Six Improving lives? Child poverty and social exclusion
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Gill Main
Abstract
This chapter details findings on child poverty and social exclusion from the 2012 UK Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey (PSE2012).It details the turbulent policy context in relation to child poverty in the years between the PSE1999 and PSE2012.It details the stability in perceptions of child necessities over time, and adult perspectives on children’s needs in 2012.The use of adult respondents in research on child poverty, and the implications of this in relation to how data can be interpreted, are detailed – and we recommend the inclusion of children in future similar studies.Findings indicate disturbingly high levels of child poverty in the UK, within a policy context which is likely to exacerbate this even further.Contrary to policy and popular rhetoric, we find no support for the idea that parental behaviours rather than ‘genuine’ poverty are the cause of children going without.Rather, parents are making substantial and personally detrimental sacrifices to ensure that their children are provided for.
Abstract
This chapter details findings on child poverty and social exclusion from the 2012 UK Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey (PSE2012).It details the turbulent policy context in relation to child poverty in the years between the PSE1999 and PSE2012.It details the stability in perceptions of child necessities over time, and adult perspectives on children’s needs in 2012.The use of adult respondents in research on child poverty, and the implications of this in relation to how data can be interpreted, are detailed – and we recommend the inclusion of children in future similar studies.Findings indicate disturbingly high levels of child poverty in the UK, within a policy context which is likely to exacerbate this even further.Contrary to policy and popular rhetoric, we find no support for the idea that parental behaviours rather than ‘genuine’ poverty are the cause of children going without.Rather, parents are making substantial and personally detrimental sacrifices to ensure that their children are provided for.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- Notes on contributors xi
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Introduction: poverty and social exclusion in the UK 1
- Measuring poverty in the UK 17
- The impoverishment of youth: poverty, deprivation and social exclusion among young adults in the UK 41
- Improvement for some: poverty and social exclusion among older people and pensioners 61
- Which men and women are poor? Gender, poverty and social exclusion 95
- Better understandings of ethnic variations: ethnicity, poverty and social exclusion 115
- Improving lives? Child poverty and social exclusion 135
- The cost of children: parents, poverty, and social support 155
- A worsening picture: poverty and social exclusion and disabled people 173
- Devolution and North/South division: poverty and social exclusion in the countries and regions of the UK 193
- More similarities than differences: poverty and social exclusion in rural and urban locations 219
- Conclusion: innovating methods, informing policy and challenging stigma 239
- Technical appendix 257
- Index 259
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables and figures vii
- Notes on contributors xi
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Introduction: poverty and social exclusion in the UK 1
- Measuring poverty in the UK 17
- The impoverishment of youth: poverty, deprivation and social exclusion among young adults in the UK 41
- Improvement for some: poverty and social exclusion among older people and pensioners 61
- Which men and women are poor? Gender, poverty and social exclusion 95
- Better understandings of ethnic variations: ethnicity, poverty and social exclusion 115
- Improving lives? Child poverty and social exclusion 135
- The cost of children: parents, poverty, and social support 155
- A worsening picture: poverty and social exclusion and disabled people 173
- Devolution and North/South division: poverty and social exclusion in the countries and regions of the UK 193
- More similarities than differences: poverty and social exclusion in rural and urban locations 219
- Conclusion: innovating methods, informing policy and challenging stigma 239
- Technical appendix 257
- Index 259
