AS Sociology Unit 1 (SCLY1) ‘Wealth, Poverty and Welfare’

1. This module is worth 40% of your AS grade AS Sociology Unit 1 (SCLY1) ‘Wealth, Poverty and Welfare’

2. Topics: • Defining poverty • Measuring poverty • Who are the poor? • Cultural explanations of poverty • Structural explanations of poverty • The functionalist explanation of poverty • Solutions to poverty • Defining and measuring wealth and income • The distribution of wealth and income • The post-war welfare state (1945-1979) • The New Right welfare state (1979-1997) • The New Labour welfare state (1997-2010) • The Coalition government welfare state (2010+) • Welfare pluralism • Revision and exam preparation

3. Topic 1: Defining Poverty (AO1) • A subjective term: • Are people with large mortgages poor because they owe thousands of pounds? • If you are ‘overdrawn’ are you poor? • Are you poor if you can’t afford to go clubbing this weekend? • Are you poor if you can’t afford a car? • Are all homeless people poor?

4. Definitions of Poverty (AO1) • Absolute: lack of basic needs such as food, water and shelter. • Relative: being poor in comparison to the majority of people in your society. • Multiple deprivation AKA consensual: lacking in a number of things (not just money) which are agreed upon by people other than the sociologist. • Social exclusion: the inability to fully participate in society, caused by low income, unemployment, poor housing, bad neighbourhoods. • Environmental poverty: when the local area is either polluted, destroyed or dangerous.

5. Problems of Using an ‘Absolute’ Definition: • What is a basic need? 1 glass of water? 2 litres? Food that fills you up? Food that contains essential nutrients? The amounts of food and water depend on age and climate. • Ignores social needs (friendship, hobbies) • It is a measure of destitution, not poverty (according to this definition, you’d have to be in danger of death to be poor!) • It hides the extent of relative poverty – the numbers of people in absolute poverty are very low in the UK – but thousands of people experience relative poverty. If sociologists use the absolute definition, then the government may think that poverty is declining and nothing needs to be done.

6. Problems of Using the ‘Relative’ Definition of Poverty (AO2) • It is a measure of inequality, not poverty. E.g.. it is ‘the norm’ to have a family car, but lacking a car doesn’t mean you are poor. • Can’t compare poverty in different countries – the norm will always be different. • Could inflate/exaggerate the true extent of poverty – using this definition means poverty will never disappear in any modern capitalist society.

8. Topic 2: Measuring Poverty (AO1) • Rowntree – measured absolute poverty • Calculated basic needs • Made a total weekly cost • This becomes the poverty line • Those below poverty line are poor • Also distinguished between primary and secondary poverty

9. Criticisms of Rowntree’s Concept (AO2) • Different shops charge different prices! • Rowntree calculated costs of cheapest nutritious foods – not many people have knowledge of nutritious value of all foods.

10. Measuring Poverty (AO1) • Townsend – measured relative poverty • Social surveys, large scale, geographically representative • Called his survey a deprivation index • Asked respondents if they lacked things such as: • Warm waterproof coat • Use of bath and/or shower • A cooked breakfast each morning • A weekly Sunday joint • Birthday party for children • Those who lacked 4+ items were at risk of relative poverty

11. Criticisms of Townsend’s Concept (AO2) • Are vegetarians poor? • Questions are subjective • Ignores the fact that some people choose not to have certain things.

12. Measuring Poverty (AO1) • Mack and Lansley – studied multiple deprivation • Provided list of household items • Asked volunteers to rank these in order of importance • This is called the consensual approach because the sociologists do not decide which items are important – a group of people agree on this instead. • Those lacking a number of the most important items due to lack of money are said to be experiencing multiple deprivation.

13. The Millennium Survey (AO1) • Carried out by Bristol University researchers • Aimed to measure the extent of both poverty and social exclusion • Three million adults and 400,000 children are underfed in the UK • Nine million people can’t afford good housing. • 10m adults and 1m children can’t participate in leisure activities. • They believe the government should do more to help the poor.

14. The Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (AO1) • Social Exclusion Unit – set up by the New Labour government to monitor and reduce the amount of social exclusion in the UK • But the government never put a figure on how many people are ‘socially excluded’ – instead, the Unit looked at individual indicators of exclusion (numbers of unemployed people, homeless people, teenage pregnancies etc)

15. Problems of using official statistics to measure wealth and/or poverty (AO1 and AO2) • No overall figures are given • Can’t look at changes in individuals’ lives • The sample could change each year – this may affect the amount of poverty found • A Marxist might argue that the government will only publish positive findings! • Official figures on wealth are hard to obtain – some sociologists have to rely on values of estates left by the deceased.

16. Topic 3: Who are the Poor? (AO1) • Women • Children • Ethnic minorities • The elderly • The unemployed • Those with disabilities • The working class • Lone parents • Anyone could experience poverty at some point in their life. • However, the following social groups are most at risk from poverty:

17. Reasons why Women may be Poor (AO1) • Low pay – women earn 83% of the average male wage – this could be due to patriarchy in the workplace (the glass ceiling effect) • More likely than men to work part time or take career breaks to raise children • May go without themselves to provide for/treat their children • May have to pay for childcare out of wages Overall, feminists believe in the feminisation of poverty.

18. Reasons why Children may be Poor (AO1) • Living in a lone parent family – only one wage earner • Both parents may be unemployed – benefit rates are low • Child Benefit does not cover cost of raising children!

19. Reasons why some Minority Ethnic Groups are Poor (AO1) • High chance of unemployment due to employer discrimination • Likely to be low paid, possibly due to low educational qualifications • Language barriers – problem with application forms etc • Religious beliefs may prevent some types of jobs/shift patterns • Less likely to stay on at school/go to uni (possibly due to racism) and therefore under-qualified for top jobs.

20. Reasons why the elderly may be poor (AO1) • State pensions are low • Unemployment due to employer discrimination (ageism) • Cost of care (some people sell their homes to pay for retirement home care)

21. Reasons why the Unemployed may be Poor (AO1) • State benefits are low • Low educational qualifications may prevent people from finding work • Immediate gratification – may not have savings to fall back on

22. Reasons why some People with Disabilitiesmay be Poor (AO1) • If unable to work, state benefits are low • Unemployment due to employer discrimination (‘disability-ism’!) • Extra costs for health care/equipment

23. Reasons why the Working Class are Poor (AO1) • Low pay – may only receive minimum wage • Immediate gratification – may not have savings to fall back on • Jobs may be temporary/unstable resulting in unemployment • Low educational qualifications prevent people from taking up high paid jobs

24. Reasons why Lone Parents may be Poor (AO1) • Only one wage-earner in household • May be reliant on state benefits, which are low • Cost of childcare • 9/10 lone parents are female – women are paid less then men

25. Task: • Produce a summary table to consolidate your learning, using the following headings:

26. Topic 4:Cultural Explanations of Poverty • Sasha is 19. • She has a three-year-old son and a baby daughter. • She lives in a flat provided by the council, in Plymouth • She does not work because she has to look after the children • Therefore she receives income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit • The children’s father does not come to see them very often • Sasha is struggling to afford healthy food and toys for the children • Why is she poor?

27. Cultural explanations Because she chose to have children too young Because she wont get a job Because she isn't budgeting properly Because she isn't with her children’s father Structural explanations Her benefits aren’t high enough She isn't getting support for child care She cant go back to education due to lack of child care Possible answers

28. What is a cultural explanation of poverty? (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of cultural explanations of deprivation and poverty • One that blames the existence and persistence of poverty on the individual’s culture/behaviour/way of life. • Also known as: Right-wing explanations Dependency explanations • The New Right perspective and the Culture of Poverty theory agrees with this view.

29. Lewis (1968) – The Culture of Poverty Theory (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of cultural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Studied a poor community in South America • Found their way of life was keeping them in poverty • Children were taught different norms and values from mainstream society: • ‘Fatalism’ – acceptance of their situation, rather trying to change it • ‘Immediate gratification’ – spend any money they had immediately – did not save up for the future or stay on at school. • Therefore, poor children grew up to be poor adults, who then brought up the next generation of poor children…

30. Lewis’ description of the poor (AO1) • “they have a low level of literacy and education” • They “make very little use of banks, hospitals, department stores, museums or art galleries” • “hatred of the police, mistrust of government”

31. Create your ‘culture of poverty’ diagram here

32. Lewis (1968) – The Culture of Poverty Theory Criticisms (AO2) • Can this study be applied to modern day UK? • How do you measure/study norms and values? – could be a subjective interpretation. • Ignores the lack of jobs and lack of education at that time

33. The New Right Perspective: Charles Murray (AO1) • A political and sociological perspective • Associated with ‘Thatcherism’ from the 1980s • A ‘right wing’ approach: • capitalism is the best way to run the economy • People should be allowed to make as much money as they like • The government should not interfere • ‘lazy’ people should not be dependent on government benefits! • Charles Murray – US sociologist that came to UK to see if we have an ‘underclass’

34. The Underclass Theory (AO1) • Objective: To gain an understanding of cultural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Most poverty is caused by the behaviour of the individual • There is no real reason for people in the UK to be poor – we have free education and lots of available jobs • There is a section of the population, however, who don’t want to work. • These are the underclass • 3 indicators of the underclass: illegitimacy, violent crime, economic inactivity • In other words, unmarried mothers and unemployed males have only themselves to blame if they are poor.

35. Wider reading opportunity! • Murray’s original articles plus articles from other sociologists about poverty can be downloaded here for free! • http://www.civitas.org.uk/books/openAccess.php • Charles Murray and the Underclass • Underclass + 10

36. Quotes from Murray (AO1) • He is “a visitor from a plague area come to see whether the disease is spreading” • Young men who don’t work are “barbarians” • “in communities without fathers, the kids tend to run wild” • Describing his theory: “it is all horribly sexist, I know. It also happens to be true”.

37. Criticisms of Murray: (from the online article) (AO2) Gallie: no proof that the unemployed have different attitudes towards work than the employed – the underclass does not exist Kempson: “people who live on low incomes are not an underclass. They have aspirations just like others in society: they want a job; a decent home; and an income that is enough to pay the bills with a little to spare”. Alcock: Murray compares families today to a ‘golden Victorian era’ which didn’t actually exist – there have always been criminals and births outside of marriage!

38. General criticisms of Murray (AO2) • Ignores the lack of jobs in some reasons – people may not be unemployed out of choice! • ‘Victim blaming’ – poverty could be the fault of society/the government • The assumption that ‘marriage is best’ is subjective.

39. Topic 5: Structural Explanations of Poverty Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • A structural explanation blames the existence and persistence of poverty on wider society, or the government • Also known as: • Left wing explanations • Societal explanations • Marxists, social democrats and the cycle of deprivation theory all agree with this view.

40. The Marxist View of Poverty (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Poverty is caused by capitalism • Poverty is inevitable under capitalism • All the proletariat are poor • The bourgeoisie pay the proletariat low wages in order to maximise profit. • The proletariat suffer from false consciousness, thinking their wages are fair and reasonable.

41. Criticisms of the Marxist view of Poverty (AO2) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Not all proletariat are poor – what about footballers, actors and CEOS? • Marxists are looking at inequality, not poverty – and they are bound to find inequality in capitalist states • Assumes poverty will disappear under communism – but many communist states have severe poverty • Ignores recent policies designed to help the working class - National Minimum wage, tax credits etc

42. The Social Democratic View of Poverty (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • A political and sociological perspective • Believes capitalism is acceptable with government intervention • Government should provide range of benefits for the poor • The rich should pay high taxes to help the poor • Key sociologist: Frank Field

43. Field’s theory on the existence of poverty (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Poverty persists because of the poverty trap. • Defined as: “a situation whereby people are financially worse off if they take a job due to loss of benefits, cost of transport and cost of child care” • For example, if a lone parent takes a job at £6 per hour she will have to pay a child minder, pay for school meals, pay to travel to work and lose her benefits • So working would actually make her poorer!

44. Criticisms of Field’s Theory on the Existence of Poverty (AO2) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Since Field’s theory was published, New Labour pledged to abolish the poverty trap • Tax credits now exist • Sure start provides some free nursery places for 3-4 year olds • Murray would say that Field ignores the fact that there shouldn’t be lone parents in the first place, and that some people just don’t want a job.

45. The Cycle of Deprivation Theory (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Coates and Silburn (1970) • Studied St Ann’s in Nottingham – a ‘slum’ area • Found children were born into poverty (as per culture of poverty theory) but the poor had the same norms and values as mainstream society • Poverty was caused by low pay, lack of jobs, low quality schools and poor housing • Society is to blame for poverty, not the individual.

46. Create your ‘Cycle of Deprivation’ diagram here:Now explain the difference between the culture of poverty and the cycle of deprivation:

47. Criticisms of the Cycle of Deprivation Theory (AO2) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Can poverty really be blamed on a person’s surroundings? • All schools inspected by Ofsted – poor schools are closed down • Minimum wage and tax credits should prevent poverty • Assumes people have no free will to change their situation

49. Topic 6:The Functionalist Explanation of Poverty (AO1) Objective: To gain an understanding of structural explanations of deprivation and poverty • Herbert Gans (1971) • Poverty exists and persists because it is functional! • Poverty performs 13 functions – some for individuals and some for society • Examples: • Poverty creates jobs for the middle classes – police officers, social workers and such like • Poverty helps the economy - out-of-date food, last-season clothes and old cars are all bought by the poor! • Poverty ensures that all jobs are filled in society – the poor will take up dull/dangerous/dirty jobs that no one else wants!

50. Task: • List other possible functions of poverty here: • How can we use Davis and Moore’s study?