Book Description

Poverty is being rediscovered as a major issue in capitalist societies. The recent emphasis on economic growth is being superseded by a concern about the distribution of income and wealth and the large and ever increasing disparities between rich and poor. The authors argue that poverty amidst affluence is both economically and politically unacceptable.This important new book attempts to provide a theoretical and empirical basis for understanding poverty issues in Britain and America. It addresses four major questions. First, how much poverty is there in Britain and the US today and how have the numbers and proportions of the poor changed during the last 30 years? Second, why are there so many people in poverty? Which of the various theories offer the best explanation? Third, why is the extent of poverty higher in the US than in Britain despite its higher economic affluence? Fourth, what kind of policies are necessary to reduce substantially the numbers of the poor? How likely are these policies to be introduced in the 1990s?Poverty Amidst Affluence offers a serious challenge to social policy in the 1990s. As the most up-to-date study of social deprivation, it will be essential reading for all students of social policy, sociology and political science interested in this very important problem.