Module: Practicing Sociology
Week 2 – Politicising Poverty
Structural causes are things outside that enable you e.g. good well-paying jobs,
having access to good quality education.
Politics of Poverty
It’s very hard to live your full potential if you are struggling to make ends meet
To solve the problem, we have to think about what causes it.
Whatever the route of poverty is, it is connected to how our political system
works.
Different sides of the political spectrum have different opinion of this
Right wing (Conservative/Tories) – that people should be taxed less, people
should be left on their own two feet to make their way.
Left wing (Labour party) – a view that the state should be taxing a little bit more
over a certain threshold which leaves the state with more money to provide
services for people.
Centrist position (Liberal Democrat party)
1. Formation of the welfare state (1945 – 1970-ish)
Beveridge was tasked with the job of what was going on with social security in
the UK
There was no compulsory curriculum at this point
Disease – there was no such thing as a national health service. The formation of
the NHS led to a massive shift – it was funded through taxation. The NHS was
free at the point of access. It improved standards of health across the country.
Squalor – poor living conditions was known to spread diseases like Cholera quite
rapidly due to living in compact spaces. It led to the move to get people into
houses.
Idleness – people not having enough work to do. Creating jobs and encouraging
people to take those jobs.
, During this time, we see a big increase in spending.
2. Margaret Thatcher, 1979 – 1990
The price of oil rocketed up
There were periods when the national grid was turned off
There were strike actions
The mining industry was heavily unionised – you have workers joining together to
work out what the minimum wage should be and what their hours should be.
You don’t get paid when you are on strike, but you also don’t do your job.
The steel industry was being outcompeted
The Conservative Party were looking to reduce spending and looking to create an
incentive for people to work
Thatcher introduced a range of policies that were unpopular with the working
class, but was popular with the upper classes. There was a lot of money to be
made if you were in the financial marketing sector.
Introduced right-to-buy on council houses which led to a rise in housing prices
Easier to borrow in the 1980’s and onwards
Credit cards became a thing – people can live in debt. This creates individual
experiences of borrowing.
Lost the coal, mining and steel industry.
Thatcher thought we spent too much on welfare and that it needed to be reduced
3. New Labour, 1997 – 2020
Originally founded by members of the working class
New Labour is a bit more middle class
Labour rose to power in 1997 with a landslide general election victory
Centred on the improvement on the education system
Academies started to be trialled
Week 2 – Politicising Poverty
Structural causes are things outside that enable you e.g. good well-paying jobs,
having access to good quality education.
Politics of Poverty
It’s very hard to live your full potential if you are struggling to make ends meet
To solve the problem, we have to think about what causes it.
Whatever the route of poverty is, it is connected to how our political system
works.
Different sides of the political spectrum have different opinion of this
Right wing (Conservative/Tories) – that people should be taxed less, people
should be left on their own two feet to make their way.
Left wing (Labour party) – a view that the state should be taxing a little bit more
over a certain threshold which leaves the state with more money to provide
services for people.
Centrist position (Liberal Democrat party)
1. Formation of the welfare state (1945 – 1970-ish)
Beveridge was tasked with the job of what was going on with social security in
the UK
There was no compulsory curriculum at this point
Disease – there was no such thing as a national health service. The formation of
the NHS led to a massive shift – it was funded through taxation. The NHS was
free at the point of access. It improved standards of health across the country.
Squalor – poor living conditions was known to spread diseases like Cholera quite
rapidly due to living in compact spaces. It led to the move to get people into
houses.
Idleness – people not having enough work to do. Creating jobs and encouraging
people to take those jobs.
, During this time, we see a big increase in spending.
2. Margaret Thatcher, 1979 – 1990
The price of oil rocketed up
There were periods when the national grid was turned off
There were strike actions
The mining industry was heavily unionised – you have workers joining together to
work out what the minimum wage should be and what their hours should be.
You don’t get paid when you are on strike, but you also don’t do your job.
The steel industry was being outcompeted
The Conservative Party were looking to reduce spending and looking to create an
incentive for people to work
Thatcher introduced a range of policies that were unpopular with the working
class, but was popular with the upper classes. There was a lot of money to be
made if you were in the financial marketing sector.
Introduced right-to-buy on council houses which led to a rise in housing prices
Easier to borrow in the 1980’s and onwards
Credit cards became a thing – people can live in debt. This creates individual
experiences of borrowing.
Lost the coal, mining and steel industry.
Thatcher thought we spent too much on welfare and that it needed to be reduced
3. New Labour, 1997 – 2020
Originally founded by members of the working class
New Labour is a bit more middle class
Labour rose to power in 1997 with a landslide general election victory
Centred on the improvement on the education system
Academies started to be trialled
