Thursday, 24 October 2013

The point about the weather: postponing the 'heat or eat' dilemma

WeatherHere in the UK we are experiencing unusually warm weather for the time of year. As a pedestrian I listen to and occasionally watch quite a few weather forecasts. And yet in all the banter that generally precedes and follows the meteorologists' ritual sharing of wisdom, not once have I heard mention of what seems to me to be the most important point about this warm spell...

So let me make it here: it means that many people in poverty will be able to eat, perhaps properly, for a while longer, since they will be spending less than usual for the time of year on heating.

We are living through a time of unambiguously policy-inflicted poverty. Many people newly in this situation would never have anticipated that such a plight could afflict them.

Poverty is hard enough without also knowing that much of it would be avoidable but for the perverse and unashamed malice of a bunch of ideologically-infected power-mongers. It would be reassuring to think the weather would be forever against them; and other forces too.

24 Oct 2013 17:49:17 | Social exclusion

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Making the links: poverty, ethnicity and social networks JRF have published a piece of research on the links between poverty and ethnicity, which examines how social networks help or hinder people in moving out of poverty. I was involved in the study in a partnership led by the Third Sector Research Centre. Among the key findings: People’s social networks were shaped by factors including ethnicity, class and gender, but personal characteristics, such as confidence, were also important in developing useful connections. Family and friends were seen as the basis for most relationships but there were low levels of awareness about wider social networks and how they might be used for moving on from poverty. People’s links beyond their own ethnic community were important, but the added dimension of racism could prevent access to ‘mainstream’ influential networks. Social networks tended to be ‘like with like’, so while they were used to access employment, this was often into low-paid jobs which relied on informal recruitment processes. Strong bonds with family and friends helped mitigate the effects of poverty. However, developing bridging and linking ties with networks that could move people on from poverty involved risks and scarce energy and resources. Voluntary, community and faith based organisations were seen as important for facilitating access to cross-cultural networks. There were examples of good practice in agencies encouraging people to consider how their social networks could help them move out of poverty. However, there was no consistency in practice between agencies. There’s a four-page summary here. The full report is here, and if I may say so, well worth a read. The other members of the team were Alison Gilchrist, Angus McCabe, Asif Afridi and Paul Kyprianou. This is the place for me to record that, taking into account all the consortia and partnership work I’ve been involved in over the past thirty years – where relationships with co-conspirators have meant a great deal to me and almost invariably been rewarding - it’s been an outstanding privilege to work with such a genial and inspiring group of people. I hope our work has some impact and leads onto other things.
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How do elites remain in charge? 'How do elites remain in charge? If the tale of the economists is any guide, by clearing out the opposition and then blocking their ears to reality. The result is the one we're all paying for.' Aditya Chakrabortty in the Guardian

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