Demystifying Canadian social policy for social work students by critically exploring how social policy shapes and regulates our daily lives

Bringing together nineteen contributed selections by researchers and practitioners in the field, this accessible introduction examines the many ways social policy impacts our lives. Featuring case examples, international comparisons, and case studies on policy change throughout, the text illustrates how the study of social policy is a crucial dimension of all social work practice.

Robert Harding's profile page

Daphne Jeyapal's profile page

Robert Harding is an associate professor who teaches in the BSW and MSW programs at the University of the Fraser Valley. In the late 1990s, Robert led the university in partnering with the Stó:lo Nation to develop an Indigenous social services program based on traditional principles of healing and helping. He has presented his research in Canada, the US, Costa Rica, Scotland, Finland, and Germany, and has published in journals such as the Canadian Review of Social Policy, Discourse and Society, Canadian Journal of Native Studies, and the American Indian Culture and Research Journal.

Daphne Jeyapal is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Thompson Rivers University. Daphne earned her PhD in social work from the University of Toronto in 2014. Her research centres on challenging racial discrimination in social activism, social work, and Canadian social policy. She is the principal investigator for a SSHRC Insight Development Grant on "Anti-terrorism or anti-activism? Examining public and policy discourses on the criminalization of diasporic resistance in Canada." At present, she lives and works on the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc territory, the unceded traditional lands of the Secwepemc Nation.

"The text's critical perspective with a focus on social justice is clearly articulated. The case studies and exercises are vital in helping students reframe the way that social workers can think about social policy issues." --Samantha Clarke, Wilfrid Laurier University

"This is an excellent resource for social work students on the impact social policy has on our practice. The textbook is written in a way that invites the reader to engage in a critical analysis and discourse on Canadian social policy, and how it impacts all citizens in Canada." --Cynthia Gallop, Mount Royal University