scholarly journals Plumbing the Depths: The Changing (Socio-Demographic) Profile of UK Poverty

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
DANIEL EDMISTON
Keyword(s):  
Black People ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Poverty Measurement ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Demographic Profile ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
Time Work ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Official statistics tend to rely on a headcount approach to poverty measurement, distinguishing ‘the poor’ from the ‘non-poor’ on the basis of an anchored threshold. Invariably, this does little to engage with the gradations of material hardship affecting those living, to varying degrees, below the poverty line. In response, this paper interrogates an apparent flatlining in UK poverty to establish the changing profile of poverty, as well as those most affected by it. Drawing on the Family Resources survey, this paper reveals an increasing depth of poverty in the UK since 2010, with bifurcation observable in the living standards of different percentile groups below the poverty line. In addition, this paper demonstrates substantial compositional changes in the socio-demographic profile of (deep) poverty. Since 2010, the likelihood of falling into deep poverty has increased for women, children, larger families, Black people and those in full-time work. Within the context of COVID-19, I argue there is a need to re-think how we currently conceptualise poverty by better attending to internal heterogeneity within the broader analytical and methodological category of ‘the poor’. Doing so raises pressing questions about the prevailing modes of poverty measurement that tend to frame and delimit the social scientific analysis of poverty, as well as the policies deemed appropriate in tackling it.

scholarly journals Sociology of Poverty and Sociological Assessment of the Poverty Alleviation Program

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-48
Author(s):  
A. Ya. Bolshunov ◽  
A. G. Tyuriko
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Subsistence Minimum ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Social Topology

Officially, the poverty line in Russia is tied to the subsistence minimum but from the sociological point of view, its linkage to the subsistence minimum is arbitrary. The subject of the research is social boundaries, social space of poverty. The purpose of the research was to formulate the principles of an approach to overcoming poverty as a social phenomenon. The paper attempts to outline the social space of poverty as an attribute (stigma) by which a person is placed in a specific exclusion space that forms the specific ethos of poverty and the poor man’s habitus preventing any attempts to climb out of poverty. Belonging to this space institutionalizes the poor as a “kind of people”, which is reflected in specific mechanisms of referencing and self-referencing of poverty expressed in the life-purpose deficits. “Combating poverty” implies the creation of participation institutions through which relations and processes of social differentiation, social participation and reference are withdrawn from the dictate of economic factors. It is concluded that the poverty alleviation program should take into account the social limology of poverty and include the development of participation practices and institutions that exclude the stigmatization of poverty and the transformation of the poor into the “kind of people”. Such institutions should provide the poor with ample opportunities to participate in the formation of elites (professional, intellectual, and political). It is particularly important that children, teenagers and young people have access to such practices and institutions because each generation produces and reproduces the “social topology” in which poverty forms a specific “exclusion space”.

The Politics of Poverty

Social Change ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-240
Author(s):  
Digvijay Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Welfare Policies ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Poverty Levels

The reduction in the official poverty rate seen in relation with increasing morbidity status, a mammoth income gap between the rich and the poor, ambiguous methodology followed to calculate Below Poverty Line Census and government policies on poverty reduction tends to question the whole poverty line debate. The official commitment to higher economic growth may reflect booming economic growth but it also has led to a large gap between the rich and the poor in both regional and social dimensions. To look into the causes and ameliorate poverty levels, various committees and policies have identified poverty levels. Using different criteria and methods, they still have failed to look at the social and political aspects. It is politics that has engulfed the whole discourse over universalisation of social welfare policies as some sort of justification behind the nation’s fiscal deficit and subsidy constraint-related questions.

scholarly journals Principios presupuestarios públicos para una propuesta de renta básica para el ciudadano / Public Budgetary Principles for a Proposal of a Basic Income for Citizens

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noemí Peña Miguel ◽  
Joseba Iñaki De la Peña ◽  
María Cristina Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Social Equity ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
The Public ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Contributions ◽  
Poverty Lines ◽  
Negative Growth

ABSTRACTIn Spain most of homes have an income lower than 2000¼ per month. In addition, if we compare year per year the poverty lines of the different classes of homes, we can conclude that the poor are poorer since the crisis began, with a decrease of the poverty line from 7.945¼ in 2009 to 7.533,33¼ in the year 2011. This last quantity is very close to the Public Indicator of Income for Multiple Effects (IPREM) of 7.455,12 €. This indicator is a reference for the calculation of several grants, as unemployment between others. In addition the aging of the population is one of the most pressing problems for the developed economies, and Spain is not an exception. For the next thirty years, the growing of the pensioner people is bigger than the growing of the labor people. Even more, the nowadays tributary income has a negative growth, and the social contributions for Social Security during 2012 will not cover totally the expense in pensions that year. For solving those situations (increase of the poverty line, aging and fiscal income with negative growth) it is proposed a Citizen Basic Income in order to face to the first need expenses. The implantation by the governments implies analyzing the effect that the decision would have not only in the current population-citizens-, but also in the future ones. It is necessary to bear in mind the effect that the decision carries. In this paper we remember several existing principles and we include new ones in order to be borne in mind by a goYernment based on justice and social equity. The new principles that we include in this paper are: transparency of the budget and its management; transfer of resources between the diverse generations in every moment of time; relevant information.RESUMENEn España la mayoría de los hogares tienen unos ingresos inferiores a 2000 € al mes. Además, los pobres son más pobres desde que empezó la crisis, con una disminución en el umbral de pobreza que pasó de 7.945 € en el año 2009 a 7.533,33 € en el año 2011, importe muy cercano al In-dicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples, índice de referencia para el cálculo de ingresos. El envejecimiento de la población está comenzando a ser uno de los problemas más acuciantes para las economías desarrolladas en general. La recaudación tributaria actual tiene un crecimiento negativo, al igual que las cotizaciones sociales cuyo ingreso previsto para el año 2012 no cubrirá totalmente la financiación del montante del gasto en pensiones. En España la mayoría de los hogares tienen unos ingresos inferiores a 2000 € al mes. Además, si comparamos anualmente los umbrales de pobreza de las diferentes tipologías de hogares españoles, podemos concluir que los pobres son más pobres desde que empezó la crisis, con una disminución del indicador umbral de pobreza que pasó de 7.945 € en el año 2009 a 7.533,33 € para el 2011, cantidad muy cercana al Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples (IPREM) de 7.455,12 €, índice de referencia para el cálculo de subsidios de desempleo e indemnizaciones por despido, entre otros. Además el envejecimiento de la población está comenzando a ser uno de los problemas más acuciantes para las economías desarrolladas en general, y España no es una excepción. Para los próximos treinta años, el ritmo de crecimiento de la población pensionista es muy superior al ritmo de crecimiento de la población que se encuentra en edad de trabajar. Por otra parte, la recaudación tributaria actual tiene un crecimiento negativo, al igual que las cotizaciones sociales cuyo ingreso previsto para el año 2012 no cubrirá totalmente la financiación del montante del gasto en pensiones. Ante tal situación (incremento del umbral de pobreza, envejecimiento y recau-dación fiscal con crecimiento negativo) se propone una Renta Básica para el Ciudadano con el fin de hacer frente a los gastos de primera necesidad. Dicha implantación por parte de los gobiernos implica analizar el efecto que tal decisión tendría no sólo en la población actual, sino también en las futuras. Por ello la decisión debe tomarse teniendo en cuenta el efecto que conlleva. En el presente trabajo se aportan nuevos principios y se plantean algunos ya existentes, que un gobierno que se base en la jus-ticia y equidad social debe tener en cuenta como guía para asignar los recursos con los que hacer frente a los gastos anualmente estimados, con el fin de financiar una Renta Básica para el Ciudadano. Los nuevos principios aportados son: transparencia de la gestión presupuestaria; transferencia de recursos entre las diversas generaciones en cada momento de tiempo; información relevante.

Evaluation Using Random Assignment Experiments: Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Earnings Supplements

2003 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
Doug Tattrie ◽  
Reuben Ford
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Random Assignment ◽  
Welfare Receipt ◽  
Lone Parents ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Time Work ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Of Research

The UK is preparing to start one of the largest random assignment evaluations of a new social policy that has ever been undertaken in Europe or North America. This juncture is a useful time to examine the merits of random assignment evaluation using new results from one-of the most widely cited experimental evaluations the Self-Sufficiency Project in Canada. Random assignment experiments are the most reliable approach to measure the impacts of changes in social policy. However, they are often expensive and cannot answer all relevant research questions. The Canadian Self-Sufficiency Project demonstrates these qualities. It showed that the provision of earnings supplements to lone parents who leave welfare for full-time work can increase employment and earnings and decrease welfare receipt. The high quality of research provides credible evidence that the large, initial programme expenditure can mostly be recovered through reduced welfare payments and higher taxes.

scholarly journals Challenges Faced by UK University Students Due to the Coronavirus Crisis in the Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddharth Suhas Kulkarni ◽  
Parmjit Chima
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Personal Problems ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Social ◽  
Methodological Procedures ◽  
Conventional Classroom ◽  
The Uk

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst catastrophes that we have faced globally in recent years. It has not only taken its toll on the economic sector but also on the education sector. The social distancing norms that are in place as a direct response to the pandemic have turned conventional classroom teaching into a problematic minefield; as such, students all over the world have been forced into unprecedented situations that have served only to worsen the situation. The current pandemic has given rise to one of the worst crises the 21st Century has ever seen, resulting in a surge of unemployment. Many companies have taken the route of firing employees or making redundancies, as they cannot afford the monthly reimbursement for staff. While this issue primarily concerns full-time workers, it also carries significant consequences for students – a considerable number of students are required to earn their daily living costs, and, without a job, they cannot pay their educational fees, accommodation costs, or living expenses. This comprehensive study briefly discusses the multitude of problems faced by students in the UK regarding higher education, as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. It contains six individual sections: a detailed introduction; the methodological procedures employed; educational disruptions, covering issues from hindrances in field research to examinations and student evaluations; personal problems experienced by students, such as accommodation and loss of income; concerns arising from the global pandemic; and finally, a conclusion and summary of the study’s findings.

Combining Work and Family Life

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Schoon ◽  
Leeni Hansson ◽  
Katariina Salmela-Aro
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Role Stress ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Full Time ◽  
National Child Development Study ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Time Work ◽  
The Uk

Abstract. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the combination of paid employment and taking care of children promotes or challenges the life satisfaction of married and divorced men and women in the UK, Estonia, and Finland. The UK sample stems from the National Child Development Study, at age 42 (N = 10280; 48% of men, 52% of women). The Estonian data come from a representative sample of 1164 participants (507 men, 657 women; mean age 42). The Finnish data stems from an ongoing longitudinal study on 1390 participants (447 men and 943 women; mean age = 41). The results showed that in all three countries women report higher levels of life satisfaction than men, couples are generally more satisfied than divorcees, and those who are employed are generally more satisfied with their lives than those who are not. Second, for men in general as well as for divorced women higher levels of life satisfaction appear to be associated with full-time work. Third, men and women pursuing a professional career are more satisfied with their lives than men and women in unskilled jobs. Finally, having a child shows no significant association with life satisfaction in any of our three countries, although there were significant interactions between gender, marital status, employment, and parenthood. Divorced women in all three countries appear to be more satisfied with their lives if they do not have children, especially after adjusting life satisfaction by occupational status. Findings are discussed with regard to role stress and role accumulation theories.

scholarly journals The educational aspirations and psychological well-being of adopted young people in the UK

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Brown ◽  
Cerith S Waters ◽  
Katherine H Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Educational Aspirations ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Time Work ◽  
The Uk

Much is hypothesised but little is known about the effects of early adversity on school experience, academic attainment and career aspiration for children and young people adopted from care. Drawing on data from Wave 1 of the Youth (10‒15 years old) Questionnaire (n = 4899) from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS), also known as Understanding Society, this study explored differences between young people adopted (n = 22) and a matched comparison group (n = 110) on measures of educational and occupational aspirations and psychological well-being. Adopted young people reported higher externalising and total difficulties scores (based on the SDQ, Goodman, 1997 ) than the general population comparison group, but equivalent internalising symptoms. Adopted children were more likely to show an intention to seek full-time work at the end of compulsory schooling. These findings align with previous research regarding the psychological well-being of adopted children, contribute new knowledge about the aspirations of young people adopted from care and highlight methodological issues when utilising large-scale panel survey data for narrowly defined sub-groups.

scholarly journals Social Policy Under Sociopolitical Changes in the Post-revolutionary Iran, 1979–2013

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-43
Author(s):  
Kamran Rabiei
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Iraq War ◽  
Political System ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Economic Growth And Development ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

The dialectic relation between sociocultural changes and political developments in the post-revolutionary Iran is discussed in the article which shows how the social policy of the governments has changed under this relation. The 1979 Islamic Revolution brought about a wave of tendency toward a specific discourse that can be called “downtrodden discourse” wherein the poor and deprived are the center of attention, and the resources of society are mainly mobilized in the direction of improving their economic and social conditions. Furthermore, the eight-year Iran–Iraq War (1980—1988) strengthened this discourse, and the new political system relied on the lower class of the society to push the war forward, stabilize the foundations of its power, and solidify its ideology. After the war, Iran had three governments with three different approaches toward social policy. During the era of Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989–1997), no special attention was paid to social policy since economic growth and development was the focus of the government activity. Under Mohammed Khatami (1997–2005), special attention was paid to comprehensive social policy, but due to internal political and social tensions, his government failed to implement its codified social policy. Although Ahmadinejad (2005–2013) intended to pay special attention to social policy, the actions taken by his government not only failed to reduce poverty but they also pushed the significant part of the middle class below the poverty line.

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