Social work and welfare services are being transformed in the wake of political and economic upheaval and increasing social inequality. This fully updated text enables students to relate sociology to daily lives and shows how structural factors impact upon social work service users and professionals. The book examines key themes including social exclusion and poverty, work, relationships, consumption and community and social capital. It examines their relevance for social work practice, particularly in children and families, mental health, disability and older people. Featuring an expanded discussion of social class, the book sets social work practice in a clear radical tradition as an antidote to the increasingly individualised direction taken in the UK. Providing essential material for students of social work, social care, sociology and social policy, the text includes: - self-directed activities; - thinking points; - fully updated case studies.