Professor John Hudson

Profile

Biography

John specialises in comparative analysis of the politics of social policy. Recently funded research projects include: an examination of the impact of culture on welfare states (ESRC); an analysis of the impact of cash and in-kind benefits on child wellbeing outcomes (OECD); an international comparison of inequalities in child wellbeing (UNICEF); and, a review of historical evolution of attitudes to the welfare state (Shelter).

He has published widely on themes relating to the politics of social policy, including articles in leading journals such Journal of European Social Policy, Policy Studies, Policy & Politics, Journal of Social Policy and Social Policy & Society.

Recent books include: Culture and the Politics of Welfare: Exploring Societal Values and Social Choices (with Nam K. Jo and Antonia Keung); Social policy review 27: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2015 (with Zoë Irving and Menno Fenger); Understanding the Policy Process (with Stuart Lowe); The Short Guide to Social Policy (with Stefan Kühner and Stuart Lowe).

His most recent publication in UNICEF's Report Card Fairness for Children (co-authored with Stefan Kühner) is released on 14th April.

John has worked at the University of York since 1998. He was Head of Social Policy/Deputy Head of Social Policy and Social Work from 2009-2014 and is currently the Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Comparative and Global Social Policy within the School for Business and Society.

Research

Current or recently funded projects include: a comparison of inequalities in child wellbeing in rich countries (UNICEF); an exploration of the role of global cities in shaping welfare states (WUN); a comparative analysis of the role of culture in shaping the politics of welfare (ESRC); a cross-national examination of the efficacy of different types of cash and in-kind benefits (OECD); a review of developments in UK Social Security policy (KIHSA); and, tracing the historical evolution of attitudes to welfare in the UK (Shelter). 

John is interested in supervising PhDs on any of the research topics cited above or related more widely to the politics of social policy. He received the University of York/York University Student Union Supervisor of the Year Award in 2009. Three of his supervisees have been awarded prizes for their doctoral research: Stefan Kühner won the 2007 European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAnet) doctoral researcher prize for best paper presented by a PhD candidate at an ESPAnet event in 2006 and Nam Jo won this prize in 2009. Dan Horsfall won the 2008 Public Administration Committee (PAC) postgraduate prize for the best paper presented by a PhD candidate at the 2008 PAC conference.

Publications

Journal articles

Hudson, J. & Kim, B (2014) ‘Exploring Policy Transfer in Practice: a Case Study of UK-Korea Policy Learning Activities’, Policy & Politics, 42 (4), 495-511

Hudson, J. Kühner, S. and Yang, N. (2014) ‘Productive Welfare, the East Asian ‘Model’ and Beyond: Placing Welfare Regimes in Greater China into Context’, Social Policy & Society, 13 (2), 301-15

Mok, K H and Hudson, J (2014) ‘Managing Social Change and Social Policy in Greater China: Welfare Regimes in Transition?’, Social Policy & Society, 13 (2), 235-8

Mok, K H and Hudson, J (2014) (Eds) Managing Social Change and Social Policy in Greater China: Welfare Regimes in Transition?’, Themed Section of Social Policy & Society, Vol 13 (2), pp84

Hudson, J. and Kühner, S. (2013) (Eds) ‘Innovative Methods for Policy Analysis: QCA and Fuzzy Sets’, Special Issue of Policy & Society, 32 (4), pp77

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2013), 'Beyond indices: The potential of fuzzy set ideal type analysis for cross-national analysis of policy outcomes' Policy and Society, 32 (4), 303-17

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2013), 'Qualitative comparative analysis and applied public policy analysis: New applications of innovative methods’, Policy and Society, 32 (4), 279-287.

Hudson, J. & Medrano, A. (2013) 'Nation-state global city tensions in social policy: the case of Mexico City’s rising social city-zenship', Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy, 29, 1-14.

Hudson, J., (2012) 'Welfare Regimes and Global Cities: a Missing Link in the Comparative Analysis of Welfare States?', Journal of Social Policy, 41, 455-473.

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2011) 'Analyzing the Productive and Protective Dimensions of Welfare: Looking Beyond the OECD', Social Policy & Administration. 

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2010) ‘Beyond the Dependent Variable Problem: The Methodological Challenges of Capturing Productive and Protective Dimensions of Social Policy’, Social Policy & Society, 9, 167-179.

Hudson, J (2009) 'The Challenges of Reconciling Efficiency and Equity in Information Age Government Agendas: Lessons from the United Kingdom', Journal of Public Administration, 98-117.

Hudson, J. and Kühner, S. (2009) 'Towards Productive Welfare? A Comparative Analysis of 23 Countries', Journal of European Social Policy, Vol 19, 1, 34-46

Hudson, J. Hwang, J, and Kühner, S (2008) 'Between Ideas, Institutions and Interests: Analysing Third Way Welfare Reform Programmes in Germany and the UK ', Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 37, No 2, p207-230.

Hudson, J, Lowe, S, Oscroft, N and Snell, C (2007) 'Activating Policy Networks: a case study of local environmental policy-making in the United Kingdom', Policy Studies, Vol. 28, No 1, 55-70.

Hudson, J (2006) 'Inequality and the Knowledge Economy: Running to Stand Still?', Social Policy & Society, Vol 4 (2), 207-222.

Dornan, P & J Hudson (2003) ' Welfare Governance in the Surveillance Society: a Positive-Realistic Cyber Criticalist View', Social Policy & Administration, Vol 37, Issue 5, 468-482.

Hudson, J (2003) 'E-Galitarianism? The Information Society and New Labour's Repositioning of Welfare' , Critical Social Policy , Vol 23, Issue 2, 276-298.

Hudson, J (2002) 'Digitising the Structures of Government: The UK's Information Age Government Agenda', Policy & Politics , Vol 30, Issue 4, pp 515-31

Hudson, J (2001) 'Critically Examining the Commercialisation of English Football: A Case for Government Intervention? ', Sociology of Sport Online , Vol 4, Issue 1.

Hudson, J (1999) 'Informatization and Public Administration: A Political Science Perspective', Information, Communication & Society, Vol. 2, 3, p318-339.

Selected Books, Book Chapters and Reports

Hudson, J. R., & Kuhner, S. (2016). Fairness for Children: A league table of inequality in child wellbeing in rich countries (Innocenti Report Card 13). Unicef Innocenti Research Centre.

Irving, ZM, Fenger, M & Hudson, JR (eds) (2015) Social Policy Review 27.The Policy Press, Bristol.

Hudson, JR, Kühner, S & Lowe, SG (2015), The Short Guide to Social Policy. 2nd ed edn, The Policy Press, Bristol.

Hudson, J. Jo, N K, and Keung, A (2015) Culture and the Politics of Welfare: Exploring Societal Values and Social Choices, Basingstoke: Palgrave. pp140.

Hudson, J and Kühner, S (2014) 'Analyzing the Productivist Dimensions of Welfare: Looking beyond Greater China' in Mok, K-H. & Lau, M. (eds.) Welfare Regimes in Transition: Managing Social Change and Social Policy in Greater China. London: Routledge. Book details.

Hudson, J. R. & Hwang, G-J. (2013) 'Pathways of welfare state development in East Asia' in Izuhara, M. (ed.). Handbook on East Asian Social Policy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Hudson, J (2013) 'Welfare' in Dwyer, P. & Shaw, S. (eds.) An Introduction to Social Policy. London: SAGE Publications. Chapter available online [PDF].

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2011) ‘Tiptoeing Through Crisis? Re-evaluating the German Social Model in Light of the Global Recession’ in Farnsworth, K. & Irving , Z. (eds.) Social Policy in Challenging Times: Economic Crisis and Welfare Systems. Bristol: The Policy Press, pp163-183.

Hudson, J. & Kühner, S. (2011) ‘Analysing the Productive Dimensions of Welfare: Looking Beyond East Asia’, in Hwang, G. (ed.). New Welfare States in East Asia: Global Challenges and Restructuring. London: Edward Elgar, pp35-60.

Hudson, J. R. & Kühner, S. (2011) ‘Analyzing the Productive and Protective Dimensions of Welfare: Looking Beyond the OECD’ Compass Working Paper WP2011-63, pp35.

Hudson, J., Lowe, S. and Kühner, S. (2010) The Short Guide to Social Policy, Seoul, South Korea: Press of Sharing House. (Korean Translation)

Hudson, J. and Lowe, S. (2009) Understanding the Policy Process: Analysing Welfare Policy & Practice (Second Edition) . Bristol: The Policy Press.

Hudson, J and Lowe, S (2009) Understanding the Policy Process: Analysing Welfare Policy and Practice [Chinese Translation]. Beijing: Peking University Press.

Hudson, J. (2009) 'Information Technology and Social Security' in Millar, J. (ed) Understanding Social Security (Second Edition). Bristol: The Policy Press.Hudson, J., Lowe, S. and Kühner, S. (2008) The Short Guide to Social Policy, Bristol: The Policy Press, pp295-311.

Hudson, J., Lowe, S. and Kühner, S. (2008) The Short Guide to Social Policy, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Hudson, J & Kühner, S (2008) 'The Challenges of Classifying Welfare State Types: Capturing the Productive and Protective Dimensions of Social Policy' in Gerovska Mitev, M. (Ed.) Reframing Social Policy: Actors, Dimensions and Reforms. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung: Skopje.

Hudson, J (2008) 'E-Government in the United Kingdom' in Anttiroiko, A (Ed) Electronic Government: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. London: Information Science Reference.

Hudson, J (2008) 'Social Policy and the Political Process' in Alcock, P, May, M and Rowlingson, K (Eds) The Student's Companion to Social Policy . Oxford: Blackwell.

Hudson, J (2007) 'Learns Lessons' in Bochel, H and Duncan, S (Eds) Making Policy in Theory and Practice, Bristol: Policy Press.

Hudson, J (2006) 'e-government in the UK' in Anttiroiko, Ari-Veikko and Mälkiä, Matti (Eds) The Encyclopedia of Digital Government. IGI: PA, USA

Hudson, J & Lowe, S (2004) Understanding the Policy Process: Analysing Welfare Policy and Practice. Bristol: Policy Press.

Hudson, J, Hwang-G and Kühner, S (2004) Comparative Social Policy. York: e-Universities UK/University of York. [commissioned online text]

Hudson, J (2001) 'Community Care in the Information Age' in B Bytheway et al (Eds) Understanding Care, Welfare and the Community. London: Routledge.

Hudson, J (2000) 'The Prospects for Information Age Government' in Burrows, R and Pleace, N (Eds) Wired Welfare: Essays on the Rhetoric and Reality of e-Social Policy. CHP Discussion Paper: York, p1-18.

Hudson, J (1999) 'Rational Actors, Sub-Rational Organisations: A Rational Choice Perspective on the Barriers to the Informatization of Public Administration' in J Armitage and J Roberts (Eds) Exploring Cybersociety, UNN: Newcastle.

Bolderson, H and D Mabbett with J Hudson, M Rowe and P Spicker (1997) Delivering Social Security: A Cross-National Study, Department for Social Security Research Report No 59. The Stationery Office: London

Teaching

Modules

• The Policy Process (Year Two Undergraduate)
• Poverty & Inequality (Year Three Undergraduate)
• Social Policy Analysis (Postgraduate)
• Graduate Research Workshops (Postgraduate)

Recommended resources for students

With University of York colleagues Stefan Kühner and Stuart Lowe I have written a short introduction to some of the key issues and dilemmas social policy addresses: Hudson, J., Lowe, S. and Kühner, S. (2015) The Short Guide to Social Policy (2nd edition) Bristol: The Policy Press. This book comes with an accompanying app and naturally we think this offers a good introduction to the subject! Paul Spicker’s ‘An Introduction to Social Policy’ website provides a very good web based alternative.