Pamphlet investigating the impact of UK Government policy on four groups of economically inactive people, young people, those aged between 50 and 65, lone parents and disabled people. It concludes schemes such as the New Deal have not worked for these groups and suggests ways in which policy might be made more effective.
Study exploring social problems and changing perceptions of them in Britain since 1904. The periods covered include Edwardian Britain (1901-1910), the First World War and after (1914-1930s), planning and post-war reconstruction (late 1930s-early 1960s), the later twentieth century (1960s-90s) and the twenty-first century.
In a contribution to the JRF's 'social evils' series, Jose Harris examines social problems and changing perceptions of them since 1904. Social evils, such as hunger and destitution, were seen by the Victorians as unavoidable. Joseph Rowntree's more positive philosophy promoted social research and intervention to transform 'social evils' into less malign 'social problems' that could be cured. However, some of these problems have subsequently reappeared.
Report investigating the extent of the social and economic costs associated with the issue of socially excluded young people in the UK and concluding that interventions helping young people get into employment, education or training can considerably reduce the costs of social exclusion.
Paper offering a critique of the New Deal scheme for the unemployed in the UK. It argues that the policy can be made more effective if the structure of the welfare-to-work system is changed to more closely reflect economic realities. It recommends aligning the institutions of the welfare-to-work system with the needs of employers and the disadvantaged which should have the effect of providing better jobs for the low-skilled and better workers for the private sector.
Report providing an overview of the conditionality-based welfare systems in the United States, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Norway and comparing these with the UK system to see if they hold any lessons for the welfare system in the UK.
Survey assessing what progress has been made in alleviating social problems in the areas of welfare, employment, education, health, crime and community.
Britain’s Poorest Children Revisited focuses on the experience of severe and persistent child poverty in the UK during the period 1994- 2002. The report begins by examining trends in childhood experience of severe and non-severe poverty between 1994 and 2002, with particular reference to changes after 1997, when new policies were introduced to address the problem of child poverty in the UK.
Paper reporting on the proceedings of a conference on the impact ten years of devolution has had on the problems of poverty and inequality in Scotland. The report records the views of the main speakers and contains the recommendations coming out of the conference.
This paper examines the implications of increasing migration to rural areas, looking in particular at the economics of this phenomenon. A mixed methodology was used including a literature review, analysis of national population and economic datasets, surveys and focus groups with migrants in rural areas and interviews with key informants. The roles migrants play in rural areas are explored, as are the economic impacts of migration on existing populations and businesses, and what future migratory trends might be.