Poverty in the United Kingdom

A Survey of Househould Resources and Standards of Living

Peter Townsend

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN: 9780520325760
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

Poverty in the United Kingdom: A Survey of Household Resources and Standards of Living by Peter Townsend stands as a landmark study in understanding the breadth and depth of poverty in Britain during the mid-20th century. Grounded in an extensive national survey conducted in 1968-69, Townsend employs rigorous empirical methods to unravel the structural causes of inequality, rather than relying on transient or anecdotal observations. By introducing innovative measures of deprivation and relative inequality, the book not only provides a snapshot of societal disparities but also critiques existing frameworks that inadequately capture the lived experiences of the economically marginalized.

The book’s findings remain remarkably relevant despite the passage of decades, as Townsend argues that the fundamental social structures sustaining inequality change minimally over time. His analysis traverses key themes such as the distribution of wealth, income, and resources, and he critiques institutional practices that perpetuate socioeconomic divides. Townsend’s work goes beyond documenting poverty to challenge prevailing narratives about wealth distribution, revealing the often concealed mechanisms through which privilege is maintained. This pivotal text is indispensable for policymakers, researchers, and anyone committed to addressing the enduring challenge of inequality in modern societies.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents 1
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction: Concepts of Poverty and Deprivation
• 2 Theories of Poverty
• 3 Methods of Research
• 4 Inequality and Poverty, 1938-68
• 5 The Concept and Distribution of Resources
• 6 Three Measures of Poverty
• 7 The Incidence of Poverty
• 8 The Impact of Poverty
• 9 The Rich
• 1 Social Class and Styles of Living
• 11 Objective and Subjective Deprivation
• 12 Deprivation at Work
• 13 Deprivation in Housing
• 14 Deprivation of Environment
• 15 The Problems of Poor Areas
• 16 Social Minorities
• 17 The Unemployed and the Sub-employed
• 18 The Low Paid
• 19 The Older Worker
• 20 Disabled People and the Long-term Sick
• 21 Handicapped Children
• 22 One-Parent Families
• 23 Old People
• 24 Eligibility for Supplementary Benefit
• 25 The Failure of Means-tested Benefits
• 26 Conclusion I: The Social Distribution of Poverty and Trends in the 1970s
• 27 Conclusion II: The Explanation and Elimination of Poverty
• Appendix One Methods of Sampling
• Appendix Two Representativeness of the Sample
• Appendix Three Eligibility for Supplementary Benefit
• Appendix Four The Value to Families of the Social Services
• Appendix Five Some Definitions
• Appendix Six The Social Grading of Occupations
• Appendix Seven Note on the Adjustment of Sample Findings
• Appendix Eight Additional Tables
• Appendix Nine Commentary on the Survey and the Questionnaire
• Appendix Ten
• Appendix Eleven Statistical Tests
• Appendix Twelve Method of Adjusting Distribution of Assets
• Appendix Thirteen Multiple Deprivation
• List of References
• Index