Stephen McKay

Lone motherhood and socio-economic disadvantage: Insights from quantitative and qualitative evidence

Childrens socio-economic origins have a major impact on their socio-economic destinations. But what effect do they have on other kinds of destinations, such as family life? In this article we assess the extent and nature of the relationship between social class background and lone motherhood, using a combination of research methods. We analyse three large datasets and explore in detail qualitative information from 44 in-depth interviews. Our analysis shows that women from working class backgrounds are more likely to become lone mothers (especially never-married lone mothers) than women from middle class backgrounds. Moreover, the experience of lone motherhood is very different for women from working class backgrounds compared with other women.

Does volunteering improve employability? Insights from the British Household Panel Survey and beyond

Policy interest in the role of volunteering as a route to employment is enduring, with an assumption that links between volunteering, employability and employment are positive and straightforward. This has largely been supported by existing evidence, although there have been few longitudinal studies testing the theory. Analysing data from the British Household Panel Survey, we used multivariate techniques to explore the effects of volunteering on moves from being out of work into work; and on retention and wage progression for people in employment. We suggest that the relationship is complex: volunteering may have a positive effect on the labour market position of some individuals in some circumstances; for others it may have a negative, or no, effect. We offer some suggestions for the variations we found: the limitations of the dataset and our analysis; a limited concept of employability; and too narrow a view of volunteering and its impact.

Quantifying Quality: Can Quantitative Data (“Metrics”) Explain the 2001 RAE Ratings for Social Policy and Administration?

This paper finds that around 80 per cent of the differences in the ratings awarded in the 2001 RAE for social policy may be “explained” using half a dozen pieces of quantitative data. Social policy excellence—as judged by peer review—is associated with the award of doctorates, the amount of money raised, publications in a particular (if broad) range of journals and books by major publishers, and being large. Even taking account of differences on all these factors, the analysis found that new universities fared worse than their quantitative data would suggest. It is argued that quantitative data should play a larger role in decisions about research quality, aiding equity and transparency.

A dimming of the 'warm glow'? Are non-profit workers in the UK still more satisfied with their jobs than other workers?

Research has long shown that employees working for non-profit organisations report a higher level of job satisfaction than workers in other sectors. This chapter investigates trends in job satisfaction using longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey (1992–2008/2009), through models which contain detailed information on individual, job and organisational characteristics. We use fixed-effects ordered-logit models to investigate job satisfaction taking account of our panel structure and the nature of the job satisfaction dependent variable. The results suggest an important, non-profit premium in job satisfaction which, contradicting the apparent bivariate evidence, is not changing over time (in appropriate models) – the warm glow of higher job satisfaction remains.

Disability, partnership and parenting

Partnerships and parenthood can have important effects on economic, social and psychological well-being. We provide new long-term analysis of how disability affects both parental status and partnerships. Analysis of the new Life Opportunities Survey, which is based on social model approaches, demonstrates that disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to face disadvantages in terms of family formation. Disabled people are more likely to remain single over time, although there is less evidence for any differences in rates of relationship breakdown for those who enter them. Allied to these conclusions, disabled adults are less likely to form households where there are dependent children. These conclusions are supported by longitudinal results from the British Household Panel Survey.

Is there a paradox of lower job satisfaction among trade union members? European evidence

In most of the literature on industrial relations, union members are found to be less satisfied with their jobs than non-members. Analysts have applied various statistical and econometric approaches to try to resolve what seems like a paradoxical finding, with mixed results, using theories based on selection bias and ‘exit-voice’ considerations. We review this literature, and note that most empirical studies are from only a few countries – especially the US and the UK. Analysis of a wider range of 18 countries participating in the large-scale European Social Survey in both 2006 and 2010 finds that trade union members generally tend to express higher rather than lower job satisfaction than others, although results differ by country. We use regression models (ordinal logistic) to show that union membership is generally associated with higher job satisfaction, even after controlling for individual, job and workplace differences. Attempts to link the union factor in job satisfaction to typologies of countries, either by welfare regime or extent of collective bargaining coverage, have not been able to address the puzzle of why a negative link persists in a few countries, but not in most.

Response 1: Scientific Method in Social Policy Research Is Not a Lost Cause

In ‘Generalisation and phronesis’, Paul Spicker argues that the methodology of empirical research in social policy would be improved by drawing on Aristotles concept of phronesis (φρόνησις) – which is generally translated as practical wisdom or prudence. He argues against versions of generalisation that rely on cause-and-effect, whether through deductive or inductive means. He maintains, however, that social policy research must still aim at making generalisations, for which he recommends the application of phronesis.

Where do we stand on inequality? Reflections on recent research and its implications

This article reviews and updates research on inequality of incomes in the UK, public views about inequality, and the evidence on inequality of opportunities revealed through studies of social mobility. In recent years, there has been a significant number of new research studies on inequality, encompassing work in economics and sociology, as well as social policy. This article proceeds in three sections. First, I briefly outline the changing level of income inequality in the UK. Second, I consider public attitudes towards income inequality in general, and attitudes to policy measures to reduce inequality. Third, I consider research contributions on social mobility. This has been a prominent topic, and one in which political discourse has been less reticent than towards inequality in general, and income inequality in particular (Stewart, 2009). This may be partly because the expansion of the service class that made possible high rates of absolute social mobility in the past has ceased, turning greater attention towards relative rates of social mobility.

The prevalence and distribution of high salaries in English and Welsh charities

There has recently been public discussion of the rewards available to senior staff in English and Welsh charities. However, that discussion is usually based on examples of individual salaries, or on unrepresentative and small subsets of the charity population. To provide a robust and informed basis for debate, we have conducted analyses of evidence on the payment of high salaries (defined as the numbers of people paid above £60 000 p.a., a reporting threshold used by the Charity Commission) in (a) a representative sample of c.10 000 English and Welsh charities, and (b) surveys of individuals regarding comparative salary levels in different sectors of the economy. Overall, survey data shows that the proportion of staff in receipt of high salaries is lower than average in the third sector than in other sectors. Information from charity annual accounts is used to demonstrate which charities are more likely than others to pay such salaries, and to relate the likelihood of paying high salaries to charity characteristics (income, location, and subsector). We show that the distribution of high pay in the charitable sector is largely a function of the size and complexity of organisations, and is generally unrelated to subsector or income mix.

Disabilità e tipologie familiari: note dal Regno Unito per la comprensione delle dinamiche familiari della povertà

Disability and Family Forms: Messages from the UK for Understanding Family Poverty Dynamics - There is limited evidence concerning the effect of impairment and disability experiences on the dynamics of family forms. We can summarise, from large cross-sectional data including the 2001 Census, that having a disability is associated with lower rates of marriage, controlling for age, and having fewer children. Some impairments appear to have very large effects. Our analysis then draws on longitudinal data from BHPS and FACS and suggests that for some disabled people there are significant barriers in accessing partnerships and parenting. This increased likelihood of lone parenting amongst disabled adults and parents of disabled children is of note in relation to a range of policy areas, including maternal employment, care (including parenting), child care and economic well-being. Our analysis also considers movements into and out of poverty; some of the effects of disability occur through a higher risk of poverty, but there remain effects attributable specifically to disability.