Overview

This poignant book examines poverty, wealth and inequality in the UK, and provides insight into its history, its present-day forms and possible routes to its eradication. Understanding Society: Poverty, Wealth and Inequality in the UK responds to the issue of wealth inequality within society, noting that it is not an innate part of the human experience, but a phenomenon which is constructed by economic and social circumstances. Starting with Thomas Malthus' interrogation of the 'natural right of the poor to full support in [...] society' as a starting point, and moving on to more contemporary economic approaches the authors go on to examine the various forms of wealth inequality in the UK, using the Understanding Society Dataset to ground their findings in quantitative evidence. The book concludes with an assessment of what is required to potentially end poverty in the UK, and a call to apply evidence-based research to the reshaping of social policy in the UK. This book is an excellent resource for students, policy makers and lecturers seeking a greater understanding of poverty, wealth and inequality in the UK. It will be of particular interest to those working in or studying the fields of human geography, economics and social policy.