Health, Social Change and Communities

Governments, while concentrating and policy development and the pursuit of strategic approaches, have concurrently distanced themselves from the direct provision of services to become funders, not providers.

Funding is provided to agencies, whether from the public or private sector, on the basis of the strength of their competitive tenders and the number of relevant organisations that they have included.

The effects that these and other changes in the political and economic sectors have had on Australian society at the beginning of the 21st century are the concern of the authors of Health, Social Change and Communities.

Since communities are both the recipients and the participants in health and social policy, the book is a sympathetic, but critical analysis of some of those community groups, and how they are faring in terms of health and social indicators.