Meet one-on-one
with a reference librarian
We can help you:
Find or narrow a paper topic,
locate appropriate sources,
and more.
Email refdesk@augsburg.edu for an appointment
Librarian
Social Policy Resources
This page contains resources for use in Social Policy research.
- Use the encyclopedias and other reference sources to find background information on social policy.
- Use the tools and websites in the Documents and Data section to find government documents and data sources.
Newspapers can be useful sources for Social Policy topics, particularly topics that are very current.
If you can't find what you're looking for, or need more than the resources here, you can:
- Search our collection for books, articles, videos, and more.
- Use a specialized journal database to find scholarly articles.
- Set up an appointment with a librarian for research help.
Reference Sources
- Encyclopedia of Social Work This link opens in a new windowHundreds of overview articles on social work topics ranging from international issues to ethical standards. Published by the National Association of Social Workers.
Comprehensive Handbook of Social Work and Social Welfare by Call Number: Reference HV40 .C635 2008 v. 1–4Volume 2 focuses on social policy and policy practice with chapters such as, "Reconceptualizing the Evolution of the American Welfare State" (ch. 4) and "Social Welfare Policy and Politics" (ch. 17).
International Encyclopedia of Social Policy by Call Number: Reference HN18.3 .I58 2006 v. 1–3ISBN: 0415258960Publication Date: 2006-08-18Find in-depth treatments of all aspects of global social work policy and practice, including concepts, people, institutions, and services.
Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America by Call Number: Reference HV12 .E497 2005This book details important events in social welfare history, with a look at distinctions and similarities among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Documents and Data
Look in these sites for data and statistics, government reports, bills passed by Congress, etc.
National
- Pew Research CenterPew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research.
- Congressional Service Reports on Domestic Social PolicyThese are reports on social policy topics made by the Congressional Research Service), which provides nonpartisan analysis to members of Congress. You can also search the entire collection of CSRs.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new window"220 years of demographic data, 25,000 maps, hundreds of profile reports, 40 billion data elements and 335,000 variables." Create reports and maps of census and other data, such as crime rates and health statistics.
- NASW Advocacy: IssuesThe issues that the NASW is currently advocating for in Congress.
Deserving and Entitled by
Public policy in the United States is marked by a contradiction between the American ideal of equality and the reality of an underclass of marginalized and disadvantaged people who are widely viewed as undeserving and incapable. "Deserving and Entitled provides a close inspection of may different policy arenas, showing how the use of power and the manipulation of images have made it appear both natural and appropriate that some target populations benefit from policy, while others do not not. These social constructions of deserved ness and entitlement, unless challenged, become amplified over time and institutionalized into permanent lines of social, economic, and political cleavage.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 1423743776Publication Date: 2005-01-01
State and Local
- Minnesota State LegislatureFind MN statutes, laws, and rules by searching or browsing by topic, or search for house and senate bills.
- Hennepin CountySee in particular the research data page.
For more statistics sources, see:
- The Policy page of the Government, Policy, and Legal Research Guide
- The Social Work Statistics Page
Social Work and the City by
This book critically explores ways of thinking about the city and its relevance for the profession of social work. It provides a colourful illustration of practice drawing on examples of social work responses to a range of issues emerging from the unprecedented scale, density and pace of change in cities. The associated challenges posed for social work include: the increased segregation of the poor, the crisis of affordable housing, homelessness, gentrification, ageing, displacement as a result of migrations, and the breakdown of social support and care. Drawing on multiple disciplines, this groundbreaking work shows that these familiar features of the twenty-first century can be counteracted by the positive aspects of the city: its innovation, creativity and serendipity. It has a redistributive, caring and cohesive potential. The city can provide new opportunities and resources for social work to influence, to collaborate, to foster participation and involvement, and to extend its social justice mandate. The book shows that the city represents a critical arena in terms of the future of social work intervention and social work identity. In doing so, it will be of great interest to students and scholars of social work, social policy, community work and urban studies.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781137516237Publication Date: 2016-07-18
Social Policy and Social Justice by
The Penn School of Social Policy and Practice enjoys a reputation as Penn's social justice school, for its faculty actively strives to translate the highest ideals into workable programs that better people's lives. In this election year, as Americans debate issues like immigration, crime, mass incarceration, policing, and welfare reform, and express concerns over increasing inequality, tax policy, and divisions by race, sex, and class, "SP2," as the school is colloquially known, offers its expertise in addressing the pressing matters of our day. The practical solutions on offer in this volume showcase the judgment and commitment of the school's scholars and practitioners, working to change politics from blood sport to common undertakings. Contributors: Cindy W. Christian, Cynthia A. Connolly, Dennis Culhane, Ezekiel Dixon-Román, Malitta Engstrom, Kara Finck, Nancy Franke, Antonio Garcia, Toorjo Ghose, Johanna Greeson, Chao Guo, David Hemenway, Amy Hillier, Roberta Iversen, Alexandra Schepens, Phyllis Solomon, Susan B. Sorenson, Mark Stern, Allison Thompson, Debra Schilling Wolfe.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781512821475Publication Date: 2016-12-08
Welfare words : critical social work & social policy.Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781526418630Publication Date: 2018
Baby Boomers of Color by
Melvin Delgado provides a comprehensive portrait of the status and unique assets of boomers of color
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780231538428Publication Date: 2014-12-09
