Books by Paul (Robert Gordon University) Spicker

This book examines poverty in the context of the economy, society and the political community, considering how states can respond to issues of inequality, exclusion and powerlessness. Drawing on examples in both rich and poor countries, this is an accessible contribution to the debate about the nature of poverty and responses to it.

How social security works is an introduction to the much-misunderstood system of benefits in Britain. The book is an accessible, broadly based and sometimes controversial text which can help readers to make sense of the system in practice. It explains the guiding principles, outlines the social context, considers the development and political dimensions of benefits, and reviews how the system operates now. There are detailed discussions of the types of benefit, and the contingencies covered by the benefits system. Paul Spicker examines whether the system offers value for money, how it could be simplified and how it can be improved. The book will be useful to students on undergraduate and professional courses, but beyond that it will appeal to policy makers, practitioners and a broader general readership.

In this book, well-respected author Paul Spicker lends a complementary voice to his Reclaiming individualism, reviewing collectivism as a dimension of political discourse. Taking a dispassionate and methodical approach, the author explores what collectivism means in social policy and what value it offers to the field.

In this thought-provoking book, Paul Spicker challenges readers to rethink social security benefits in Britain. Putting a case for reform of the system, Spicker argues that most of the criticisms made of social security benefits - that spending is out of control, that it has led to mushrooming dependency, that it fails to get people into work, and that the system is riddled with fraud - are misconceived. Addressing those misconceptions, Spicker assesses the real problems with the system, related to its size, its complexity, the expectation that benefits agencies should know everything, and the determination to 'personalise' benefits for millions of people. This stimulating short book is a valuable introduction to social security in Britain and the potential for its reform. For more from the author on social security and social policy visit blog.spicker.uk.

This fully revised, updated and extended edition of a bestselling social policy textbook is extensively reworked and adapted to meet the needs of its international readership. Laying out the architecture of social policy as a field of study, it provides a sense of the scope, range and purpose of the subject.

Paul Spicker's new book takes the three founding principles of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity - and examines how they relate to social policy today. The book considers the political and moral dimensions of a wide range of social policies, and offers a different way of thinking about each subject.

Making a committed argument for a participative, inclusive understanding of the term, Paul Spicker examines views about what poverty is and what should be done about it.

This book introduces students and practitioners to the concepts and methods required to undertake the analysis and review of policy and its implementation. Focusing on understanding and skills for a growing area of practice, it combines material from public and social administration with examples and application to social policy and services.