Peter Alcock

Professor of Social Policy and Administration, Pete Alcock’s research has covered the fields of poverty and anti-poverty policy, social security, and the role of the third sector.

As director of TSRC he leads the development and delivery of the Centre’s research programmes. He is also stream leader for the Theory and Policy and Economic and Social Impact research streams.

His research interests in TSRC include

    Theoretical analysis of the third sector and Civil Society

    The development and delivery of third sector policy

    The impact of devolution within the UK on third sector policy and practice

    Comparative analysis of third sector policy

    Qualitative research and analysis of voluntary organisations

Professor Alcock has over thirty years of experience of academic work in Social Policy. He was Head of the Department of Social Policy and Social Work in Birmingham from January 2000 to June 2003, and Head of the School of Social Sciences from 2003-2008. He is an elected Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Professor Alcock is a member of the Steering Group of the Voluntary Sector Studies Network, and is Chair of the Editorial Management Board of Voluntary Sector Review. He is a former Chair of the Social Policy Association and of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Social Policy. He is also a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, and Public Management Review.

He is author and editor of a number of leading books on social policy, including: Social Policy in Britain 3e (2008), Understanding Poverty 3e (2006); International Social Policy 2e (2009) (all Palgrave), and The Student’s Companion to Social Policy 4e (2012) and The Blackwell Dictionary of Social Policy (2002) (Blackwell), Welfare and Wellbeing (2001) (The Policy Press), and Welfare Theory and Development, 4 Volumes (2011) (Sage).