Transformational Moments in Social Welfare: What Role for Voluntary Action?

This book will provide an accessible and timely insight into debates about voluntary action and social welfare in England in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and gives equal weight to both historical and contemporary evidence, placing both within the same conceptual framework.

During the consolidation of the Welfare State in the 1940s, and its reshaping in the 2010s, the boundaries between state, voluntary action, the family and the market were called into question.

This interdisciplinary book explores the impact of these ‘transformational moments’ on the role, position and contribution of voluntary action to social welfare.

It considers how different narratives have been constructed, articulated and contested by public, political and voluntary sector actors, making comparisons within and across the 1940s and 2010s.

With a unique analysis of recent and historical material, this important book illuminates contemporary debates about voluntary action and welfare.

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.