Poverty and Social Exclusion
Reporting research, examining policy, stimulating debate
Research
PSE 2011
Poverty and Social Exclusion in the United Kingdom is a major research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Launched in May 2010, the research will be completed in 2013.
This project is the largest of its kind ever carried out in the UK and will be investigating:
- What are the best methods for measuring poverty, deprivation, social exclusion and standard of living?
- How are the different dimensions of poverty, deprivation and social exclusion related?
- What is the current extent and nature of poverty and how has it changed?
- What policies best address these problems?
Two major surveys will be carried out in 2011:
- An investigation into the public's perceptions of necessities and attitudes to the poor.
- A large-scale survey of living standards to examine the nature, extent and causes of deprivation and social exclusion.
The research will develop and repeat the 'Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey in Britain in 1999' (funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation), which itself followed 'Breadline Britain in the 1990s' and 'Breadline Britain 1983'. It will therefore be the fourth in a series of nationally representative surveys that use a consensual measure of minimum necessary living standards and direct measures of material and social deprivation rather than solely relying on proxy income data. A similar PSE survey was carried out in Northern Ireland (PSENI) in 2002/3.
A summary of the aims of this research as set out in the ESRC bid can be found in Poverty and social exclusion in the UK: ten years into the new millennium.
The project team is formed of leading researchers from University of Bristol, Heriot-Watt University, The Open University, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Glasgow and the University of York working with the National Centre for Social Research and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Working with the project research team will be the PSE UK advisory board and the PSE International Advisory Board.
We’ll be following the ESRC Poverty and Social Exclusion in the United Kingdom research project, posting research papers, background briefings and preliminary findings.
Presentations on this research have been made to:
- The Scottish Government by David Gordon and by Glen Bramley
- Asia University, Taiwan by David Gordon
- Public Health Information Network, Scotland by Nick Bailey
- The Open University by Joanna Mack
Necessities survey
The Poverty and Social Exclusion surveys pioneered using public opinion to set minimum living standards. We are again asking people which items and activities from a range of aspects of our living standards should be seen as necessities.
It would be great if you could take part. Any personal details will be kept completely confidential.
PSE News
Children's well being
Around half a million children in the UK in the eight to 15 age range have a low sense of well-being at any one time according to a major research study by The Children's Society.
Around half a million children in the UK in the eight to 15 age range have a low sense of well-being at any one time according to a major research study by The Children's Society.
Niemietz review
A New Understanding of Poverty by Kristian Niemietz suggests decoupling poverty measures from economic growth. Stewart Lansley and Joanna Mack take issue.
A New Understanding of Poverty by Kristian Niemietz suggests decoupling poverty measures from economic growth. Stewart Lansley and Joanna Mack take issue.
Redefining poverty?
The Government, having missed the legal deadline as required by the 2010 Child Poverty Act, is expected to publish its Child Poverty Strategy shortly. In the meantime, there has been much speculation about its plans. Will it downgrade the goal of abolishing financial poverty? Stewart Lansley sets the background
The Government, having missed the legal deadline as required by the 2010 Child Poverty Act, is expected to publish its Child Poverty Strategy shortly. In the meantime, there has been much speculation about its plans. Will it downgrade the goal of abolishing financial poverty? Stewart Lansley sets the background
The ‘squeezed middle’ and the ‘poor’
Middle and low income households have missed out on increases in prosperity in the last three decades with the gains going to the rich. As a result the numbers vulnerable to poverty are rising, argues Stewart Lansley.
Middle and low income households have missed out on increases in prosperity in the last three decades with the gains going to the rich. As a result the numbers vulnerable to poverty are rising, argues Stewart Lansley.
Contact us
If you'd like to stay in touch with our research, make comments or suggest ideas, please contact us.
PSE 2011 is a major collaboration between the University of Bristol, Heriot-Watt University, The Open University, Queen's University Belfast, University of Glasgow and the University of York working with the National Centre for Social Research and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
An ESRC Research Programme
