Australia Compared: People, Politics, Policies

A comparative study of Australian society, "Australia Compared" starts from the premise that contrasts and comparisons with other Western developed nations are needed to understand properly Australian history, social structure, economy, policies and politics. It highlights what is distinctive about the Australian experience and what is similar, thereby facilitating both an understanding of the country and any evaluation of policy for change. "Australia Compared" brings together a team of scholars from history, demography, sociology, economics, social policy and political science. It asks many questions: whether Australian attitudes to government differ from those in other nations; whether trends in the family, marriage and divorce are the same as elsewhere; why our policy choices about migrations, the economy, education and welfare are sometimes similar and sometimes different; and whether Australian politics is following the same path as other countries? Taken together, the answers give a differentiated picture of what it means to be Australian and what Australia's future holds. This book aims to provide first-year undergraduate introduction for courses in Australian studies, and will be of interest in sociology, political science and social administration courses, where the aim is to provide a broad and challenging perspective on the nature of contemporary Australian society. Francis G. Castles is Professor of Public Policy at the Australian National University and was formerly Professor of Comparative Politics at the Open University. He is an acknowledged world authority on comparative policy development, and is author and editor of many books in the area, including two on Australian public policy in a comparative perspective. He is also author of more than forty major articles. This book is intended for students of Australian studies and the social sciences.