David Piachaud

Social exclusion in Britain 1991—1995

The purpose of this paper is to offer a working definition of social exclusion and to operationalize it in such a way that an initial empirical analysis of social exclusion in Britain today can be undertaken. After a brief review of conceptions of social exclusion and some of the key controversies, we operationalize one definition based on the notion of participation in five types of activity—consumption, savings, production, political and social. Using the British Household Panel Survey, indicators for participation on these dimensions are developed and analysed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally for the period 1991–5. We find strong associations between an individual’s participation (or lack of it) on the five different dimensions, and on each dimension over time. However, there is no distinct group of socially excluded individuals: few are excluded on all dimensions in any one year and even fewer experience multiple exclusion for the whole period. The results support the view that treating different dimensions of exclusion separately is preferable to thinking about social exclusion in terms of one homogeneous group.

Problems in the Definition and Measurement of Poverty

Three approaches to defining poverty levels are discussed—social consensus approaches, budget standard methods, and behavioural approaches. Each addresses different questions and none, of itself, has provided—nor, it is argued, could ever provide—an objective definition of poverty. The paper then raises problems that have been largely neglected in defining poverty. First, the treatment of time and home production: the time and ability of individuals to prepare food or to wash and feed without assistance, for example, vary greatly depending on circumstances and in turn affect income needs. Choices and constraints affecting the household formations in which people live and their budgeting behaviour are also important in assessing poverty. Individual variations in behaviour need to be explicitly recognised if practical definitions of poverty levels are to be found. Finally, the paper condemns discussions of poverty that are part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Reducing Child Poverty in Britain: An Assessment of Government Policy 1997-2001

The reduction and eventual elimination of child poverty has become one of the central objectives of the new Labour Government in Britain. Measures to achieve this by changing taxes and benefits and promoting paid work are described. Their effects are assessed using a micro-simulation model. The policy changes will achieve a significant reduction in child poverty but it will remain in 2001 substantially higher than in 1979 and much higher than in most European nations.

The goals of social policy

Part 1 Introduction: social policy subject or object?, Martin Bulmer et al. Part 2 Social policy - retrospect and prospect: the Webbs, the Charity Organisation Society and the Ratan Tata Foundation - social policy from the perspective of 1912, Joe Harris the academic tradition in social policy - the Titmuss years, Ramesh Mishra social work and social policy in the twentieth century - retrospect and prospect, Robert Pinker swimming against the tide - prospects for social policy, Howard Glennerster. Part 3 Social policy and the family: the construction of dependency, Hilary Land social policy, social engineering and the family in the 1990s, Janet Finch dependency in the welfare state, Kari Waerness the social construction of dependency - comments from a Third World perspective, Caroline Moser. Part 4 Social policy and the community: social policy - the community-based approach, David Donnison community development and the underclass, S.M.Miller social polarisation, the inner city and community, A.H.Halsey only disconnect - law and order, social policy and the community, David Downes the underclass, empowerment and public policy, Martin Bulmer. Part 5 Social policy and the economy: social policy and the economy, Zsuzsa Ferge inequality in developing countries - a comment on Ferge, Frances Stewart can we afford to work?, Walter Korpi. Part 6 conclusions: an inside view, Brian Abel-Smith an outside view, Albert Weale.

Patterns of Income and Expenditure within Families

Intra-familial income distribution and the new economics of the family are discussed and questions raised concerning the distribution of income and expenditure within families. Using data from the Family Expenditure Survey 1977 for couples, the incomes and expenditures of the man and the woman are analysed. While incomes are generally highly unequal and expenditures on certain commodities are heavily concentrated on one partner, expendtiure patterns bore no clear relationship to the relative shares of the man and the woman in total income.

Freedom to be a Child: Commercial Pressures on Children

Childrens lives have been transformed over the past century. Family incomes have increased, children lead more solitary lives, attitudes to childhood have changed, new products have been developed and commercial pressures on children have increased. The importance of these commercial pressures is analysed. Do children understand advertising? How is child poverty affected? How does increased materialism affect psychological well-being? The issues raised for public policy are discussed in terms of childrens freedom, the rights of children and the protection of children. Finally, the future of childhood is considered and choices between constraining commercial pressures or not are considered.

Social protection, redistribution and economic growth

Social protection has conventionally been associated with redistribution and equity. This paper examines the effects of different types of social protection on economic growth. It looks at the possible effects on human capital formation, on physical investment and innovation, on the local economy and on the macroeconomy, discusses these effects in theory and reviews empirical evidence of such effects. It considers the widely varying impacts that different types of social protection can have on the distribution of incomes and on economic growth. The paper concludes that, in analysing, assessing and planning social protection, it is crucially important to consider the potential drawbacks – and the benefits.

Colonialism and Welfare

Abstract The field of post-colonial studies has emphasized the way contemporary attitudes and institutions in both the industrial and developing nations have been shaped by centuries of European global domination. As the colonial era draws to an end, this article employs a post-colonial perspective to examine the origins, nature and functions of social welfare in previously colonized societies. It shows how contemporary social policies in these societies have been extensively influenced by the colonial experience and contends that post-colonial analysis can foster policy reformulation and more effectively address the pressing social needs of the worlds poorest people.

Poverty and social protection in Britain: policy developments since 1997

The goal of abolishing child poverty within a generation in Britain was set out by the New Labour government in 1999. It was pursued by means of promoting paid work, increasing selective benefits to make work pay and promoting prevention of some of the causes of poverty. Some progress was made but it fell far short of the target. The Coalition government formed in 2010 has maintained the broad goal and maintained parts of the previous strategy but it has modified policy in important respects. The policies and records of these governments are compared and the obstacles to reducing child poverty are discussed.

The economics of educational opportunity

The extent to which economic factors can explain private decisions about staying on at school beyond minimum school leaving age and about going on to higher education is considered. The pattern of continuing education by age and by class is described: most terminate their full-time education at the earliest opportunity but a higher proportion of those with middle-class parents stay on. Differences in private rates of return to the student to staying on at school and to university offer an explanation for the lower proportion dropping out of education at the end of school than at minimum school leaving age. Private rates of return do not explain the variation in the pattern of continuing education between social classes. Costs to parents of continuing their childs education are considered for model families at different income levels. These costs, relative to income level, offer a possible explanation for differences in continuing education between socio-economic groups, and may be an important barrier to equal educational opportunity.