
Social Progress in Britain
Oxford University Press
Published on 27. September 2018
Book
Hardback
266 pages
978-0-19-880548-9 (ISBN)
Description
In his landmark 1942 report on social insurance Sir William Beveridge talked about the 'five giants on the road to reconstruction' -- the giants of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness.
Social Progress in Britain investigates how much progress Britain has made in tackling the challenges of material deprivation, ill-health, educational standards, lack of housing, and unemployment in the decades since Beveridge wrote. It also asks how progress in Britain compares with that of peer countries -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the USA. Has Britain been slipping behind? What has been the impact of the increased economic inequality which Britain experienced in the 1980s -- has rising economic inequality been mirrored by increasing inequalities in other areas of life too? Have there been increasing inequalities of opportunity between social classes, men and women, and different ethnic groups? And what have been the implications for Britain's sense of social cohesion?
Social Progress in Britain investigates how much progress Britain has made in tackling the challenges of material deprivation, ill-health, educational standards, lack of housing, and unemployment in the decades since Beveridge wrote. It also asks how progress in Britain compares with that of peer countries -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the USA. Has Britain been slipping behind? What has been the impact of the increased economic inequality which Britain experienced in the 1980s -- has rising economic inequality been mirrored by increasing inequalities in other areas of life too? Have there been increasing inequalities of opportunity between social classes, men and women, and different ethnic groups? And what have been the implications for Britain's sense of social cohesion?
Reviews / Votes
Anthony Heath has established a deserved reputation as a dispassionate authority on social change, integration, and social disadvantage. Social Progress in Britain shows both where we have moved forward and where we have slipped up. We all need to pay attention and raise our game. * Chuka Umunna, MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration * Social Progress in Britain should be compulsory reading for all policymakers, indeed for anyone who wants better to understand the trends in and drivers of social progress. Anthony Heath and his excellent co-authors at the Centre for Social Investigation bring out the facts clearly, compellingly and, perhaps, counter-intuitively showing that though major challenges remain, social progress in Britain has generally kept up with that in other countries. * Stephen Aldridge, Director for Analysis and Data, Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government * For decades Anthony Heath has challenged the cosy assumptions about Britain steadily becoming a fairer place for all to live and prosper in. His meticulous and unbiased research and analysis in this book shows that on key social performance indicators like life expectancy or racial discrimination, we are failing to fix disadvantage. We must all sit up, learn, and act on change. * Iqbal Wahhab, Chair, National Independent Advisory Group, Action on Race Equality in the Criminal Justice System * This book, by one of the worldas most respected social scientists, makes a powerful, evidence-based contribution to our understanding of the path that Britain has taken since Beveridge. This thoughtful analysis should be read by anyone who has an interest in the impact that policy has on tackling social inequalities, a desire to avoid the ideologically-driven or politically correct mistakes of the past, or a commitment to a fairer and more cohesive Britain. * Ray Shostak, formerly Head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit. *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-880548-9 (9780198805489)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Anthony F. Heath | Elizabeth Garratt | Ridhi Kashyap
Social Progress in Britain
E-Book
09/2018
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€17.99
Available for download

Anthony F. Heath | Elizabeth Garratt | Ridhi Kashyap
Social Progress in Britain
E-Book
09/2018
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€12.49
Available for download
Persons
Anthony F. Heath is the Director of the Centre for Social Investigation, Nuffield College, University of Oxford. His publications include The Political Integration of Ethnic Minorities in Britain (with Stephen D. Fisher, Gemma Rosenblatt, David Sanders, and Maria Sobolewska, OUP, 2013), Hard Times: Inequality, Recession, Aftermath (with Tom Clark, Yale University Press, 2015), and Unequal Attainments: Ethnic Educational Inequalities in Ten Western Countries (co-edited with Yael Brimbaum, Proceedings of the British Academy, OUP, 2014).
Author
Director, Centre for Social InvestigationDirector, Centre for Social Investigation, Nuffield College, Univeristy of Oxford
Content
1: Beveridge's Five Giants and other challenges to social progress
2: Anthony F. Heath, Elizabeth Garratt and Lindsay Richards: The fight against Want: material prosperity, inequality and poverty
3: Anthony F. Heath, Ridhi Kashyap and Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Disease: life expectancy, disease, and lifestyle
4: Lindsay Richards: The fight against Ignorance: participation, standards and non-economic outcomes
5: Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Squalor: overcrowding, homelessness and affordability
6: Anthony F. Heath, Yaojun Li and Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Idleness: unemployment and discouraged workers
7: Anthony F. Heath, Yaojun Li and Lindsay Richards: The challenge of inequality of opportunity: class, gender and ethnic inequalities
8: Lindsay Richards: The challenge of social corrosion: national identity, social divisions and disengagement
9: Progress in tackling Beveridge's five giants: the successes and limitations of social reform
2: Anthony F. Heath, Elizabeth Garratt and Lindsay Richards: The fight against Want: material prosperity, inequality and poverty
3: Anthony F. Heath, Ridhi Kashyap and Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Disease: life expectancy, disease, and lifestyle
4: Lindsay Richards: The fight against Ignorance: participation, standards and non-economic outcomes
5: Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Squalor: overcrowding, homelessness and affordability
6: Anthony F. Heath, Yaojun Li and Elisabeth Garratt: The fight against Idleness: unemployment and discouraged workers
7: Anthony F. Heath, Yaojun Li and Lindsay Richards: The challenge of inequality of opportunity: class, gender and ethnic inequalities
8: Lindsay Richards: The challenge of social corrosion: national identity, social divisions and disengagement
9: Progress in tackling Beveridge's five giants: the successes and limitations of social reform