Name: Scottish Devolution and Social Policy
SKU: 1-4438-3790-3
Availability: InStock

Scottish Devolution and Social Policy

Evidence from the First Decade

Edited By: Murray Leith, Iain McPhee, Murray Leith

£39.99

This work examines the impact of devolution on Scottish social policy. Considering issues like class and equality, it judges whether the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament have successfully transferred from principles into actual policy.

Through the analysis of specific policy areas in Scotland and a consideration of key social issues, this work examines devolved policy in a number of…

Through the analysis of specific policy areas in Scotland and a consideration of key social issues, this work examines devolved policy in a number of specific areas, and the changes wrought by the first decade and more of devolution in those areas. Each chapter considers specific aspects of social policy in Scotland, and the final chapter addresses whether the founding principles of Scottish devolution have transferred from principles to policy. The various ideas and themes all relate to the core ideas that underpinned devolution and the creation of the Scottish Parliament. While policy areas are directly addressed within most chapters, others consider class, equality, and the removal of the democratic deficit. This work judges whether these larger issues, as well as individual areas of social policy, have been better addressed within contemporary Scottish society since devolution took place.

Murray Leith is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of the West of Scotland. His recent publications in journals such as National Identities, Politics, Parliamentary Affairs, and Sociological Research Online, have been on Scottish politics, nationalism and national identity. He is co-author of Political Discourse and National Identity in Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 2011). He is currently investigating the Scottish diaspora and contemporary issues.

Iain McPhee has worked for more than twenty-two years in the field of addictions, the first nine face to face with seriously dislocated people. He rose from the position of a drugs worker to become a lecturer in addiction on a master’s programme at the University of the West of Scotland, where he teaches and researches. Iain is currently completing PhD study at the University of Stirling, investigating non-treatment seeking users of drugs.

Tim Laxton is completing his MSc at the University of the West of Scotland and intends to begin a PhD in autumn 2012. His research publications have covered a range of topics such as work on recovery, teaching conditions in Higher Education, neonatal abstinence syndrome and the use of technology in education.