Society is undergoing change, and, as a result, social welfare services – including social work – are being transformed. This book explores the sociological basis of contemporary society and shows how social workers experience tensions and contradictions in practice. The book uses case studies and self directed activities to enable students to relate sociology to daily lives. It explores key themes in turn, examining their relevance for social work and how they can be applied to practice, particularly in areas such as children and families, mental health, disability and older people. Relevant and accessible, the authors explore aspects of class, ethnicity and gender and conclude with suggestions of how sociology can inform practice and enable social work to engage with processes of transformation. The book provides essential material for students of social work and social care, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It will also be relevant to social policy and sociology undergraduates.

This IBM Redbooks publication provides information to help Systems Programmers plan for merging systems into a sysplex. zSeries systems are highly flexibile systems capable of processing many workloads. As a result, there are many things to consider when merging independent systems into the more closely integrated environment of a sysplex. This book will help you identify these issues in advance and thereby ensure a successful project.

Social welfare workers in all fields are frequently motivated by a desire to 'work with people,' 'bring about change,' or to 'make a difference.' These ideals are often constrained (even thwarted) by systems and funding that are driven by social policy. This book explores some of the difficulties and dilemmas faced by contemporary social workers as they deliver welfare in a changing policy context. The book takes a skills-based approach to understanding the role and importance of social policy in social welfare practice. Written by experienced educators and authors, it shows readers how to understand, analyze, and engage with policy. It is especially relevant for social workers whose roles are currently being shaped and re-shaped by policies.