Poverty, inequality and social justice

What matters most in how poverty shapes children’s wellbeing and development? How can data inform social policy and approaches to improving outcomes for poorer children? What makes evidence useful? Young Lives has contributed powerful findings on the multiple impacts of poverty on the young. Using life course analysis from the Young Lives study of 12,000 Read More

Does the practice of hiring nannies and au pairs challenge inequalities in and between families, or does it reproduce them? Sara Eldén and Terese Anving, the authors of the first book in the Sociology of Children and Families series, Nanny Families: Practices of Care by Nannies, Au Pairs, Parents and Children in Sweden, answer this Read More

Extra-curricular activities are crucial for nurturing children’s ‘softer’ skills outside the classroom. However, our recent Social Mobility Commission report highlights a dearth of opportunities for young people in some communities, meaning many will spend the next six weeks with little to do. Extra-curricular activities have made it onto the government’s agenda in recent months. Activities Read More

It is that time of year again when we are out at conferences, meeting our authors, editors, readers and making new connections. At these events, we’re often asked about becoming Bristol University Press and where Policy Press now fits. When we launched Policy Press (PP) in 1996, our very first conference was the Social Policy Read More

Can financial systems restore social and economic justice in societies? This short video, adapted from Good Finance by Vedat Akgiray, introduces the book and begins to explore ways in which our current concept of finance can be revised for the good of society. Good Finance, by Vedat Akgiray is available on the Policy Press website. Order here Read More

Sharing means saving future generations; if we offer better education, children can grow up to be good human beings, making a positive contribution to the world. When my best friend was 11, he dropped out of school to work. He spent his money on drinking, gambling and smoking. I was lucky, my father encouraged me to study. …Read more

In 1973, Horst Rittel and Melvyn Webber published a paper in Policy Sciences contrasting the ‘tame’ problems of science (resolvable through the calm application of scientific rationality) with the ‘wicked’ problems of the social world. One of the ten reasons why social problems are often wicked – difficult to decode and resistant to any solution Read More

Occasionally a story is reported in the news that provokes a public response, stimulating discussion, particularly on social media, and prompting other similar follow up news stories. One such story emerged recently when it was reported in The Guardian that a housing developer in South London (Henley Homes) had developed segregated play areas at its Read More

Early in my career when I was a rookie reporter, a good while before I began writing about poverty, a conversation took place that keeps coming back like a niggling alarm on snooze.…Read more

I was born in Chelmsford in Essex and grew up in Heybridge, near Maldon, on a council estate with my mum. I remember a girl who went to my school. Her parents were both artists and they talked about her going to university. It was worlds away from my life. I wasn’t told that I could be anything.…Read more