settlement: maintenance of group characteristics and contact between groups. The intersection of these issues creates an intercultural space, within which members of both groups develop their cultural boundaries and social relationships. A case is made for the benefits of integration as a strategy for immigrants and for multiculturalism as a policy for the larger society. The articles in this issue are then discussed in relation to these conceptual frameworks and empirical findings.     

China's social assistance policy: experiences and future directions

The Minimum Living Standard Guarantee System (MLSGS) forms the core of China's current social assistance policy, and special assistance programmes are used to supplement this policy. This paper scrutinizes the evolution and achievements of the social assistance policy, and analyses the challenges and problems that the policy faces. In this paper, we argue that the international trend of social assistance reforms, institutional background changes and the problems of social assistance in China require a developmental model to guide the future development of the social assistance policy. Therefore, social assistance policy should not only fulfil the basic living requirements of the underprivileged and enable underprivileged people to share the outcomes of economic and social development, but also should enable the underprivileged to develop human capital and participate in the labour market. To move towards developmental social assistance, this article proposes several relevant policy suggestions.     

中等国家与全球多边治理

尽管中等国家的概念内涵存在争议,但是它们在国际社会中的地位、利益、共有观念和认同等使其成为塑造全球多边治理的重要力量。中等国家可根据不同情势,灵活选择个体主义、社会交往及制度主义方式中的一种或多种,旨在实现全球多边治理的系列目标和努力提升它们在国际舞台上的话语权和影响力。从现实层面来看,多边主义是中等国家在准确定位自身能力之后而形成的"利他"与"利己"彼此交错的优先选择,但这种选择面临着巨大的挑战。     

Rhetoric to action: a study of stakeholder perceptions of aging well in two local communities

This qualitative study of local perceptions of policy goals and action in relation to aging reports 31 stakeholder interviews within 2 Australian communities exploring (a) the meaning of aging well; and (b) preferred policy actions to achieve positive aging outcomes. Findings suggest that community perceptions of aging well are broadly consistent with the goals of national and international policy frameworks in focusing on 3 dimensions--health, social engagement, and security. Further, participants believe that achievement of positive aging outcomes requires a mix of self-help, community action, and government intervention--particularly government support and encouragement for aging well initiatives.     

Services for the Rural Elderly

This paper examines the interaction between social policy and community characteristics as they relate to the development of formal long-term care services for the rural elderly. A model for the conversion of policy opportunity into actual services for the rural elderly is presented. This model suggests that while social policy in rural areas is a constant, selected community level characteristics contribute to or impede service development.