Introduction: Social Theory and Social Policy: Enriching Understandings

This chapter examines the way in which social theory can enrich our understanding of social policy with specific reference to the range of perspectives, which have emerged particularly over the past several decades. Indeed, the chapter is concerned with locating and scrutinising the accelerating theoretical developments in social policy and moves to reviewing their key concerns. The different social theories and philosophies, which have materialised, exemplify an interpretation of the consequences social policy has for vulnerable people. This opens the pathway to understanding social policy more creatively.