Chapter Three A measurement of human progress
Abstract
This chapter is taken from Richard Titmuss’s book, Birth, poverty and wealth. It anticipates much later work on child mortality in pointing out that the deaths of very young children are often the most sensitive indicator of social conditions: death rates in early childhood show the biggest social class differences. It points out that the progressive equalisation of life-chances in a ‘civilised’ society cannot be assumed; on the contrary, the differential in infant mortality by social class has widened over the previous twenty years. It notes that later researchers would agree with Titmuss on the two main causes of infant death identified in the book: poverty and ‘insanitary urbanisation’. It also observes that diet, a concern of Titmuss’s in Poverty and population, continues to show a pronounced and increasing class differential, with differences in nutrient intake related to income even within low income classes.
Abstract
This chapter is taken from Richard Titmuss’s book, Birth, poverty and wealth. It anticipates much later work on child mortality in pointing out that the deaths of very young children are often the most sensitive indicator of social conditions: death rates in early childhood show the biggest social class differences. It points out that the progressive equalisation of life-chances in a ‘civilised’ society cannot be assumed; on the contrary, the differential in infant mortality by social class has widened over the previous twenty years. It notes that later researchers would agree with Titmuss on the two main causes of infant death identified in the book: poverty and ‘insanitary urbanisation’. It also observes that diet, a concern of Titmuss’s in Poverty and population, continues to show a pronounced and increasing class differential, with differences in nutrient intake related to income even within low income classes.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents III
- Sources of extracts V
- Introduction 1
-
The family, poverty and population
- The nation’s wealth 17
- The summation of poverty 23
- A measurement of human progress 25
- The position of women 31
-
The ‘welfare state’
- The welfare state: Images and realities 49
- The social division of welfare: Some reflections on the search for equity 59
- War and social policy 71
- Unfinished business 81
-
Redistribution, universality and inequality
- The role of redistribution in social policy 103
- Welfare state and welfare society 113
- Social welfare and the art of giving 125
-
Power, policy and privilege
- The irresponsible society 141
- The need for a new approach 159
-
International and comparative dimensions
- The international perspective 175
- Developing social policy in conditions of rapid change: The role of social welfare 185
-
The subject of social policy
- The subject of social administration 199
- What is social policy? 209
- Values and choices 215
- Bibliography 219
- Index 239
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents III
- Sources of extracts V
- Introduction 1
-
The family, poverty and population
- The nation’s wealth 17
- The summation of poverty 23
- A measurement of human progress 25
- The position of women 31
-
The ‘welfare state’
- The welfare state: Images and realities 49
- The social division of welfare: Some reflections on the search for equity 59
- War and social policy 71
- Unfinished business 81
-
Redistribution, universality and inequality
- The role of redistribution in social policy 103
- Welfare state and welfare society 113
- Social welfare and the art of giving 125
-
Power, policy and privilege
- The irresponsible society 141
- The need for a new approach 159
-
International and comparative dimensions
- The international perspective 175
- Developing social policy in conditions of rapid change: The role of social welfare 185
-
The subject of social policy
- The subject of social administration 199
- What is social policy? 209
- Values and choices 215
- Bibliography 219
- Index 239
