Rights statement: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-policy-and-society/article/troubles-and-the-family-changes-and-continuities-since-1943/79FF1133C42B27BE088C13E34A306B79 The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Social Policy and Society, 16 pp 109-117 2017, © 2016 Cambridge University Press.
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Troubles and the family
T2 - changes and continuities since 1943
AU - Welshman, Alan John
N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-policy-and-society/article/troubles-and-the-family-changes-and-continuities-since-1943/79FF1133C42B27BE088C13E34A306B79 The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Social Policy and Society, 16 pp 109-117 2017, © 2016 Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - This article explores continuities and changes in relation to the problem and troubled families initiatives across three areas: the ways in which families have been defined and described; the nature of the interventions; and the criteria for ‘success’. First, while the criteria for identifying troubled families seem initially more explicit than those for problem families, data on the families indicate important continuities. Second, although both initiatives have been characterised by the claimed novelty and distinctiveness of the approaches, it is the practical, common sense nature of the interventions that have also been highlighted. Third, whereas voluntary organisations and local authorities made little effort to assess ‘outcomes’ for problem families, or were pessimistic about the chances of success, the troubled families initiative has focused on costs, savings, payment-by-results, and families ‘turned around’. Overall, troubled families have been much more visible in political rhetoric than their 1950s counterparts.
AB - This article explores continuities and changes in relation to the problem and troubled families initiatives across three areas: the ways in which families have been defined and described; the nature of the interventions; and the criteria for ‘success’. First, while the criteria for identifying troubled families seem initially more explicit than those for problem families, data on the families indicate important continuities. Second, although both initiatives have been characterised by the claimed novelty and distinctiveness of the approaches, it is the practical, common sense nature of the interventions that have also been highlighted. Third, whereas voluntary organisations and local authorities made little effort to assess ‘outcomes’ for problem families, or were pessimistic about the chances of success, the troubled families initiative has focused on costs, savings, payment-by-results, and families ‘turned around’. Overall, troubled families have been much more visible in political rhetoric than their 1950s counterparts.
U2 - 10.1017/S1474746416000415
DO - 10.1017/S1474746416000415
M3 - Journal article
VL - 16
SP - 109
EP - 117
JO - Social Policy and Society
JF - Social Policy and Society
SN - 1474-7464
IS - 1
ER -