Social Investments, Asset Building, and Social Development— The State of the Art: A Special Issue in Honor of James Midgley

Authors

David K. Androff, Arizona State UniversityFollow
Mary Caplan, University of GeorgiaFollow

Abstract

First Paragraph:

Social investment and social development approaches seek to promote human well-being by harmonizing social welfare with economic development (Midgley, 2014). Social development emerged from diverse traditions, including postcolonial social policy, international development, and institutional approaches to the welfare state; over the last two decades this approach has risen to prominence as a key policy and practice perspective around the globe. The social development perspective has yielded policy innovations and catalyzed practice models such as developmental social work (Midgley & Conley, 2010). From the 1995 World Summit on Social Development, subsequent Millennium Development Goals, and the current Sustainable Development Goals, social development is likely to remain integral to the global agenda. Uneven recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis and rising inequality alongside historic advances in economic development emphasize the critical role of social policy in balancing growth with social investments into peoples’ social welfare. These conditions call for further examination of the benefits of social investment policies and practices.

Recommended Citation

Androff, David K. and Caplan, Mary (2018) "Social Investments, Asset Building, and Social Development— The State of the Art: A Special Issue in Honor of James Midgley," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 45: Iss. 4, Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4240
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol45/iss4/2