7 Future-Forward Social Policy Books Shaping 2025

Experts behind this volume analyze current shifts in social policy with a global perspective, focusing on practical government responses and policy transformations. You'll gain insights into diverse issues such as cost-of-living crises in the UK, decentralization in Thailand's health care, and social protection reforms in Japan and Australia. The chapters provide detailed case studies on immigration resettlement and working-age risk management across multiple countries, offering you a nuanced understanding of how social policy adapts to economic and demographic pressures. This book suits students and professionals eager to explore emerging policy trends and comparative social welfare strategies.

Drawing from decades of research in political economy and social policy, Bent Greve, Amílcar Moreira, and Minna van Gerven present a structured framework capturing how political economy theories shape social policy development and reform. You'll gain insight into major theoretical perspectives like historical institutionalism, the influence of political parties, and evolving political attitudes, alongside diverse methodological approaches such as case studies and comparative analyses. The book also explores applications across welfare, housing, pensions, and labor relations globally, making it a thoughtful resource if you want to understand why social policies emerge or change. Its analytical depth benefits scholars, policymakers, and anyone curious about the political forces behind welfare systems.

This tailored book explores the latest developments in social policy for 2025, focusing on emerging trends and discoveries most relevant to your interests and background. It examines contemporary challenges such as welfare reform, governance innovation, and social protection advancements, providing a personalized lens that addresses your unique goals. By concentrating on cutting-edge research and newly unfolding strategies, this tailored guide offers an engaging, up-to-date learning experience that reveals how social policy adapts to global and local shifts. The content is carefully customized to match your priorities, ensuring you gain insights that resonate with your specific professional or academic pursuits.

Kyungbae Chung and Neil Gilbert examine Korea's rapid welfare evolution amid demographic shifts, highlighting how social investment strategies have reshaped traditional welfare paradigms. You learn how policies now emphasize labor participation, human capital enhancement, and economic growth rather than solely countering market forces. The book breaks down Korea's policy journey in three parts: socio-political development, core welfare programs, and the pressing challenges posed by an aging population, including debates around universal basic income. If you're navigating social policy in aging societies or exploring innovative welfare models, this book offers targeted insights grounded in Korea's unique experience.

After analyzing the varied social policy responses across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stefanie Börner and Martin Seeleib-Kaiser developed a nuanced examination of how national welfare states and EU-level policies intersect under crisis conditions. You’ll gain insight into the complex reforms and temporary measures that European countries deployed, with chapters offering case studies and comparative analyses that reveal emerging trends and potential shifts in welfare models. The book probes the long-term consequences for social policy, including new cooperation or conflicts within the EU framework, making it especially relevant if you're tracking how crises reshape public policy and social protection systems. If you want to understand the pandemic’s impact on European social policy beyond immediate relief efforts, this book provides a thoughtful and critical exploration.

Unlike most social policy volumes that focus narrowly on single issues, this edition gathers a broad spectrum of expert analyses reflecting the latest debates and research from 2023. Contributors examine pressing topics such as the impact of COVID-19 on eldercare and homelessness, alongside nuanced studies on faith-based organizations and social services in Italy, providing you with a panoramic yet detailed understanding of current social policy challenges. The editors assemble diverse perspectives on intergenerational research and policy responses that illuminate evolving societal needs, making this essential if you're involved in academic, governmental, or nonprofit sectors. While it’s dense with scholarly insight, the book serves as a vital resource for anyone seeking to grasp how social policy adapts in a rapidly changing social landscape.

This tailored book explores the evolving landscape of social policy with a focus on the latest developments anticipated in 2025. It examines emerging research, innovative approaches, and contemporary challenges through a lens that matches your background and interests. By concentrating on the future-ready aspects of social policy, it reveals how you can engage with cutting-edge ideas and adapt to new social realities. This personalized approach ensures the content aligns with your specific goals, allowing you to delve deeply into topics such as policy innovation, governance shifts, and social protection evolution. You receive a focused, insightful resource crafted to enhance your understanding and practical knowledge in a rapidly changing field.

Linda Cummins, Katharine V Byers, and Laura Pedrick bring together decades of experience in social work to challenge traditional views on policy practice. This book deepens your understanding of how policy changes arise from local to national levels, framed through an ethic of care that emphasizes social justice and advocacy. You’ll gain concrete skills such as lobbying, coalition building, and policy evaluation, with vivid examples illustrating how these methods work in real contexts. If you’re involved in social work or interested in influencing social policy with a values-driven approach, this book offers a clear path forward without glossing over the political complexities involved.

While working extensively with global social welfare systems, Karen J. Baehler noticed that knowledge in public social policy often remains siloed due to geographic and disciplinary divides. This handbook offers you a detailed exploration of governance and public management through diverse regional perspectives, covering administrative approaches from Africa to Latin America. You’ll gain insights into how different social systems have tackled welfare challenges, especially in the critical pre-pandemic era, with thematic sections enabling cross-regional comparisons. If you seek an informed view of social policy’s intersection with governance and administration on a global scale, this book lays a solid foundation, though it’s most suited for those comfortable with academic and policy frameworks.