The topic of poverty and the poor frequently arises in political conversations, but it's rarely defined clearly, let alone closely analyzed so that we can understand what poverty actually is and what it means for those who endure it. This book aims to demystify poverty, asking key questions about its prevalence in contemporary Britain, the regular invocation of a distinction between the so-called deserving and undeserving poor, and misconceptions about cultures of poverty and joblessness. Rooted in data and written in straightforward, accessible language, Poverty Propaganda debunks myths so that we can begin to address poverty, and its causes and consequences, more seriously and effectively.
Industry Reviews
"An essential guide to poverty in 21st Century Britain. Poverty Propaganda examines how the truth about poverty, its causes and consequences, continue to be hidden behind headlines, stories and images of the feckless undeserving poor." Imogen Tyler, University of Lancaster
"Exposes the falsehood of stigmatising through treating people as 'undeserving' at a time when a privileged minority is receiving a lot of 'something for nothing'." Guy Standing, SOAS University of London
"Sets out to debunk many of the myths around poverty and benefits in the UK....reveals the extent of 'poverty propaganda' and the ideological function this plays in defending successive cuts to social security support. A timely and important book from one of the leading thinkers on poverty in the UK." Ruth Patrick, University of Liverpool
"This book makes a significant contribution to making poverty visible, both as an experience for the many people the author has interviewed, and as a theoretical and political problem... With its particular emphasis on experience and empirical evidence, it offers students in particular a useful account of the interests, concerns and debates which have generated poverty propaganda in the UK." Community Development Journal
"This book is a timely opportunity to review our current understandings of poverty and what it means for us as a profession and as radicals..." Critical and Radical Social Work