Bristol University Press

Structural racism has impacted the lives of African Americans in the United States since before the country’s founding. Although the country has made some progress towards a more equal society, political developments in the 21st century have shown that deep divides remain. The persistence of inequality is an indicator of the stubborn resilience of the institutions that maintain white supremacy.

To bridge our divides, renowned political scientist Terri Givens calls for ‘radical empathy’ - moving beyond an understanding of others’ lives and pain to understand the origins of our biases, including internalized oppression.

Deftly weaving together her own experiences with the political, she offers practical steps to call out racism and bring about radical social change.

Anti-racist movements have continued to grow worldwide after the death of George Floyd in 2020. Following the BLM protests, many promises were made to deal with the impact of structural discrimination. While this led to more talk than action, there has also been meaningful change, some of which has gone under the radar. The US media focused primarily on the backlash that resulted in book bans and laws against having DEI offices in universities.

In contrast, this book, a follow-up to Terri E. Givens’s bestselling book Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides, highlights the promises that were delivered. It focuses on hope and taking action and creating a positive environment including the use of the radical empathy approach to empower ongoing change.

EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

What does it mean to love a healthcare system?

It is often claimed that the UK population is unusually attached to its National Health Service, and the last decade has seen increasingly visible displays of gratitude and love. While social surveys of public attitudes measure how much Britain loves the NHS, this book mobilises new empirical research to ask how Britain loves its NHS.

The answer delves into a series of public practices – such as campaigning, donating and volunteering within NHS organisations – and investigates how attitudes to the NHS shape patient experience of healthcare. Stewart argues that these should be understood as practices of care for, and contestation about the future of, the healthcare system.

This book offers a timely critique of both the potential, and the dysfunctions, of Britain’s complex love affair with the NHS.

Renowned criminologist Mike Hough illuminates the principles and practices of good policing in this important analysis of the police service’s legitimacy and the factors, such as public trust, that drive it.

As concern grows at the growth in crimes of serious violence, he challenges conventional political and public thinking on crime and scrutinises strategies and tactics like deterrence and stop-and-search. Contrasting ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ approaches to policing and punishment, he offers a fresh perspective that stresses the importance of securing normative compliance.

For officers, students, policy makers and anyone who has an interest in the police force, this is a valuable roadmap for ethical policing.

With debate about police ethics intensifying, this stimulating book considers afresh the fundamental role of officers and their relations with society.

• It is a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to ethical policing, taking a moral philosophical perspective to the evidence base and literature on the subject.

• Leading contemporary thinker Dominic Wood tackles the ethical issues of policing as a matter of compliance and discipline and reviews them in the context of contemporary challenges in policing and the wider criminal justice framework.

• From the parameters of moral policing to the role of human rights and to embedding ethics within police operations, this is a thorough overview of the subject of police ethics and legitimacy, and a springboard for further research and analysis.

A timely contribution to discussions about the police and their legitimacy, this is essential reading for all those studying, teaching and leading the profession.

How have powerful Americans convinced their fellow citizens to support policies beneficial only to the wealthy? Why have so many given up on public education, safe food and safe streets, living wages – even on democracy itself?

Kill it to Save it lays bare the hypocrisy of US political discourse by documenting the story of capitalism’s triumph over democracy.

As the Progressive Left tries to understand how President Trump came to power, Corey Dolgon documents his historical, political and cultural road map. Dolgon argues that American citizens now accept policies that destroy the public sector and promote political stories that feel right “in the gut”, regardless of science or facts.

Covering the post-Vietnam era to present day, Dolgon dismantles US common sense cultural discourse and explains why the endless crisis in US policy will continue until American citizens recognize what has been lost, and in whose interest.

In this second edition of a bestselling book, the authors’ unique, holistic and radical perspective on participatory practice has been updated to reflect advances made in the past decade, the impact of neoliberalism and austerity, and the challenges of climate change and the pandemic.

Bridging the divide between community development ideas and practice, over half of this innovative book comprises new content with updated features including:

• reflective questions

• key points highlighted throughout each chapter

• a glossary of terms

The authors argue that transformative practice begins with everyday stories about people’s lives and that practical theory generated from these narratives is the best way to inform both policy and practice.

This long-awaited new edition will be of interest to academics and community-based practitioners working in a range of settings, including health and education.

Across the globe, patients are no longer passive recipients of care — they are active participants, decision-makers and collaborators.

This timely volume explores the evolving landscape of patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare, focusing on its intersection with the healthcare professions. Drawing on international perspectives, the book examines how patients and professionals navigate changing roles, peer support networks and complex healthcare systems. It considers the sociological and practical implications of patient-centric care and its impact on clinical outcomes and resources.

This book brings fresh insight to a fast-developing field.

An investigation into the policy choices that led to the UK housing crisis.

What is the true cost of Britain’s housing emergency?

This is the shocking story of Britain’s appalling housing crisis as it has never been told before – through the people stuck in its grip, living in barely believable and totally unliveable conditions, including children brought up in hostels, bedsits and even shipping containers.

Delving into the investigative work that began in a council tower block in Croydon and ended in the Houses of Parliament with changes to the law, Left to Rot exposes who is heard and who is ignored, where money is spent, where it is cut and what it tells us about Britain today.

This book exposes the long-term damage of short-term political thinking at the heart of British government, and lays bare the human cost of the catastrophic and ultimately counterproductive policy of rolling back the state in crucial areas of public life that matter most to people.

This timely and critical volume calls for a fundamental rethinking of how human trafficking is understood and addressed. Bringing together voices of survivors, activists, practitioners and researchers, this collection interrogates why countless interventions by governments, NGOs and international bodies continue to fail.

Merging lived experience with critical scholarship, it offers fresh perspectives on the deep-rooted structural issues that fuel human trafficking such as poverty, racism, patriarchy and neoliberalism. The collection poses transformative ideas to reshape global anti-trafficking responses toward real, lasting justice and change.

Almost a third of children in Britain today live in poverty. Levels of deprivation in the UK are now higher than at any point in recent history. But how did we get here – and what can be done to turn the tide?

In Impoverished, Joanna Mack traces the roots of Britain's poverty crisis to decades of political choices that have left millions unable to withstand the turmoil of the 2020s.Drawing on four decades of pioneering research, Mack offers a clear-eyed analysis of how Britain’s social contract has been undermined – and what it will take to rebuild it. She sets out bold, practical strategies to create a fairer society, alongside pro-poor policies to protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of climate change. Urgent, evidence-based and forward-looking, Impoverished is a blueprint for renewal.

Conventional research methods often marginalise the voices of those most affected by the issues being studied, limiting the potential for meaningful, transformative change. In education, health, social care, community development and many other fields, there is a growing need for research that is inclusive, accessible and responsive to real-world complexity.

This textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to co-operative inquiry: a participatory research methodology grounded in collaboration, reflection and shared knowledge creation. Acting as a how-to guide and companion text, it supports readers in designing and conducting ethical, practice-based research that draws on lived experience as much as professional expertise. The authors demonstrate how co-operative inquiry can integrate action research and mixed methods to produce both nuanced and authentic insights.

With guidance from leading experts and emerging voices in the field, this book is an essential resource for ethical researchers at every career stage. It equips readers with the confidence, tools and inspiration to generate impactful, equity-driven knowledge.

Conventional research methods often marginalise the voices of those most affected by the issues being studied, limiting the potential for meaningful, transformative change. In education, health, social care, community development and many other fields, there is a growing need for research that is inclusive, accessible and responsive to real-world complexity.

This textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to co-operative inquiry: a participatory research methodology grounded in collaboration, reflection and shared knowledge creation. Acting as a how-to guide and companion text, it supports readers in designing and conducting ethical, practice-based research that draws on lived experience as much as professional expertise. The authors demonstrate how co-operative inquiry can integrate action research and mixed methods to produce both nuanced and authentic insights.

With guidance from leading experts and emerging voices in the field, this book is an essential resource for ethical researchers at every career stage. It equips readers with the confidence, tools and inspiration to generate impactful, equity-driven knowledge.

What if we reimagined ageing, illness and disability not as barriers to sexuality—but as starting points for new forms of desire, intimacy and pleasure?

This groundbreaking book challenges the silence and stigma surrounding the sexuality of older, ill and disabled people. Drawing from sociology, health studies, cultural theory and lived experience, the authors explore diverse expressions of sexuality that defy long-established views.

From queer ageing to sex work and legal rights, this collection offers bold, inclusive perspectives and policy ideas that centre pleasure, agency and dignity. A vital resource for academics, practitioners and anyone invested in social inclusion and justice.

This accessible introduction to planning law covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in equal depth. Linking legal principles to real-world planning practice, it shows how planning law shapes our built environment.

Fully updated to reflect the latest legislative changes, this second edition explores key topics such as governance, environmental assessment and major infrastructure projects. It features:

- recommended reading lists;

- illustrative photographs;

- case study text boxes.

Designed for students of planning, law and property-related fields, this textbook provides the essential knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework you’ll need in practice. Whether you're studying planning law for the first time or looking for a concise reference, this is your go-to guide.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY 4.0

This book shares insights from the Healthy Ageing Challenge, bringing research, policy and practice together to create age-friendly homes, workplaces and communities.

Spanning co-design with older people, business collaboration and innovations in design, work, housing, culture and health, it explores the real-world impact of ageing research and the opportunities for business in developing an ageing market.

From age-friendly homes to climate-resilient communities, the book provides a rich evidence base for healthier, more connected lives.

This accessible introduction to planning law covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in equal depth. Linking legal principles to real-world planning practice, it shows how planning law shapes our built environment.

Fully updated to reflect the latest legislative changes, this second edition explores key topics such as governance, environmental assessment and major infrastructure projects. It features:

- recommended reading lists;

- illustrative photographs;

- case study text boxes.

Designed for students of planning, law and property-related fields, this textbook provides the essential knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework you’ll need in practice. Whether you're studying planning law for the first time or looking for a concise reference, this is your go-to guide.

Practitioners and managers in child protection often struggle to focus on the needs of children and families in the face of ever-expanding bureaucracy.

This book brings together authors from across Europe to explore the strategies and solutions that promote doing things right by those in need rather than to the letter of procedure. It argues that more flexible, community/relationship/partnership-based approaches are required to meet the needs of parents and children experiencing difficulties and risk of harm.

Essential reading for academics, practitioners, managers and policy makers in social work and child welfare, it contributes to the development of reflective thinking and spotlights the potential of co-production and co-creation.

Healthcare for transgender people is in crisis. Many of the problems stem from bureaucracies within the health system, limiting conceptualizations of sex and gender, and the requirement for a diagnosis of ‘gender dysphoria’.

This book presents a unique argument for full demedicalization of transness as a crucial step towards removing existing barriers to good healthcare. Resisting the current norm of separating sex and gender, it also argues for an understanding of them as necessarily interlinked and co-constructed.

By elevating trans voices and experiences, this book offers a new perspective on transness, medicalization and research methodologies to help trans people, practitioners and policy makers better understand the barriers faced by trans people when seeking healthcare.

Education is considered central to social mobility and, following a drive to raise learners’ aspirations, an ‘aspiration industry’ has emerged.

However, the desire to leave school early should not be regarded as evidence of students lacking ambition. This book traces the emergence of the aspiration industry and argues that to have ambitions that do not require qualifications is different, but not wrong.

Reviewing the performance of six schools in England, their Ofsted reports and responses, it evaluates underpinning assumptions of what makes an effective school. This book critically examines neo-liberal education policy developments, including the 1988 Education Reform Act, and the political discourse around changing explanations of education ‘failure’ with the rise in the marketisation of education.

How can we help children make a difference, allowing them to shape their communities, locally and globally? Drawing on a rich blend of academic research and case studies, Alison Body critically examines societal structures, including education, communities and cultural narratives, that shape children's understanding of active, philanthropic citizenship.

Children as Change-Makers calls for a reimagining of philanthropy as a form of participatory citizenship, advocating for a philanthropic ecosystem framed by justice, solidarity and collective action. It serves as a roadmap for all stakeholders – from individuals to institutions – to empower children as agents of positive social change, fostering a more just world for generations to come.

Creative research methods for data generation have expanded over recent decades and researchers are eager to take a creative approach to data analysis.

It is challenging to bring creativity into data analysis while retaining a systematic, rigorous, and ethical approach. Written by experts in the field, this handbook addresses these challenges. The chapters adapt analytical techniques in creative ways for novice and expert researchers. Existing and novel methods from analysis of quantitative data to embodied, performative, visual, written, arts-based, and collaborative analysis are featured with case examples that are transferable across disciplines.

This collection offers a definitive practical guide to creative data analysis.

Despite global advances in children’s rights, young people are routinely disregarded, overpowered and excluded. This persistent discrimination – known as adultism – permeates family life, education, urban design, legal systems and political discourse.

In this groundbreaking book, the authors provide a comprehensive introduction to adultism from an academic perspective while also emphasising its practical implications. Drawing on rich, real-world examples and research, they analyse it as a systemic form of discrimination, exploring how it evolved and is reproduced through language, institutions and everyday practices.

Timely, accessible and urgent, this book offers a vision for resistance and transformation, outlining how adultism can be challenged – by both adults and young people – to co-create a more equitable future.

Despite global advances in children’s rights, young people are routinely disregarded, overpowered and excluded. This persistent discrimination – known as adultism – permeates family life, education, urban design, legal systems and political discourse.

In this groundbreaking book, the authors provide a comprehensive introduction to adultism from an academic perspective while also emphasising its practical implications. Drawing on rich, real-world examples and research, they analyse it as a systemic form of discrimination, exploring how it evolved and is reproduced through language, institutions and everyday practices.

Timely, accessible and urgent, this book offers a vision for resistance and transformation, outlining how adultism can be challenged – by both adults and young people – to co-create a more equitable future.

Understanding Contemporary Childhood introduces students to the ways in which childhood is socially constructed by a range of social, cultural and political forces. Accessibly written and assuming no prior knowledge, it outlines key social theories to show how ideas and approaches are influenced by different ways of understanding children and society and how this creates childhoods which can differ markedly from previous generations.

With chapter guides, help with written assignments and suggestions for further reading, the book:

• Provides an accessible, yet critical account of established theories of childhood, such as the importance of attachment, emphasis on learning and the role of play;

• Explores crucial emerging issues, including transgender rights, the rise of misogyny, social media influences and the impact of the climate crisis; and

• Will equip students with practical study skills guidance to critically engage with ideas about how society shapes childhood today.

Whether new to the subject or deepening your critical perspective, this book equips readers with the tools to understand and interrogate the complex realities of childhood in the 21st century.

Understanding Contemporary Childhood introduces students to the ways in which childhood is socially constructed by a range of social, cultural and political forces. Accessibly written and assuming no prior knowledge, it outlines key social theories to show how ideas and approaches are influenced by different ways of understanding children and society and how this creates childhoods which can differ markedly from previous generations.

With chapter guides, help with written assignments and suggestions for further reading, the book:

• Provides an accessible, yet critical account of established theories of childhood, such as the importance of attachment, emphasis on learning and the role of play;

• Explores crucial emerging issues, including transgender rights, the rise of misogyny, social media influences and the impact of the climate crisis; and

• Will equip students with practical study skills guidance to critically engage with ideas about how society shapes childhood today.

Whether new to the subject or deepening your critical perspective, this book equips readers with the tools to understand and interrogate the complex realities of childhood in the 21st century.

Globally, social workers are committed to human rights and challenging unjust social structures. However, their close ties to the state often reinforce such systems of oppression.

The first to apply abolitionist theory from international perspectives to social work, this book examines this contradiction, exploring whether social work can embrace radical change while operating within state structures. Bringing together scholars from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, it explores alternatives for addressing issues such as child protection, mental health, violence against women, drug use, violent extremism, homelessness and Indigenous sovereignty.

Essential reading for academics, researchers, students, human service practitioners and social activists, this book interrogates the implications of social work’s complicity with systems that perpetuate oppression and social injustice.

From the US to Europe and beyond, diversity and inclusion efforts are increasingly being caught in the crossfire of a culture war. As the backlash against ‘DEI’ grows, fairness and dignity are being reframed as divisive – rather than just smart business. So how did we get here, and what can we do about it?

Very few of us are skilled in inclusion, hoping it will be enough to be ‘nice’. However, this optimistic attitude can turn would-be allies into passive bystanders. This book is for anyone who wants to support equality: inside are tools and practical guidance to help navigate complexity, challenge complacency and take meaningful action.

Despite growing recognition of fathers’ involvement in family life, dominant narratives still marginalise men’s caring roles. Caring Fathers in the Global Context addresses a pressing gap in our shared understanding: how care is practised and experienced by men across diverse cultural, social and policy settings.

Drawing on wide-ranging, international research, this timely edited collection offers a rich, comparative exploration of how men become ‘caring fathers’ and the pathways leading to this. It connects fatherhood studies with care scholarship to provide new theoretical and empirical insights into how care is shared, negotiated and made meaningful in everyday life.

A vital and interdisciplinary resource for anyone studying families and social change, this book invites readers to rethink care, masculinity and intergenerational relationships in a rapidly changing world.

Leading international experts review recent social policy developments in this latest edition of the longstanding Social Policy Review series.

Available Open Access and published in association with the Social Policy Association, this edited book provides a comprehensive review of the past year’s key policy trends and most significant scholarship. Featuring expert contributions around elections, parties and comparative perspectives, it critically examines emerging issues, policy responses and theoretical advancements in the field.

Essential reading for academics, researchers and students in social policy, social welfare and related disciplines, this book is an invaluable resource for those seeking to engage with contemporary social policy debates.

A truly welcoming and inclusive city is not just an aspiration—it is essential to the future of our increasingly diverse urban societies.

Yet too often, policy and practice lack the theoretical and research foundations needed for meaningful and effective implementation.

This book bridges this gap, offering an interdisciplinary framework grounded in empirical research and case studies from 12 UK cities and international partners. Engaging with key governance challenges, it explores how cities define and implement welcoming policies across multiple sectors.

Moving beyond critique, this book provides a constructive, action-oriented approach to integration and social cohesion. It will be essential reading for UK policy makers, regional leaders and scholars from sociology and political science to migration studies and urban governance.

A century after the state's foundation, Ireland faces an acute homelessness crisis with families and children increasingly affected. This book uncovers how decades of housing policy, financial decisions and social factors have shaped today’s housing insecurity. It is the first to take a historical approach, tracing the roots of homelessness back to key policy decisions taken over the past century.

By understanding how we got here, it offers crucial insights into breaking the cycle. Essential reading for policy makers, scholars and anyone concerned about Ireland’s housing future, with lessons for other jurisdictions, this book reveals why solving homelessness requires rethinking how we build and fund housing.

Britain’s national identity continues to be shaped by its imperial past and its journey towards accepting a truly multiracial, multicultural and multifaith future. In the wake of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and intense political and cultural upheaval, questions of race, education and belonging persist in their urgency.

This new edition of the seminal text explores Britain’s shifting identity from empire to a modern nation. It examines race, politics, education and national identity in a time of turbulent change. With fresh insights on the pandemic, leadership crises and culture wars, it critically assesses Britain’s evolving place in the world.

Including developments from 2019 onwards, this updated edition offers vital new chapters on the era from Johnson to Starmer, Black Lives Matter, the Sewell Report and the changing face of educational policy under successive ministers. It provides a sharp, comprehensive and timely analysis of how race and education intersect with Britain's ongoing search for identity.

A century after the state's foundation, Ireland faces an acute homelessness crisis with families and children increasingly affected. This book uncovers how decades of housing policy, financial decisions and social factors have shaped today’s housing insecurity. It is the first to take a historical approach, tracing the roots of homelessness back to key policy decisions taken over the past century.

By understanding how we got here, it offers crucial insights into breaking the cycle. Essential reading for policy makers, scholars and anyone concerned about Ireland’s housing future, with lessons for other jurisdictions, this book reveals why solving homelessness requires rethinking how we build and fund housing.

Britain’s national identity continues to be shaped by its imperial past and its journey towards accepting a truly multiracial, multicultural and multifaith future. In the wake of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and intense political and cultural upheaval, questions of race, education and belonging persist in their urgency.

This new edition of the seminal text explores Britain’s shifting identity from empire to a modern nation. It examines race, politics, education and national identity in a time of turbulent change. With fresh insights on the pandemic, leadership crises and culture wars, it critically assesses Britain’s evolving place in the world.

Including developments from 2019 onwards, this updated edition offers vital new chapters on the era from Johnson to Starmer, Black Lives Matter, the Sewell Report and the changing face of educational policy under successive ministers. It provides a sharp, comprehensive and timely analysis of how race and education intersect with Britain's ongoing search for identity.

A truly welcoming and inclusive city is not just an aspiration—it is essential to the future of our increasingly diverse urban societies.

Yet too often, policy and practice lack the theoretical and research foundations needed for meaningful and effective implementation.

This book bridges this gap, offering an interdisciplinary framework grounded in empirical research and case studies from 12 UK cities and international partners. Engaging with key governance challenges, it explores how cities define and implement welcoming policies across multiple sectors.

Moving beyond critique, this book provides a constructive, action-oriented approach to integration and social cohesion. It will be essential reading for UK policy makers, regional leaders and scholars from sociology and political science to migration studies and urban governance.

Despite its huge public profile, surprisingly little is known about child protection work. Discussion focuses on failures that result in children dying, or on what social workers cannot do, due to bureaucratic pressures and limited time. This book examines in detail how social workers can use the time they do have to relate to children and families, make child protection work and create meaningful change.

Featuring:

• Detailed examination of real-world child protection work and family experiences based on original research;

• A new vocabulary for understanding and improving social work and relationship-based practice;

• New insights into how to provide effective staff support and supervision;

• Original integration of psychoanalytic and sociological perspectives; and

• Practical tools for navigating challenges such as working with infants and managing hostile relationships.

Sure to become a classic social work text, this book explores how helpful relationships are made and sustained, and how they can be made better. It provides a new ‘forward-facing’ approach, with practical and theoretical insights into how, and under what organisational conditions, relationship-based practice and child protection can be made to work.

Traditional governance in education often struggles to accommodate the dynamic and evolving interactions between cognitive, emotional and socio-cultural factors that shape learning.

This book introduces Pragmatic Adaptive Leadership, a systems-based approach that equips leaders and researchers with the tools to develop adaptive models of educational change. Drawing on social theory and complexity science, the authors provide practical frameworks for shaping future-orientated decision-making and policy development that meets learners where they are.

Essential reading for school leaders, policy makers, educators and researchers of learning sciences, this book offers vital tools for complexity-informed leadership.

The challenge of standardising social work education remains a much-discussed but under-documented issue, particularly in developing and less-developed countries. Existing literature often emphasises the need for student-centred learning but lacks a comprehensive examination of how students can shape curricula, lesson plans and teaching methods in cooperation with educators.

This edited volume brings together leading scholars from across the Global North and South to explore the co-creation of social work curricula. Through case studies from New Zealand, Italy, Slovenia, Rwanda, Georgia, Spain, India, Portugal, Indonesia, Nepal and China, it highlights the roles of students, international collaboration and academic partnerships in producing responsive and effective social work education.

With invaluable practical insights, this book provides core guidance for developing a curriculum that equips future social workers with the skills to meet global challenges in an evolving professional landscape.

This book offers a practical guide for those transitioning from research to systematic evaluation.

With growing demand for reliable evaluation across government, charities and other institutions, many new evaluators lack necessary knowledge and skills. This book addresses those gaps, offering step-by-step guidance on designing and delivering fit-for-purpose evaluations to maximise their use and utility. Taking a holistic approach to the evaluation journey, it covers key challenges such as engaging stakeholders, managing expectations and handling resource pressures.

With real-world case studies and practical tools, this is an essential resource for practitioners across public, academic and voluntary sectors.

Despite its huge public profile, surprisingly little is known about child protection work. Discussion focuses on failures that result in children dying, or on what social workers cannot do, due to bureaucratic pressures and limited time. This book examines in detail how social workers can use the time they do have to relate to children and families, make child protection work and create meaningful change.

Featuring:

• Detailed examination of real-world child protection work and family experiences based on original research;

• A new vocabulary for understanding and improving social work and relationship-based practice;

• New insights into how to provide effective staff support and supervision;

• Original integration of psychoanalytic and sociological perspectives; and

• Practical tools for navigating challenges such as working with infants and managing hostile relationships.

Sure to become a classic social work text, this book explores how helpful relationships are made and sustained, and how they can be made better. It provides a new ‘forward-facing’ approach, with practical and theoretical insights into how, and under what organisational conditions, relationship-based practice and child protection can be made to work.

Why are liberation and independence movements often betrayed when their leaders get into government? This question has haunted Peter Hain for decades.

A lifelong activist and politician, Hain has over 50 years’ experience of battling corruption, from his early days as a freedom fighter against apartheid to his time as a UK Labour MP, cabinet minister, and sitting member of the House of Lords. He offers a gripping exploration of why movements born from the ideals of justice and freedom often succumb to bad governance and corruption once in power. Combining rigorous analysis with well-sourced evidence, this book examines global examples ranging from Africa to Latin America, Russia, the Caribbean, China and India.

With the unique perspective of having navigated both the streets of protest and the corridors of power, Hain reflects on the challenges of staying true to the values of liberation struggles while confronting their disappointing outcomes. Thought-provoking and accessible, this book is an essential read for anyone engaged in the fight for a better world.

Available open access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economies and upended lives – but did it also open the door to more inclusive policies?

Focusing on both attitudinal and institutional repercussions of the pandemic, and transcending Western-centric narratives and case studies, this book asks the question: has the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated the adoption of more generous and inclusive social policies in Southeast Asia?

Combining original survey data with qualitative policy analysis in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, this concise yet rigorous volume challenges long-held beliefs and provides a comparative framework for understanding welfare change in politically and economically varied contexts. Valuable reading for anyone seeking to understand how crises can reshape public expectations and state responses.

The social and environmental challenges we face today are complex and interdependent. Leaders and experts worldwide acknowledge that we cannot address them in isolation and that to keep doing so is to intensify the problem.

This book connects the dots between a group of diverse, but overlapping, professional domains: design, mission-oriented innovation, foresight and futures design, system innovation and leadership. The authors mix methodology and theory with real-life case studies and compelling visual models to aid readers in navigating a new story, balancing tensions in time scale and mindset, learning through experiments and working collaboratively.

Aimed at policy makers, practitioners and educators, this book encourages a new and heightened awareness of systemic change that can lead to societal transformation in support of a sustainable future.

When people are forced to flee their homes – due to armed conflict, persecution or human rights violations – continuity of care for those living with chronic illnesses becomes a critical concern. Yet, across the full migratory journey – from displacement and transit, through resettlement, and into possible onward movement such as return or circular migration – access to consistent, appropriate healthcare is often disrupted or fragmented.

Responding to the WHO’s global research agenda on health, migration and displacement, this edited volume brings together international research spanning diverse geographical settings, chronic conditions, population groups and methodological approaches. It offers evidence and insights from across the entire continuum of mobility, identifying different types of work or strategies that are central to the evolving needs of forcibly displaced people living with chronic diseases.

Sustainable development and ecosocial work have become one of the most dynamic global debates of the social work profession. How can social work contribute to the sustainability transitions of European societies?

Bringing together a diverse group of researchers from around the world, this book offers an analysis of the main theoretical insights on ecosocial work, the contribution of social work research to transdisciplinary research on sustainability and how social workers can already bring the ecological dimension into their daily practice.

Incorporating new research evidence from the ASTRA project, the wide range of contributors dive deep into the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of ecosocial work, providing valuable insights for researchers, students, activists and practitioners.

Universities have challenging times ahead: the demands of a global student, new technology, employers wanting work-ready graduates and shifting ideologies that influence who hold and create knowledge. The role of a university as a civic institution becomes increasingly contested. How can and should universities engage with communities to create lasting social impact?

This collection offers global perspectives on community–university engagement, highlighting innovative approaches to co-production, participatory research and collaboration with stakeholders beyond academia. The book explores the challenges and successes of partnership working, demystifying the university’s role beyond teaching, positioning it as an anchor institution that can drive social change.

As ageing populations continue to grow worldwide, the increased need for adequate housing and social care comes into stark focus. This multi-disciplinary book explores how emerging citizen-led innovations in Collaborative Housing and care are challenging mainstream ways of living and ageing.

Combining academic theory with practice, the book demonstrates the far-reaching impacts Collaborative Housing with care can have on independence, agency and wellbeing in later life. With contributions from France, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, it offers insights into the key challenges and opportunities associated with developing and sustaining models of Collaborative Housing with diverse forms of care and support over the life-course.

Essential reading for academics, practitioners and policy makers in housing, planning, social care, design and social gerontology, this book proposes a renewed focus on non-paternalistic forms of social and housing care that speak directly to older people’s needs, and that work against the marketisation of care and towards a community-led and co-managed approach in later life housing for all.

How does philanthropy function and gain legitimacy within an authoritarian system – and what does this mean for the global philanthropic landscape? Drawing on rich empirical data and a mixed-methods approach, this book reveals how transnational dynamics have shaped the rise of Chinese philanthropy in an authoritarian context – and how, in turn, it is increasingly influencing the future of global philanthropy.

Combining insights from fieldwork in China and text mining of philanthropy-related news reports and online fundraising data, the book provides a fresh picture of China’s dynamic philanthropy landscape. It ranges from the Tencent Foundation’s promotion of an ebullient internet philanthropy and the strategic ‘charitisation’ of grassroots NGOs to traditional party-state foundations working to professionalise their operations in an increasingly competitive fight for resources. It crucially links these organisation-level strategies to broader political developments in the context of China’s evolving Belt and Road initiative and its engagement with developing countries as well as the UN system.

This timely and original contribution is vital reading for scholars interested in the political dimensions of global civil society and China's expanding role in shaping it.

How do we better involve young children in the decision-making of their own social care? This book, developed from the Erasmus+ funded PANDA project, explores the development of knowledge and resources to educate and support social workers in their collaboration with children aged 12 and under.

Featuring real-life practice vignettes, reflective questions and evidence-informed implications for practice – plus free additional resources on the PANDA project website – the book provides valuable insights that combine the work of academic and professional practice from a European perspective.

With contributions from authors in Belgium, Northern Ireland, Norway and Spain, this essential resource empowers practitioners and policy makers to promote the participation rights of young children in decision-making processes and to help children find their voice in challenging times.

This book offers a practical guide for those transitioning from research to systematic evaluation.

With growing demand for reliable evaluation across government, charities and other institutions, many new evaluators lack necessary knowledge and skills. This book addresses those gaps, offering step-by-step guidance on designing and delivering fit-for-purpose evaluations to maximise their use and utility. Taking a holistic approach to the evaluation journey, it covers key challenges such as engaging stakeholders, managing expectations and handling resource pressures.

With real-world case studies and practical tools, this is an essential resource for practitioners across public, academic and voluntary sectors.

Documents are a rich yet often overlooked source of research data, offering unique insights across disciplines. This book provides a clear and practical guide to working with a wide variety of documents — including historical and contemporary, hard copy and digital – alone and in teams. Featuring contributions from leading international scholars, it unpacks the decisions researchers make when finding, selecting and analysing documents.

Organised into four sections, the book examines how researchers engage with seemingly mundane materials, explore documents in popular culture, apply multi-modal research techniques, and develop innovative approaches to dissemination. Each chapter offers real-world case studies, illustrating diverse research questions, theoretical perspectives and analytical methods.

Key features include:

- Step-by-step guidance on applying document analysis methods in research;

- Diverse case studies showcasing practical applications across fields;

- Engaging and accessible explanations that clarify complex approaches.

Filling a crucial gap in the methods literature, this essential text equips students and researchers with the tools to harness the full potential of documents in research.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

What are the consequences of growing old and needing care in a world shaped by inequality? Who provides the care? What are the challenges?

This groundbreaking book delves into conditions for ageing and caring, asking how they could be improved for different communities living in high-income welfare states.

Emphasising that equitable ageing depends on equitable care conditions, the contributors draw on extensive empirical research.

Packed with actionable policy and practice insights, this compelling volume charts a path toward a more just and inclusive future for ageing populations alongside all those providing care, whether as family members, friends or as paid workers.

Documents are a rich yet often overlooked source of research data, offering unique insights across disciplines. This book provides a clear and practical guide to working with a wide variety of documents — including historical and contemporary, hard copy and digital – alone and in teams. Featuring contributions from leading international scholars, it unpacks the decisions researchers make when finding, selecting and analysing documents.

Organised into four sections, the book examines how researchers engage with seemingly mundane materials, explore documents in popular culture, apply multi-modal research techniques, and develop innovative approaches to dissemination. Each chapter offers real-world case studies, illustrating diverse research questions, theoretical perspectives and analytical methods.

Key features include:

- Step-by-step guidance on applying document analysis methods in research;

- Diverse case studies showcasing practical applications across fields;

- Engaging and accessible explanations that clarify complex approaches.

Filling a crucial gap in the methods literature, this essential text equips students and researchers with the tools to harness the full potential of documents in research.

Globally, social workers are committed to human rights and challenging unjust social structures. However, their close ties to the state often reinforce such systems of oppression.

The first to apply abolitionist theory from international perspectives to social work, this book examines this contradiction, exploring whether social work can embrace radical change while operating within state structures. Bringing together scholars from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, it explores alternatives for addressing issues such as child protection, mental health, violence against women, drug use, violent extremism, homelessness and Indigenous sovereignty.

Essential reading for academics, researchers, students, human service practitioners and social activists, this book interrogates the implications of social work’s complicity with systems that perpetuate oppression and social injustice.

For too long, kinship and other forms of childhood care have been determined without a clear focus on children’s views.

This book unveils unique research on the transformative power of listening to children, exploring how they navigate family life and relationships. It offers fresh insights for theories, policies and practices in support of children’s welfare.

Essential reading for academics, researchers, practitioners and families, this book champions a new critical realist "what matters" approach, reinvigorating kinship care and child permanence debates.

Discussions on children who have experienced domestic abuse often focuses on trauma and risks, and little is known about their lives beyond abuse. This risks pathologising children and reinforcing colonial and patriarchal social norms.

This groundbreaking book challenges dominant narratives by drawing on an 18-month multimodal ethnography with children in an inner London borough.

Offering a radical and holistic perspective on children’s personhood, this book situates their everyday lives within broader global debates on childhood, decolonisation and social justice. It engages with the works of Black feminist, decolonial and Indigenous scholars, calling for a fundamental rethinking of how we support and understand children who have experienced domestic abuse.

Discussions on children who have experienced domestic abuse often focuses on trauma and risks, and little is known about their lives beyond abuse. This risks pathologising children and reinforcing colonial and patriarchal social norms.

This groundbreaking book challenges dominant narratives by drawing on an 18-month multimodal ethnography with children in an inner London borough.

Offering a radical and holistic perspective on children’s personhood, this book situates their everyday lives within broader global debates on childhood, decolonisation and social justice. It engages with the works of Black feminist, decolonial and Indigenous scholars, calling for a fundamental rethinking of how we support and understand children who have experienced domestic abuse.

Available open access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

One of the most significant ways that social workers can engage with policy is by holding elected office. How and why do social workers transition into political roles? And what impact do they have on policy making once they get there?

This book is the first systematic, comparative study of social workers in electoral politics across liberal democracies. Drawing on a common conceptual framework, leading scholars analyse the recruitment, career trajectories and advocacy roles of social workers in Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The book highlights key similarities, differences and underlying factors that shape social workers’ political engagement.

This is a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, policy makers and students in social work, social policy and political science, offering fresh insights into the intersection of professional practice and political leadership.

Public policy is often framed as a response to social problems rather than the cause of them. Carol Bacchi’s influential ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ (WPR) approach – first published in her 2009 book, Analysing Policy – addresses this contrast and has become an essential methodology for post-structural analysis of public policy.

This edited volume brings together leading international scholars to rethink, extend and reflect on the WPR approach in novel ways, demonstrating its applicability beyond policy documents and across diverse social science disciplines. It presents innovative perspectives on a radical methodology, making it a must-read for research methods scholars and critical policy analysts.

Engaging with multiple theories, concepts and purposes, this book provides cutting-edge insights and real-world applications that make it an essential tool for interrogating policy and power in practice.

Emotions are central to our humanity and yet, when it comes to social work, ‘difficult’ emotions like shame, anger, disgust, fear and sadness are often dismissed as unprofessional.

This groundbreaking book challenges the taboo around emotion in social work. The first of its kind, it uses international research and hundreds of practitioner interviews to explore emotions in social work, and to demonstrate how embracing all emotions can enhance practice, prevent emotional burnout and strengthen motivation.

Accessibly written and with a strong practical element, this book is an invaluable tool for turning complex and emotionally charged situations into rich opportunities for learning, enhancing resilience and developing personal and professional growth.

Child and family social work faces pressing challenges, from high care rates – particularly among marginalised communities – to limited family involvement in decision-making. How can social work evolve to better empower children and families?

Rooted in original empirical research, this edited volume argues for collaborative, relationship-based practice. It explores participatory approaches to working with both children and parents/caregivers, innovative advocacy strategies and emerging trends, including increasing use of digital platforms.

Essential reading for academics, policy makers and practitioners working in child welfare and social work, it provides evidence-based guidance for fostering inclusive, family-centred social care. Using interviews and observations, it amplifies the voices of those directly involved in the social care system while offering practical tools for creating more responsive, effective and ethical social work practices.

Despite their long history and growing influence, social work professional organisations (SWPOs) remain underexplored in social work research. Created and fully or partly governed by professionals for professionals, SWPOs comprise millions of practitioners worldwide – some groups having existed for around 100 years – to develop activities that are increasingly relevant for practitioners, users, schools of social work and policy makers.

This edited volume provides the first comprehensive, comparative analysis of SWPOs in 15 countries, bridging Global North and South perspectives. Using an interdisciplinary framework, it offers an evidence-based typology of SWPOs, illustrating their evolving role as collective actors in social work.

Essential reading for educators, researchers and students in social work, this book speaks directly to the global community of SWPOs.

Child and family social work faces pressing challenges, from high care rates – particularly among marginalised communities – to limited family involvement in decision-making. How can social work evolve to better empower children and families?

Rooted in original empirical research, this edited volume argues for collaborative, relationship-based practice. It explores participatory approaches to working with both children and parents/caregivers, innovative advocacy strategies and emerging trends, including increasing use of digital platforms.

Essential reading for academics, policy makers and practitioners working in child welfare and social work, it provides evidence-based guidance for fostering inclusive, family-centred social care. Using interviews and observations, it amplifies the voices of those directly involved in the social care system while offering practical tools for creating more responsive, effective and ethical social work practices.

What role did Winston Churchill play in excluding comprehensive schooling from the 1944 Education Act? What was the failed promise of technical education in the post-war period? Why did Margaret Thatcher manipulate government training programmes before the 1987 General Election? And what was the fallout of Tony Blair’s government over lifelong learning?

In this book, Tom Bewick examines the evolution of UK skills policy from the 1881 Royal Commission on Technical Instruction to the present day, revealing how shifting political ideologies have shaped workforce development. He applies a chronological, historical-political policy analysis framework to explain the ‘four training states’ of skills policy and workforce development between the 1940s and the 2020s:

• The interventionist state (1939–1979)

• The laissez-faire state (1980–1988)

• Localism and the devolved states (1989–2010)

• The technocratic state (2010–present)

Traversing time periods to uncover political and economic driving forces, this book challenges conventional thinking and offers insights into how future skills policies can be more effective.

Reflective practice is at the heart of probation training and the continuing professional development of practitioners. This edited collection provides practitioners with an opportunity to explore and develop their own reflective practice, considering diversity and organisational challenges, with real-world examples of reflection in the probation context.

In addition to probation specialists, its contributors include those from prison, third-sector organisations and mental health perspectives, to consider probation practice in different settings. Each chapter provides prompts for reflective development, so its ideas can be immediately applied in practice. It will equip the reader to develop their reflective practice skills, regardless of their level of experience.

The permanent removal of children from their families of origin to place with another family for adoption is coming under greater critical scrutiny across the world. Policy debates and media discourse focus on the benefits of providing children with stable homes but can obscure the emotional complexities and lived realities of adoption for all those involved.

In Troubling Adoption, Cath Lambert challenges readers to engage with alternative narratives, shifting away from dominant portrayals of adoption as an overwhelmingly positive experience to consider the complexities, contradictions and profound griefs that are often involved. Drawing on original collaborative research with creative and social work professionals, as well as parents whose children have been taken from them for adoption, Lambert reveals how trauma-informed and creative approaches can articulate emotional and embodied knowledges that are often left unspoken or unheard.

Blending critique with fresh empirical insight, the book makes a powerful case for change in adoption policy and practice, offering ways forward for more compassionate, inclusive and reflective child welfare practices.

Since publication of the first edition, awareness of, and interest in, adolescent-to-parent abuse has risen considerably. Thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate the latest research and developments in policy and practice, this second edition provides a comprehensive overview of the key issues and current responses to the challenges in dealing with this unique form of family abuse.

Exploring the experiences and impact of adolescent-to-parent abuse on individuals, families and communities, this book extends the field to include issues relating to neurodiversity, kinship care, trauma, adult-aged perpetration and fatal violence. Throughout the book, leading expert Amanda Holt challenges existing policy frameworks while offering practical insights for work with families, parents/carers and young people who are experiencing this problem.

A key text for academics, researchers, students and practitioners in psychology, sociology, criminology, social work and social policy, this book provides essential guidance for understanding and addressing this complex and pressing issue.

Since publication of the first edition, awareness of, and interest in, adolescent-to-parent abuse has risen considerably. Thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate the latest research and developments in policy and practice, this second edition provides a comprehensive overview of the key issues and current responses to the challenges in dealing with this unique form of family abuse.

Exploring the experiences and impact of adolescent-to-parent abuse on individuals, families and communities, this book extends the field to include issues relating to neurodiversity, kinship care, trauma, adult-aged perpetration and fatal violence. Throughout the book, leading expert Amanda Holt challenges existing policy frameworks while offering practical insights for work with families, parents/carers and young people who are experiencing this problem.

A key text for academics, researchers, students and practitioners in psychology, sociology, criminology, social work and social policy, this book provides essential guidance for understanding and addressing this complex and pressing issue.

The voluntary sector plays a crucial role in shaping place, and is in turn shaped by that context, yet this ‘place leadership’ role has been underexplored in research. This interdisciplinary book brings together leading scholars and practitioners to examine this intriguing phenomenon in different political and cultural contexts.

Using case studies from the UK, the US, China and Europe, the book provides fresh insights into the dynamic relationship between place, leadership and voluntary action. Written in an accessible, jargon-free style, it sets state-of-the-art agendas for understanding and strengthening the voluntary sector’s influence in place leadership.

What role did Winston Churchill play in excluding comprehensive schooling from the 1944 Education Act? What was the failed promise of technical education in the post-war period? Why did Margaret Thatcher manipulate government training programmes before the 1987 General Election? And what was the fallout of Tony Blair’s government over lifelong learning?

In this book, Tom Bewick examines the evolution of UK skills policy from the 1881 Royal Commission on Technical Instruction to the present day, revealing how shifting political ideologies have shaped workforce development. He applies a chronological, historical-political policy analysis framework to explain the ‘four training states’ of skills policy and workforce development between the 1940s and the 2020s:

• The interventionist state (1939–1979)

• The laissez-faire state (1980–1988)

• Localism and the devolved states (1989–2010)

• The technocratic state (2010–present)

Traversing time periods to uncover political and economic driving forces, this book challenges conventional thinking and offers insights into how future skills policies can be more effective.

The permanent removal of children from their families of origin to place with another family for adoption is coming under greater critical scrutiny across the world. Policy debates and media discourse focus on the benefits of providing children with stable homes but can obscure the emotional complexities and lived realities of adoption for all those involved.

In Troubling Adoption, Cath Lambert challenges readers to engage with alternative narratives, shifting away from dominant portrayals of adoption as an overwhelmingly positive experience to consider the complexities, contradictions and profound griefs that are often involved. Drawing on original collaborative research with creative and social work professionals, as well as parents whose children have been taken from them for adoption, Lambert reveals how trauma-informed and creative approaches can articulate emotional and embodied knowledges that are often left unspoken or unheard.

Blending critique with fresh empirical insight, the book makes a powerful case for change in adoption policy and practice, offering ways forward for more compassionate, inclusive and reflective child welfare practices.

Article 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights gives children the same protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms as adults. However, there is a notable absence of specific provisions for their rights. What does this imply in practice?

This interdisciplinary volume brings together leading scholars in political science, law, social work and more to examine how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) shapes – and is shaped by – child protection litigation and mobilisation.

Norway has had more child protection cases decided by the ECtHR than any other country, and so this book, a first of its kind, uses Norway as a specific focus and explores the evolving role of the Court in balancing parental rights, state authority and children’s best interests, offering a fresh perspective on the intersection of international human rights law, children’s rights and child protection policy.

Why do racial inequalities persist, and in some cases deepen, in an era that claims to be ‘post-racial’?

Despite popular narratives of progress, Black and minority ethnic communities continue to face systemic disadvantage. In this fully revised and updated edition, Kalwant Bhopal uncovers how shifting social, political and economic landscapes in both the UK and US have not only failed to reduce racial discrimination but instead have intensified it.

From the backlash against #BlackLivesMatter to the rise of far-right governments denying the relevance of race altogether, this book dismantles the illusion of racial progress. Drawing on timely debates and grounded in empirical evidence, Bhopal reveals how race continues to shape access to power, opportunity and justice.

Urgent and unflinching, this is essential reading for anyone interested in exposing the myth of a post-racial society.

Despite increasing legal recognition of animal rights, policy making remains inconsistent, and civil society’s role in shaping governance is underexplored. Civil Society Activism and Animal Welfare Rights offers new empirical and theoretical insights into how advocacy groups influence animal welfare policy in the UK and India.

Applying extensive research and interviews with key animal welfare organisations, this book examines the challenges, progress and future prospects of civil society activism. It shows how animal rights and welfare have risen up the political agenda as parties have adapted to increasing public support.

This is a timely and in-depth analysis of the evolving landscape of animal rights and governance.

How can research be more ethical, inclusive and community-driven? Participatory Appraisal Research (PAR) is a powerful approach to community-led research, widely used in the UK for over 25 years. Rooted in action research, PAR empowers communities to take control of research processes—from design to analysis—ensuring that those most affected by social issues shape the solutions. Through interactive visual tools, PAR overcomes barriers such as literacy and numeracy, fostering inclusive engagement.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to PAR, exploring its practical application, ethical dimensions and impact across diverse contexts. Featuring real-world case studies, it is essential reading for researchers, practitioners and policy makers seeking to embed meaningful participation in their work.

How can research be more ethical, inclusive and community-driven? Participatory Appraisal Research (PAR) is a powerful approach to community-led research, widely used in the UK for over 25 years. Rooted in action research, PAR empowers communities to take control of research processes—from design to analysis—ensuring that those most affected by social issues shape the solutions. Through interactive visual tools, PAR overcomes barriers such as literacy and numeracy, fostering inclusive engagement.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to PAR, exploring its practical application, ethical dimensions and impact across diverse contexts. Featuring real-world case studies, it is essential reading for researchers, practitioners and policy makers seeking to embed meaningful participation in their work.

Since the mid-2000s, consistent commentary from politicians and media outlets in the UK have presented low educational attainment and low aspiration as defining attributes of working-class boys in education. It has often characterised them as misogynistic, aggressive and unwilling to learn. But how true is this?

Combining research, real-life case studies and the author’s experience of navigating school exclusion, this book provides clear recommendations for how to better support the health, wellbeing and vulnerabilities of working-class boys and men through both policy and practice.

Challenging us to reconsider ideas about the role of masculinity in the lives of working-class boys and men, the book asks what would change if, instead of focusing on perceived individual failures, we considered the troubled relationship between working-class boys and the social and educational systems in which they reside.

The COVID-19 pandemic took many by surprise when it arrived in Britain in early 2020. Daily lives changed dramatically from March with the introduction of unprecedented restrictions and lockdowns. How did people react?

This book draws on the diaries of 68 men and women aged 70 and above, capturing their thoughts and experiences over the following months. Although these older diarists considered themselves among the more fortunate at the time, their entries reveal both highs and lows. There were anxieties and frustrations but also much positivity and, often, a reluctance for an over-hasty return to pre-pandemic times.

Through these personal and contemporaneous accounts, the book offers a unique contribution to our understanding of the pandemic and its significance in modern social history.

Since the mid-2000s, consistent commentary from politicians and media outlets in the UK have presented low educational attainment and low aspiration as defining attributes of working-class boys in education. It has often characterised them as misogynistic, aggressive and unwilling to learn. But how true is this?

Combining research, real-life case studies and the author’s experience of navigating school exclusion, this book provides clear recommendations for how to better support the health, wellbeing and vulnerabilities of working-class boys and men through both policy and practice.

Challenging us to reconsider ideas about the role of masculinity in the lives of working-class boys and men, the book asks what would change if, instead of focusing on perceived individual failures, we considered the troubled relationship between working-class boys and the social and educational systems in which they reside.

Is a diplomat’s life really as glamorous as a royal visit, or as dramatic as a coup d’état in Turkey?

Leigh Turner is a former British ambassador who held posts in Ukraine, Turkey and Austria. In this witty globe-trotting adventure through one of the most intriguing careers a person can have, Leigh relates his interactions with royalty of both the aristocratic and celebrity kinds, and with brilliant and extraordinary people who bestowed valuable lessons. Offering astute reflections on Brexit, Russia’s war with Ukraine and the chaos of modern politics, he sheds new light on the intricacies of modern statecraft, including what we all can learn from a good diplomat or ambassador.

In this entertaining and accessible first-hand account, you’ll discover how diplomats really work with spies, how immunity allows killers to escape justice, how Russia broke up the Soviet Union and then nursed its resentment at the consequences -- and how to throw, and be invited to, a great cocktail party.