Social Justice and Public Policy: Seeking Fairness in Diverse Societies

Twelve chapters are presented by Craig (social justice, U. of Hull, UK), Burchardt (Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics, UK), and Gordon (social justice, U. of Bristol, UK) for the purpose of promoting engagement between theories of social justice (including across disciplines) and real-world policy problems, with a primarily UK focus. Topics include the theories of John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, Amartya Sen, and Robert Nozick; ethnic diversity and its impact on the social solidarity underpinning the welfare state; the danger of allowing cultural difference to obscure structural inequality; the question of distributive justice beyond the nation-state; the tension between egalitarian objectives and the fact that families privilege their own; differences between social justice policies adopted in Scotland, Wales, and England; the application of social justice theory to inequality in the UK; policies towards accommodating diverse cultures in the UK and elsewhere; and the connection between sustainable development and social justice in international law, policy, and practice. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)