Textbooks
Policy Press publishes a range of textbooks and other learning resources across the social sciences to suit a variety of course and learning needs. These are designed with students in mind and include many accessible features – from case studies and chapter summaries, to revision questions and illustrative boxes and diagrams.
The majority of our textbooks are available as consumer eBooks as well as in print and we are happy to discuss bespoke options such as print and digital packages or creating unique collections to suit your course needs. Our content is available through the key institutional content providers VitalSource and Kortext in early 2015, allowing seamless integration with VLE platforms. If you would like to discuss how we could help with your course resources, please contact pp-sales@bristol.ac.uk.
For more information about our textbooks, please see Information for Lecturers.
Understanding Disability Policy
Understanding disability policy explores the roles of social security, social support, poverty, socio-economic status, community safety, official discourses and spatial change in shaping disabled people's opportunities.
Understanding Crime and Social Policy
Understanding crime and social policy encourages readers to reflect upon the close connections, and sometimes tensions, between crime reduction and social policy agendas.
Understanding Community
Politics, Policy and Practice
This substantially revised edition of a highly topical text applies a critical approach to themes introduced in the first edition including economic development, heath and housing, and draws upon theory from Marx and Bourdieu to offer a clearer understanding of community in capitalist society.
Understanding Childhood
A Cross Disciplinary Approach
Understanding childhood is a fresh look at how childhood has changed in recent years and reveals how children's needs and experiences have achieved a new visibility
Understanding agency
Social welfare and change
This textbook provides a straightforward introduction to the concept of agency and how it can usefully inform the practice of social welfare. Demonstrating a model of achievable change, it traces the origins of agency and explores the contributions of key thinkers from sociological and social policy perspectives.
Understanding 'Race' and Ethnicity
Theory, History, Policy, Practice
This new edition of a widely-respected textbook examines welfare policy and racism, alongside institutional racism and community cohesion within a broad policy framework.
Transforming society?
Social work and sociology
This book explores the sociological basis of contemporary society and shows how social workers experience tensions and contradictions in practice.
Transforming Adult Social Care
Contemporary Policy and Practice
This wide-ranging book is one of the first texts to deal with adult social care as a distinct entity and is an up to date source on contemporary government policies, debates and research.
Towards Ethical Policing
The fundamental role of police officers in society is under fresh scrutiny in this stimulating book on ethical policing. Through a moral philosophical lens, Wood provides an up-to-date overview of police values and their impact. It is a timely contribution to police debate and essential reading for those studying and leading the profession.
Thinking about Child Protection Practice
Case Studies for Critical Reflection and Discussion
This unique textbook is designed to empower social work students and professionals to practise safely, responsibly and confidently. Candid accounts provide in-depth case studies in how to use theory and research in situations of pressure and dilemma.
Supporting People with Alcohol and Drug Problems
Making a Difference
This book addresses the gap in social work education by providing a combination of research evidence, policy frameworks and practical hints and tips for good social work practice for all those in children's and adults' social work and social care settings who are working with people who use alcohol or other drugs.