Overview

Regional variations in public welfare provision have been the cause of some of the most heated debates about the public service sector. Very often, the geographical factors inherent in these anomalies are ignored. First published in 1989, The Geography of Public Welfare Provision (now with a new preface by the author) shows just how important these factors are and introduces the reader to a crucial aspect of Britain’s welfare service system. Comparing the variable patterns of welfare we observe in the population with the service provision made by local authorities and other agencies, Sarah Curtis considers how far these are fair and equitable. She examines the socio-geographical characteristics of groups of people who are most vulnerable in society, and most likely to need to use services, focusing especially on three groups: the elderly, the young, and ethnic minorities. Exploring the restructuring of the welfare system of the time, the book charts how this affected the relationship between public, private, and voluntary sectors of welfare service provision. With information drawn from extensive research, The Geography of Public Welfare Provision provides a detailed account of the British welfare system relevant to students and local authority policy makers in Britain and many other countries.

Full Product Details

9781041234920

Table of Contents

Reviews

Reviews of the first publication: ‘… [the book] will prove to be a successful student course book and reference text.’ — Robert J. Bennett, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 156, No. 2 ‘It can be strongly recommended for geographers in universities and colleges concerned with serious issues of access to and organization of welfare services…’ — David R. Phillips, Geography, Volume 76, Issue 1

Author Information

Sarah Curtis is Professor Emerita at Durham University, UK. She is an internationally recognised specialist in the geography of health and wellbeing. Her scholarship explores how and why places matter for human health. Her work concentrates on socio-geographical conditions and processes that are associated with inequalities in health and wellbeing, and risks for physical and mental health, in different contexts. As well as contributing to theoretical development of health geography, her work has strong applied and international aspects. Her research has informed and contributed to health policy development and evaluation of health services in the UK, France, Russia, Poland, Canada, and the USA. In 2014 Sarah Curtis was elected as Fellow of the British Academy, an independent national academy of Fellows elected for their eminence in research and publication. She is also a Fellow and and Chartered Geographer (Founder Member) of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

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