Six Social justice for children: investigating and eradicating child poverty
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Ruth Lister
Abstract
This chapter stresses that Peter did not separate child poverty out from the wider issues of poverty and privilege as a discrete problem, which could be solved without addressing the underlying structures of inequality that maintain social injustice. It observes that this lifelong belief is frequently demonstrated, for example, notably in Poverty in the UK, in which Peter attributed the experience of poverty by women and children to structural disadvantage, not to ‘personal characteristics’, up until his final work on international poverty which uses the language of human rights to shift the debate from the personal failures of the poor to failures at the macro level of national governments and international organisations. It sets out the major challenges which need to be addressed in the continuing fight to end child poverty.
Abstract
This chapter stresses that Peter did not separate child poverty out from the wider issues of poverty and privilege as a discrete problem, which could be solved without addressing the underlying structures of inequality that maintain social injustice. It observes that this lifelong belief is frequently demonstrated, for example, notably in Poverty in the UK, in which Peter attributed the experience of poverty by women and children to structural disadvantage, not to ‘personal characteristics’, up until his final work on international poverty which uses the language of human rights to shift the debate from the personal failures of the poor to failures at the macro level of national governments and international organisations. It sets out the major challenges which need to be addressed in the continuing fight to end child poverty.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Preface viii
- Notes on contributors ix
- The legacy of Peter Townsend 1
- The making of a pioneer researcher: reflections from Peter Townsend’s life story 29
- Peter Townsend, a man ahead of his time: re-reading The family life of old people and The last refuge 59
- The case for universal child benefit 79
- Poverty 91
- Social justice for children: investigating and eradicating child poverty 111
- For universalism and against the means test 133
- Underclass, overclass, ruling class, supernova class 153
- Addressing health inequalities: building on Peter Townsend’s legacy 175
- Towards a new sociology of ageing: from structured dependency to critical gerontology 193
- Disability: prospects for social inclusion 223
- Putting the lawyers in their place: the role of human rights in the struggle against poverty 241
- Radicalising social policy in the 21st century: a global approach 257
- Conclusion: building on the legacy of Peter Townsend 275
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Preface viii
- Notes on contributors ix
- The legacy of Peter Townsend 1
- The making of a pioneer researcher: reflections from Peter Townsend’s life story 29
- Peter Townsend, a man ahead of his time: re-reading The family life of old people and The last refuge 59
- The case for universal child benefit 79
- Poverty 91
- Social justice for children: investigating and eradicating child poverty 111
- For universalism and against the means test 133
- Underclass, overclass, ruling class, supernova class 153
- Addressing health inequalities: building on Peter Townsend’s legacy 175
- Towards a new sociology of ageing: from structured dependency to critical gerontology 193
- Disability: prospects for social inclusion 223
- Putting the lawyers in their place: the role of human rights in the struggle against poverty 241
- Radicalising social policy in the 21st century: a global approach 257
- Conclusion: building on the legacy of Peter Townsend 275
- Index 303
