The term 'social policy' can refer to:
- regulatory measures (guidelines, principles, legislation and activities ) intended to ensure or effect the well-being of a society and its constituent members;
- an interdisciplinary[^1] field of study and (applied) practice that is concerned with societies' responses to social need[^2], such as are manifest in the structure and provisioning of health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor".[^3]
Collectively, social policy is focused on those aspects of the economy, society and/or polity that are necessary to human existence and the means by which distribution of, and access to, goods and resources in that society are be provided.[^4] Basic human needs include: food and shelter, a sustainable and safe environment, the promotion of health and treatment of the sick, the care and support of those unable to live a fully independent life; and the education and training of individuals to a level that enables them fully to participate in their society.[^5] Individual manifestations of 'social policy' (e.g. a particular law, decree, or regulatory requirement) tend to apply to specific issues, such as policies requiring prior consultation with local community members before commencing a new development initiative.
Despite drawing on an increasing amount of the theoretical work and field experiences across countries and sectors—and despite collaborations among social development practitioners being increasingly methods-oriented and systematised—social policy is often viewed critically as culpable in the often disastrous social consequences of the development process (Carroll 2009; Gray 2010).
Notes & Citations
[^1]: Social policy is an area of specialize inquiry across several social science disciplines, including economics, sociology, psychology, geography, history, law, philosophy and political science. [^2]: London School of Economics (LSE), Department of Social Policy. n.d. "What is social policy?" [^3]: Harvard University, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. 2012. "About the Malcolm Wiener Center". [^4]: Cheyne, Christine, Mike O'Brien and Michael Belgrave. 2005. Social Policy in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Critical Introduction [p. 3] [^5]: London School of Economics (LSE), Department of Social Policy. n.d. "About Us"