Foreword
I am pleased to introduce the twelfth issue of the Social Policy Journal of New Zealand. As usual, the papers we present deal with a broad range of social policy fields, including employment, education, health and welfare. The employment focus is particularly strong, carrying forward an important strategic theme from previous issues. The other main focus that can be identified in this issue centres on Māori, airing a number of themes which I hope we will develop further in future issues.
The employment-related papers include a survey of disability policy by Neil Lunt and Regina Pernice, and an analysis of sole parent employment rates by Kay Goodger and Peter Larose. Two book reviews also link to the employment theme: Juliet Elworthy reviews a social history of income support in New Zealand, and David Preston critiques an analysis of recent social policy developments which have "redesigned" the New Zealand welfare state since the mid-1980s.
Contributing to this issue’s Māori themes, Lorna Dyall and her co-authors present a piece of kaupapa Māori research, exploring the expectations held by Māori consumers of mental health services. Neil Lunt offers an outsider’s point of view on the various ways in which New Zealand social policy attempts to incorporate a Māori perspective. Haami Piripi contributes to this issue’s Māori focus with a review of Mason Dune’s "Te Mana, Te Ka-wanatanga: The Politics of Self-Determination".
Two papers discuss the policy implications of research on different aspects of the family. Robyn Fleming analyses the differences between first-marriage and re-marriage families, and discusses the critical implications these differences have for social policy. Mervyl McPherson explores the extent to which families are able (and willing) to provide support to their members in times of need. Janine Moss shares her impressions of the solution- oriented World Conference on Family Violence in Singapore.
Two research papers focus on children: Emma Davies and Fred Seymour propose ways of improving the investigation and court processing of child sexual abuse that they extrapolated from their research into the way victims and their carers perceived their experience with the criminal justice system. Galia BarHava-Monteith, Niki Harré and Jeff Field evaluate HIPPY — the Home Instruction Program for Pre-school Youngsters. Finally, Sara Kindon reviews a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary compendium of recent New Zealand feminist writing.
I hope you find this issue of the Social Policy Journal to be a stimulating and rewarding one.
Elizabeth Rowe
General Manager
