Abstract
This is the second edition of an acclaimed textbook. It is exemplary in a whole number of respects; it would be wonderful if every national social policy regime could by subject to such clear and critical analysis – Irish students of social policy are lucky to have this text.
The organisation of the book reflects the authors’ distinctive approach. It is divided into four parts, the first of which is a full 70 page history of social policy in Ireland from the 17th century to the present day, something of a rollercoaster of crisis, expansion and austerity since 1980. The second part is not particularly focused on Ireland – it is an accessible exegesis of conceptual issues for social policy analysis, focusing on comparative and historical dimensions, political ideologies and contemporary challenges. This part in itself would make a very useful textbook for students, including up-to-date accounts of feminism and ‘greenism’. It would have been even more useful to have had some discussion of how the ‘isms’ translate in to social movements and concrete pressures for policy change, not least in Ireland. It is interesting that anti-racism and anti-heteronormativity do not yet seem to count as political ideologies.
The second part of the book gets into two very important issues, looking from outside at least. First there is the question of the impact (or lack thereof) of the European Union (EU) on social policy. Here the authors give a helpful overview of the EU’s role, but there is little discussion of the actual specific impact of EU membership on social policy in the Irish Republic, which would seem to be considerable. But the really fascinating issue for the European outsider perhaps is the absence of conventional social democratic politics underpinning the welfare state. This is discussed fascinatingly but rather briefly towards the end of the second part of the book. The authors explain (p.168) that ‘Irish politics is not non-ideological, far from it, but there is a long-standing reluctance to articulate and connect with the language and values associated with political ideologies.’ This could be read as somewhat contradictory. This section might perhaps have connected more explicitly with the earlier outlines of welfare regime analysis and of political ideologies, amongst which nationalism did not figure and could perhaps be relevant. Nevertheless pp.167–171 do a fine job in reflecting on the contradictions of the Irish path towards the welfare state with its many ‘piecemeal and breakthrough developments in particular areas’ over recent decades. These are documented very well in the second half of the book, Parts 3 and 4.
The critical dimension of the policy analysis is principally addressed by pervasive attention to equalities issues. For example, the chapter on health policy describes how policy presides over a dualistic public–private system which gives privileged access to the better off. The chapter on education policy foregrounds how policy shifts have continued to sustain class inequalities in participation, while also undermining traditional elitism. It is interesting that the chapters on the four ‘core’ policy fields – social protection, health, education and housing – concentrate on class inequality.
Critical discussion of the impact of the welfare state on women is not given that much prominence until an excellent later chapter on ‘care’ issues, which embraces a strong feminist perspective, demonstrating how ‘the Irish male breadwinner model lives on’ (p. 333). This chapter gives thorough accounts of how, after decades of neglect, the Irish state has attempted to address the care needs of children, elders, people with disabilities and carers. The penultimate chapter analyses how three social groups have experienced social exclusion – immigrants, travellers, LGBT people. It goes on to document how law and policy have developed rights and recognition for these groups in recent decades. The book documents very well how Irish governments really got busy about social policy making, particularly from the 1980s up to the austerity crisis. Legislation and policy documents abound, reflecting the gradual transition from Catholic conservatism. Yet, in many aspects, the fundamental social divisions remain; the authors sometimes refer to the ‘dualism’ in Irish policy, which reflects and reinforces divisions between the well off and the less well off.
Finally there are two absences in the book which may surprise some readers. First, although the Catholic church and its hierarchy are referred to as appropriate in the history and in the particular policy fields, Catholicism is not explicitly discussed as an ideology and the partnership between the state and the church is not really reflected upon very much, particularly as it has shifted in recent decades. Second, although the British ‘heritage’ in the social policy history before 1922 is certainly discussed, Northern Ireland is not mentioned at all as far as I can tell. To the outsider a book entitled Irish Social Policy could at least acknowledge the existence of a different regime north of the border or perhaps have been differently titled. Nevertheless, this book is a mighty achievement and an invaluable contribution.