First published in 1974, Concepts in Social Administration draws on a wide range of theoretical disciplines to examine a number of concepts which are basic to the study of the social services individually and as a whole. The topics discussed are of vital importance to students of social administration and include the relationship between welfare capitalism and the social services, the definition of need, the distribution of resources, professionalism and the structure of the social services, and the question of consumer influence and the balance of power in the provision social services.

Designed especially for teachers and students of social administration, this is a lucid exploration of the philosophy and concepts which are relevant to the discipline of social administration. It offers a framework for the subject which transcends the study of individual services on which most of the literature is based.