- Department: Social Policy and Social Work
- Module co-ordinator: Dr. Naomi Finch
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
This module focus on income poverty and income inequality in the UK and across nations, though with a primary focus on OECD (i.e. high-income) countries. The module will enable you to understand competing definitions of poverty and inequality, the impacts of poverty and inequality, and the various ways of measuring poverty and inequality including both historical and contemporary measures. You will gain hands on experience in how the decisions made in these respects impact upon headline figures in the UK and comparatively across nations and in exploring this data yourself in order to unpack the impacts of poverty and inequality.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
Preventing poverty, and the negative outcomes associated with it is a key purpose of the welfare state. Yet, how to define and measure poverty are hotly debated issues. Definitions of poverty matter. They determine whether individuals, households and particular groups have enough income or material goods to a level for them to live in a manner deemed fair and acceptable for the society in which they live. Moreover, the definition adopted determines appropriate policy responses to prevent and lift people out of poverty. Similar arguments apply to inequality, which has become increasingly central to contemporary debate. This module will enable you to understand competing definitions of poverty and inequality, the impacts of poverty and inequality, and the various ways of measuring poverty and inequality including both historical and contemporary measures. You will gain hands on experience in how the decisions made in these respects impact upon headline figures in the UK and comparatively across nations.
This module is broken into two parts: the first is traditional lecture and seminar format, where key debates are explored, while the second is centred around 'hands on' workshops where we explore poverty and inequality using key data sets.
Indicative session themes include:
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Project |
N/A | 100 |
None
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Project |
N/A | 100 |
Students will normally receive feedback within four weeks of submitting their essay. Feedback will be via the Department's standard marking matrix.
Alcock. P (2006) Understanding Poverty. London: Palgrave.
Ridge, T and Wright, S (Eds) (2008) Understanding Poverty, Inequality and Wealth. Bristol: The Policy Press.
Pickett, K. and Wilkinson, R. (2010) The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. London: Penguin.