Outputs (40)

Principles of social welfare: an introduction to thinking about the welfare state. (2017)
Book
SPICKER, P. 2017. Principles of social welfare: an introduction to thinking about the welfare state. Translated to Arabic by H.M.I. Matter. Berlin: Democratic Arabic Centre [online]. Available from: http://democraticac.de/?p=46477

This book is about social policy and administration, which is a field of study mainly concerned with 'social welfare' and the 'social services'. Social policy is not a self-contained academic discipline. The book attempts to draw material together an... Read More about Principles of social welfare: an introduction to thinking about the welfare state..

The future of social security in Scotland: views from inside the system. (2017)
Report
PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNION and SPICKER, P. 2017. The future of social security in Scotland: views from inside the system. Glasgow: PCS [online]. Available from: https://www.pcs.org.uk/sites/default/files/site_assets/regional_websites/scotland/2017/FSS_Scotland_FINAL.pdf

The report is based on group interviews and questionnaires done earlier this year with 228 DWP officers. This is not the first report ever to ask social security officers what they think, but it's a rare and rather special event. The officers general... Read More about The future of social security in Scotland: views from inside the system..

The takeup of benefits: lessons from the UK. (2017)
Book Chapter
SPICKER, P. 2017. The takeup of benefits: lessons from the UK. In Van Hootegem, H (ed.) Poverty and ineffectiveness of rights. Bruges: Die Keure [online]. Available from: https://www.diekeure.be/nl-be/professional/8167/armoede-en-ineffectiviteit-van-rechten-pauvrete-et-ineffectivite-des-droits

The issue of take-up has had a prominent role in the consideration of benefits in the UK, and there is a considerable amount of information available about the issues and problems. As time has gone on, however, the comfortable certainties about why p... Read More about The takeup of benefits: lessons from the UK..

Arguments for welfare: the welfare state and social policy. (2017)
Book
SPICKER, P. 2017. Arguments for welfare: the welfare state and social policy. London: Rowman and Littlefield International Ltd [online]. Available from: http://www.rowmaninternational.com/book/arguments_for_welfare/3-156-b8676521-173c-4557-9489-01d73d466f67

This book makes the case for the welfare state. Nearly every government in the developed world offers some form of social protection, and measures to improve the social and economic well-being of its citizens. However, the provision of welfare is und... Read More about Arguments for welfare: the welfare state and social policy..

The real dependent variable problem: the limitations qualitative analysis in comparative policy studies. (2017)
Journal Article
SPICKER, P. 2017. The real dependent variable problem: the limitations qualitative analysis in comparative policy studies. Social policy and administration [online], 52(1), pages 216-228. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12308

Comparative public policy relies heavily on processing quantitative data, typically done by looking for the relationship between variables or by grouping empirical data into categories. In methodological terms, comparative data commonly deal with nat... Read More about The real dependent variable problem: the limitations qualitative analysis in comparative policy studies..

What's wrong with social security benefits? (2017)
Book
SPICKER, P. 2017. What's wrong with social security benefits? Bristol: Policy Press [online]. Available from: https://policypress.co.uk/whats-wrong-with-social-security-benefits

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 ou... Read More about What's wrong with social security benefits?.

Poverty as a wicked problem. (2016)
Report
SPICKER, P. 2016. Poverty as a wicked problem. CROP poverty brief, no. 35. Bergen, Norway: CROP Secretariat [online]. Available from: http://www.crop.org/viewfile.aspx?id=1062

This brief argues for a pragmatic approach to poverty, rather than an analytical one: 1. Poverty is a wicked issue - complex, multidimensional, unclear and changeable. There is not one problem to be addressed. If we are not dealing with a set, specif... Read More about Poverty as a wicked problem..

A new future for social security: response to the consultation document. (2016)
Report
SPICKER, P. 2016. A new future for social security: response to the consultation document. In Scottish Government. Consultation on social security in Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [online], response ID 500312666. Available from: https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/social-security-in-scotland/consultation/view_respondent?_b_index=420&uuId=500312666

This submission covers genearl issues related to the statement of principles, broader issues of policy and general administrative arrangements. The main points are these: 1) The aims of benefit systems are complex. Oversimplification threatens to com... Read More about A new future for social security: response to the consultation document..

Economics as practical wisdom. (2016)
Journal Article
SPICKER, P. 2016. Economics as practical wisdom. Real-world economics review [online], 75, pages 113-125. Available from: http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue75/Spicker75.pdf

The discipline of economics has been represented as deductive and theoretical, deductive and empirical, and inductive and empirical. All of these approaches have been subject to withering criticism in other social sciences: their weaknesses are theor... Read More about Economics as practical wisdom..

The fiscal framework and the delivery of welfare benefits. (2016)
Report
SPICKER, P. 2016. The fiscal framework and the delivery of welfare benefits. Written submission presented at the 10th Meeting of the Devolution (Further Powers) Committee (Scottish Parliament, session 4), 3 March 2016, Edinburgh, UK. Edinburgh: Scottish Parliament [online], pages 19-23. Available from: http://www.parliament.scot/Papers_20160303_updated_3.3.16.pdf

The author author was approached by the Clerks of the committee to comment on the Scotland Bill and Fiscal Framework, since the publication of the Committee's Interim Report published in May 2015. This is his written submission.