Reflecting the emerging consensus that views social justice as a primary mission of the social work profession, this new text for courses in social policy explicitly addresses the questions and dilemmas inherent in the pursuit of social justice. Organized in four parts, the book begins by presenting a framework for analyzing policies and programs in terms of social justice and examines social justice from several philosophical perspectives. The second part focuses on poverty, health care, and mental illness and addiction. Part III introduces theories of oppression and explores the challenges faced by populations that have faced oppression. Policy practice and the future of social work are addressed in Part IV.